Decorating Your Workspace
12 Aug 2011 | Category: architecture-and-interior-design | Author: admin
No matter what size your office space putting your personal stamp on it will turn it into a environment that will add to your productiveness. Now we can't use all the options available to us in our own homes as you can not change the color of the walls or the carpeting for example, but you can add little touches that make your office, cubicle or even desk your very own. After all we spend at least a third of our lives in our work places and you deserve to be inspired by your surroundings.
One thing to consider is whether any of your ideas may be offensive to co-workers or conflict with the company's taste or marketing plans. Do not use your space for making political, religious or moral statements no matter how innocent you may think they are. The office is not the place for personal beliefs to be aired. And even though you might think that a poster showing a sports figure promoting a particular beverage or product is cool, if the beverage or product is in direct competition with your company or it's clients it is not appropriate and may even get you fired. Better to stay away from advertising items in any form - you can't make a fatal error if you do.
So what can you do? Posters, Art Prints, Mouse Pads, and Mugs of just about any type (excluding nudes or partial nudes of course) can adorn your walls and desk. And if you don't have a wall, then a smaller size that can be hung on a cubicle wall, or stood up against a cubicle wall or even put into a frame that can sit on your desk or bookshelf will work. Of course pictures of your love ones and pets are fun and will perk you up whenever you glance their way. Calendar art, whether hung or set upon your desk is also an option. Or maybe a tapestry or wall hanging will do the trick. Be creative, there are so many ways to display fun, inspiring and colorful art.
Do you have a window? Plants of all types add softness, color and oxygen to your space. And many of then will thrive under florescent light even without a window. Look for plants with directions stating they need little direct light. But if you add plants, make sure you take care of their light, watering, and food needs. Cactus are great for those who forget to water as they can go for a long time without water just don't over water them. And if you should like to try a flowering plant, remember most flowering plants require a great deal of sunshine. And be careful of your choice. One woman I know thought it would be great to force some Narcissus bulbs in her cubicle. And when they bloomed in the middle of winter they were a great treat. However, they really did not smell very nice and did not stay on her window sill for long.
Don't forget items like your appointment book and mouse pad. These items can also add to the ambiance of your space.
And one more item - look down at your floor. Is it attractive or do you just hate that rug? There are so many inexpensive area rugs to choose from - why not have some fun and comfort at your feet. Not only will an area rug add color but it will add cushioning and perhaps warmth to your space. Most offices are carpeted with very neutral colors so almost any design and/or color will be fine.
What is important is that you make the space where you spend so much time a place that is comfortable, warm and inviting. You will find it makes your work day more enjoyable and as a result more productive.
Business Architecture and Influences From the Financial Market
24 Jun 2011 | Category: architecture-and-interior-design | Author: admin
As a consultant it is sometimes enough to just listen.
"I explained the accountant why this difference occurs." An entrepreneur is explaining the mismatch in the books for which the accountant was reluctant to sign off the final statement. "... but he didn't understand me... "this guy knows everything about margins and other ratios but he is not open to understand how my business really works."
It took me some time to understand this specific business, and I found it was really complex. So as a consultant the first thing to do is to simplify things. And after understanding the essentials of the business model, the question is does it need a change?
In his first book, "Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture," ... Venturi posed the question, "Is not Main Street almost all right?" He was arguing for what he called "the messy vitality" of the built environment. As he puts it, "We were calling for an architecture that promotes richness and ambiguity over unity and clarity, contradiction and redundancy over harmony and simplicity." He was challenging Modernism with the multiple solutions available from history... *
Business architecture is (amongst other things) about understanding the functional, the constructive and beauty of business, companies and organizations.
Today the stock market is in another bull-phase and one of the drivers in this phase is the speculation of take-overs and split-ups of companies. A new possible prey is a dutch anglo company called Unilever. The market "expects" a split of the two main divisions: "Foods and Home" and "Personal Care."
The investment market is ruled by very simple rules. Two companies in one have a lower stock value than two separated... So 1+1 = ?
... in his writings we find the famous response, "Less is a bore," to modernist Mies van der Rohe's dictum, "Less is more." This was Venturi's way "to make the point that modern architecture had become too simplistic. *
Architecture follows periods and styles. In discussions about Business (architecture) you will find the same periods and styles, but if there is no real movement than the market is searching for hidden money, for example to break up a company and to monetize the extra wealth. The result is a less complex business. Less complex and more boring.
© 2007 Hans Bool
* - [http://www.pritzkerprize.com/venturi.htm]
Business Architecture & Management - Some More Useful Elements
06 May 2011 | Category: architecture-and-interior-design | Author: admin
If you apply the rules of (business) architecture in management you will be able to build a coherent business.
