Being a commercial landlord in a post pandemic world poses the challenge of how to provide occupants with secure, sustainable, and flexible spaces. Raghmah Solomon, founder and female pioneer behind Vortex Design Solutions – uses great design to re-imagine spaces in innovative ways, making buildings more attractive to potential tenants and helping landlords win the race to fill their space.
Here are her top tips on how to win the race to fill your space:
Speak to your tenants
Asking your tenants for feedback on what they love about your property, and where you could improve is paramount to creating lasting relationships and retaining long-term tenants.
List all the features of your building
When you list the features of your space in adverts, make sure to list them all, to give potential tenants a solid understanding of the value your space offers them. Wifi facilities, parking, back-up generators, meeting rooms and how close the space is to schools, universities and shops all help.
Unconventional features are valuable
Air quality, light and space are what tenants look for and make your building more attractive. How you handle a maintenance request, who currently occupies the space, LED lighting and maintaining plants to improve the building’s air quality, are all valuable features to tenants.
Speak to your designer
Designers spend time with the client, learning their needs, their tastes, their dislikes and what they value the most in the design. They also spend time with building contractors and engineers, making sure all needs are being taken care of. The location of power outlets, type of fire and air conditioning systems and how to redesign for maximum sustainability are a good designer’s chief concerns.
Invest in good quality materials
With commercial spaces now having to comply with strict sanitizing laws, any materials used should withstand regular rigorous cleaning with minimal deterioration.
Analyse your space
Post-Covid, all materials chosen for a space must prioritise hygiene and sustainability. The look of the products that simulate ‘real-deal’ surfaces have increased in quality to such a degree, that often you would need to touch them to know the difference. They are often longer lasting and easier to clean.
Embrace minimal layouts
Exclude excessive décor items where dust can collect and hang art to create interest. A simplistic approach will create a clean and calming environment with visual interest.
Use closed cupboards
Due to increased concern over germs and bacteria, all open shelves need to have doors to limit the settling of germs and collection of dust.
Holistically implement Covid protection protocols
Sanitizing stations, touch access panels and everyone wearing a mask must be ensured throughout the building, through a collaboration between tenants and landlords.
Details: [email protected] or visit www.vortexdesignsolutions.com for more information.
Text: Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge
