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11 Tips for Breathing New Life into Old Office Spaces

11 Tips for Breathing New Life into Old Office Spaces

With the slowdown in new office building construction across the country, many design and construction firms are turning their attention to office building reconstruction and interior renovations—something Cincinnati-based Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors has been doing since its founding, in 1948.


By By Robert Cassidy, Editorial Director | November 2, 2010
This article first appeared in the November 2010 issue of BD+C.

Building Design+Construction talked to experts from Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors for their advice on renovating whole office buildings and office interiors: Colleen McCafferty, LEED AP, Corporate Interiors Team Leader; Bruce F. Mirrielees, AIA, SVP of Project Management; and John Hudson, Director of Client Development. Here are 11 lessons from their experience that may help you in planning your clients’ next office renovation projects.

11 Tips for Office Renovation Success

1. Ask the hard bottom-line questions first.

2. Take a realistic look at the surrounding neighborhood.

3. Look for local or regional economic incentives.

4. Develop an exit strategy for the property.

5. Create a communication plan for the current occupants.

6. Capitalize on the building’s strengths.

7. Determine what features can and should be saved.

8. Enhance the property’s curb appeal and interior finishes.

9. Have a clear picture of who the potential tenants might be, and design for their needs.

10. Don’t try to do everything at once. 

11. Make sustainability part of the process.

View all 11 tips on one page.

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