Case Study#1- Mai Esmail

When I think of office buildings, I always think of natural light, and space for employees to work freely, comfortably, and be able to concentrate well. From reading what the client wants, I understand that they would want to use as much space as possible. But, cramming a lot of people together just to fit as many employees as possible does not seem smart. It has been proven that employees work better and more efficiently if there is a lot of natural light, fresh air, and a comfortable amount of space between them and their colleagues. A big box store and a headquarters building are two different environments. Therefore, they should not be given the same conditions. My approach would be to try to convince the client that not all work environments are the same. Also, to prove to them through statistics that giving employees a better work environment will equal to more progress which means more $$$.  

When it comes to information from the client, I would ask how many employees he plans on having to work in this space. That way I can accurately calculate how much space would be needed to occupy that many people. I would also ask besides office space, what other spaces do you specifically need for your company? I ask that just because it varies with different companies. From there, I should be able to confirm the space capacity and cost. These issues should defiantly be discussed before even signing a contract. I feel that both I and the client should be on the same page with changes that would be done to what they wanted before. We should also have a clear understanding of what can be legally done and what cannot. And I say that just because if they try to change the plan into something else, they should know what can and cannot be done considering the area and zone that their building is in. It’s always important to talk about the things that may seem boring to a client just because it makes them aware of just how important it is.