Have you ever seen a church with a roof vault somewhere in the middle?
If you walk in a library you see books. Easy. The main function of a library is to present books and other communicating material in a way that it is accessible for the public. A retailer has borrowed this concept, but the library was there first.
Architects have thought about this. They know about functions, they develop (design?), a matching form or construction and -- although you may not like the style -- the whole will normally be inline.
Is your business Aligned?
There are also many problems with buildings designed by architects, because they will not always match the environmental characteristics.
As an entrepreneur you are your own architect. As a business manager you are much more dependent of the form (construction) chosen by others. Anyhow it is still your job to signal where a business is no longer sound. Where there are too many organizational style flavors that do not match internally.
It is not difficult to experience this. Maybe the stock market will help you. You gather a portfolio of investment instruments (resources) and they are balanced at some point in time. You will always have stock that are under performers. That is not the problem. The problem is that at one point in time you choose, to buy and hold, the other time you are day-trading, and the next moment you let third parties advice about your portfolio. And as a consequence, you sell at the worst moment in time.
Business architecture is about being aware that the whole is more than the sum of the individual parts. If you think that there is a point in this, but you wouldn't know where to start, ask a consultant that is experiences with this topic.
Restaurant Interior Designers
18 Mar 2011 | Category: architecture-and-interior-design | Author: admin
Each design job is unique yet any qualified restaurant interior designer will follow a few basic steps. By ensuring that each step is completed properly, the designer can guarantee the work will be done right the first time and that you will be more than satisfied. By knowing what these steps are before you hire a designer or design firm, you will be able to ask informed questions and get someone who is qualified to handle the job.
First, your interior designer will come to your location to assess a few things. He will need to know the size of your building, any permanent fixtures which must be accommodated, and your feeling for the restaurant. Size will determine what can and cannot be included in the final design. Permanent fixtures will need to be accounted for in the design and your vision of the restaurant will give him a jumping off point. After completing this step, the designer will then proceed to draw up a few ideas with visuals for you to view. You can either choose one of these designs or show him what you like about each and what you don't like. Then he will have a better idea of what you are looking for and can come up with some new designs which incorporate these features.
Once an agreement has been reached between you and the interior designer on which plan to use, the work will begin. The working plans may need to be submitted to governmental authorities for approval. The designer and/or his firm will take care of this. If approval is granted, the work can begin. If not the designer will need to make any necessary adjustments and may need to work with you to alter the design to meet building codes. The first step after approval is to set up a schedule of work to be completed along with deadlines. Contractors will need to be hired and your interior designer will take care of this also.
Now that all workers are involved, a project manager will be assigned to the job. His main function will be to ensure all work is completely promptly and correctly. By having him on site any problems that come up can be dealt with immediately. An issue in one area can affect the whole job if not resolved quickly. The project manager does everything in his power to prevent these delays. He will continue on your project until all work is completed. If, when interviewing designers, they say they outsource any portion of this process or try to pawn anything off on you, look for someone else. You have enough to worry about getting other aspects of your business up and running, leave the interior designing to the pros.
Business Architecture of Hospitals - Part 12
28 Jan 2011 | Category: architecture-and-interior-design | Author: admin
Organizational policies in the healthcare sector are a difficult area to manage. The reason is that these policies have a generic character but should serve a specific application.
Policies are the translation of the hospital strategy but are detailed for a certain domain. So there are pure medical policies, ICT, human resources, infrastructural policies.
Policies are derived from corporate values. One of such a value could be that the hospital operates on an evidence based way. This is often for the smaller hospitals that have limited space for research and development and follow the trends in the market. Academic or university hospitals can combine such a principle with a more innovative directive to pioneer in certain areas for which the hospital has specialized.
As there are more corporate values, there are also more policies that have to be managed in combination. Innovation and research may be a driver for an academic hospital; "patient safety" is a policy that overrules all other policies in the situation of a conflict.
Policies can be developed "on-the-job." Basically a policy is formed after events and conflicts have already occurred. At the operation start of a new organization there are no policies yet and as things happen, a pattern raises of recurring issues. Policies are like the jurisprudence of law; many things that have happened resemble previous situations. Policies make sure that the decision taking process will be speed up. It is no use to dedicate time to issues that you have dealt with before. Just do what you have done before where the measure seemed to have worked out.
This works until there is a real change, a new conflict or a change in the environment where a new measure is required. And a new policy will be "established" as more of these new cases pass the management agenda.
H.J.B.
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