Modern architecture has revolutionized the way buildings are built – it focuses on functionality and comfort.

Many companies focus on the interior design of their buildings to provide a comfortable environment for the employees and customers and forget that the exterior design is just as important.

Since the exterior creates the first impression, poorly designed commercial buildings might drive away potential clients.

The commercial building design should be in sync with the company’s brand, capture the customer’s attention, and still complement the surrounding structures. 

Are you looking to design your building so that your employees have a safe working environment and your customers feel comfortable?

Keep reading for some office exterior design tips if you’re looking to revamp your building exteriors!

Why Improve Building Exteriors?

Why is the exterior of your building important? When most companies are thinking about ways to improve their revenue, they happen to leave out the building’s exterior which actually has a significant impact on the companies’ success.

Maintaining the exterior of a building not only gives your building a modern look but also shows your customers and employees that you care about their needs. Here are three main reasons why improving a building’s exterior works to your advantage.

1. Appeal to Customers / Potential Employees

Structural architecture should not only be efficient but also has to be visually appealing. We cannot overemphasize the important role that exterior design plays in the visuals of commercial spaces. 

If your building has an appealing design, it’ll catch more customers’ attention and draw them in. More people will also want to work in your company if it looks good from the outside.

Studies have shown that people are highly likely to walk into business premises depending on how it looks even if they didn’t necessarily plan to. That’s why it is best to always check what your competitors are doing. This will also give you an idea of what improvements to make to draw in more customers.

2. More Conducive Workplace Environment

Many employees and customers are exposed to hazardous environments at their workplace and some of them don’t even realize it.

This is why it’s important for architects to focus on eliminating such through building proper structures. The design and construction teams should work together to analyze the safety of commercial buildings and come up with solutions that further improve that safety.

Effective office exterior design creates an uncompromising safe space for your employees to work. This shows passersby that you care for their well-being.

A sloppy building exterior creates a negative first impression. Customers and employers feel that if you can’t take care of your building then you can’t take care of their needs.

Again, a building exterior that’s in proper condition improves safety and security. It not only minimizes break-ins but also prevents accidents such as people tripping and falling or rotting materials falling. When employees feel safe they’re more productive and customers will keep coming back.

3. Branding and Reputation

Long gone are the days when all commercial buildings looked the same. Back then there was no indication of the type of business going on inside the commercial premises.

That was so challenging, especially for customers who needed a specific product or service. The good news is that all that has now changed.

With the modern exterior design, business owners can now use architectural designs to help make businesses stand out.

Thanks to technological advancements, it’s now possible to use digital signage to brand and update the branding in real-time.

This way customers will always know if there are new products, offers, and discounts.

A stunning exterior guarantees that your customers are happy and so have nothing to complain about. Adapting your building for accessibility goes a long way in building your reputation and ultimately helps you get more customers.

For example, if you pave your parking lot and put in a ramp for wheelchair access everyone will have great ease of access.

What to Consider When Improving Exterior Design: 5 Factors To Consider For Revamping Your Office Interiors

Your commercial building’s exterior is all-important. It’s what people see first and often makes a lasting impression. Creating a great one is not easy because there are so many factors to consider. By following the items we talk about in this section you’ll be a step closer to an improved exterior design. Here are a few key considerations for revamping your office exteriors. 

1. Budget

You need to have a budget in mind before starting out on your project. You also need to be disciplined enough to stick to the budget you set. The amount of work that needs to be done determines how much money is needed.

Having a budget will help you get bids and quotes from potential contractors and choose what works best for you.

If the money at hand is not enough for the entire exterior improvement project, you can divide it into smaller projects and work on one at a time depending on priority.

The biggest advantage of setting a budget is that you can explore all your financial options.

2. Trends

When looking at the different ways you can improve your exterior design, you need to pay attention to what’s popular in the market.

Cover every detail from styling to material, shapes, and colors. It’s not logical to get an outdated design if you’re looking to enhance your building’s curb appeal. Trendy designs significantly boost the aesthetic appeal of your building.

It might be necessary to consult with professionals to get advice on what will most appeal to customers in the coming season.

For example, the cool trend that’s picking up nowadays is using eco-friendly building materials such as smart glass Malaysia.

The key considerations for smart glass include reliability, sustainability and increasing value in the commercial landscape.

3. Energy Consumption

If you’re looking to construct or remodel a commercial building to improve its energy consumption you need to consider investing in an energy-efficient and climate-responsive design.

The first step requires you to conduct an energy assessment to find out what departments and sections use up the most energy. In the next step, determine the best ways to cut energy use and costs.

An energy-efficient building is not only comfortable to stay in but also helps you save on your electricity bills. This is because you don’t need to keep the lights and the AC on during the day. If the walls regulate heat and cold, there’s no need for conditioning the premises all the time.

Find ways of decreasing heat loss through the building envelope during the cold season. 

Smart glass for office interiors helps to decrease cooling costs during the hot months. While the initial cost for such improvements is high, at the end of the day you’ll realize that you’ll only use up about half the energy compared to before.

4. Goals – Form Follows Function

A good exterior design, when done well, will help you achieve your building as well as your business goals.

First and foremost, know your goals. This will make your decision-making process easy when it comes to choosing the exterior design.

Exterior design goals for commercial buildings come in different shapes and sizes in relation to design style, aesthetics, budget, performance, sustainability, etc. Your end goal plays a huge role in your building’s exterior design.

5. Available Space

The geographical location of your building and the available space can affect how you improve the exterior design.

By understanding this, you’re in a better position to design your commercial building and its exterior to enhance it.

For example, if you’re working with limited space, go for a minimalistic exterior design so that you don’t have to compromise on your lighting and views.

8 Office Exterior Design Tips and Trends

The exterior of your commercial building is what people see first and so it matters a lot.

Therefore, commercial buildings should make a good impression upon anyone that passes by.

We’ve put together a list of excellent tips and trends to help you gain some inspiration to push you towards creating a unique building exterior.

1. Outdoor Office Spaces

Outdoor office spaces add visual appeal to the building’s exterior and allow workers to experience the outdoors while they work.

It also gives the employees and customers a place that’s not too far from their workplace to relax and unwind as they enjoy the views.

The benefits of investing in a well-designed outdoor office space are that it gives the employees a change of scenery and they will always have a clear mind and hence be more productive and creative.

Plus these changes in workplace design can be implemented at the patio, rooftop, or balcony to increase social distancing.

2. Building Facades

The face of the building is usually the most important aspect from a design standpoint. Although rarely considered a priority, many business owners forget that the building façade is a feature that is seen from afar.

Smart glass for building façades is eye-catching and sets the tone for the rest of the building. This is necessary for a business setting to make the visitors feel welcome.

Some features that you can add to your commercial building exterior include gently flowing fountains to give the employees a sense of peace and tranquility.

Rock formations are also a great way to add some oomph to the building architecture.

3. Landscaping

For a start-up or a business that’s trying to break even, landscaping might not be a top priority. But what most people don’t know is that a pleasing landscape can bring customers to your doorstep.

If you’re working with a tight budget, find plants that are visually appealing but require little maintenance.

Ensure that the lawn is trimmed and the shrubs pruned. You should also research local plant life to determine the best flowering plants to grow along the walkways.

4. Balcony / Patio Picnic Tables

Having the right patio and balcony furniture plays a huge role in improving a space’s functionality and style.

When you add picnic tables to your space, you add more sitting space for employees and customers.

This also creates a welcoming environment for your customers where they feel they can stay a while and gives the employees more options on where to take their break.

Additionally, here the messes are easier to clean afterwards compared to an indoor setting.

5. Upgraded Doors

One of the strategies you can employ to upgrade the exterior of your home is upgrading the exterior door. This is a quick and easy fix but makes a big impression.

Design a bold entrance that makes a statement about your company’s brand. Apart from giving the building additional curb appeal, it also offers great security and protection, and could potentially reduce your energy bills.

Apart from making sure that the entrance is prominent, check the quality of the door to make sure that it’s durable because it’ll be exposed to all elements of the weather.

6. A Fresh Paint Job

Bold colors are eye-catching and have a powerful effect on people’s emotions. Generally, red is seen as a passionate color that drives people forward.

Implementing this in your commercial building calls more attention to your premises causing you to stand out from your competition. On the other hand, bright white paint can create interesting focal points.

Also, the color scheme you choose can conceal or expose the flaws in the building’s design.

7. Branding

Branding your commercial building with dynamic signs is an excellent way to drive interest and establish a company’s brand. These signs bring your exterior to life and convey the brand by sharing what the company does.

People who notice it should start thinking about your company, services, and products even if they didn’t intend on using them before.

8. Smart Glass

This innovative technology can change its appearance at the flick of a switch. It’s increasingly being embraced in commercial buildings for different applications such as windows, doors, and skylights.

This glass is easy to clean and maintain so you no longer have to worry about additional repair expenses.

This smart glass can also be remote controlled which is an advantage if the fixtures are in hard-to-reach places.

Smart Glass Malaysia – How Chiefway Can Help You

While the exterior design of commercial buildings was once thought to not matter much, nowadays opinions have changed. Business owners are now starting to realize that the exterior is just as important as the interiors. 

Architects are now focusing on constructing buildings that are dynamic and representative of what goes on in there. It’s time for you too to start focusing on your building’s exterior.

Are you looking to complete your commercial building exterior design with smart solutions? You have come to the right place because our team of experts knows exactly what’s appealing and functional for commercial building exteriors.

As the leading and trusted glass solution provider, we focus on manufacturing high-quality smart products. At Chiefway we have different smart glass options to suit your needs, allowing you to personalize the design in terms of color, texture, pattern, and style. Our core products are:

1. Smart Film – This solution switches the glass from being clear to frosted with a simple ON/OFF switch.

2. Smart Window – This revolutionary product equips you with projection and touch screen capabilities, allowing you to present exterior design ideas in a new way.

3. Smart Glass – This solution offers a next-generation alternative to blinds and curtains. Apart from privacy, it’s also a functional security and thermal regulation solution.

An appealing exterior does more than just please the eyes of passersby. It speaks volumes to your customers (both new and existing ones) and does wonders in outshining the competition. We can help you take the exterior of your commercial building to the next level and bring you more business. 

Final Word

Over time, it can be seen how smart glass transforms architecture and how it has continuously evolved. Smart glass has enabled architects to bring their innovative ideas to life.

This has come in handy when designing awe-inspiring and modern commercial buildings. We now see more and more commercial building owners moving away from uninteresting building designs to more modern ones that offer more functionality.

Businesses need to adopt modern innovations in their commercial buildings to optimize the workplace environment. With smart glass technology, you’re guaranteed of making a good first impression.

At Chiefway you will find different smart glass window options that will fit your company’s brand.

Get in touch with us to benefit from the latest exterior designs to give your building a modern look with a functionality bonus. We know exactly what it takes!