With the tech sector booming in the UK and hubs developing across the country, Dan Miller, Strutt & Parker's head of Occupier Services, looks at what you need for the perfect tech office.

1. High speed connections

This is a must – slow connections might mean less productivity for a regular business but for a tech firm it could mean work coming to a halt and lost business. While it might seem like this would be common sense, reports last year said that London’s tech sector was lagging behind the rest of the world because of poor connectivity issues.

Although a lot of this is due to the service provider, local council or the Government, you need to make sure you’ve got the best equipment, best connections and are utilising the speeds to the fullest.

Fibre optics currently provide the fastest connections, with some commercial grade systems hoping to provide 1.4 terabits per second – that’s fast enough to download 44 HD films a second. However, most mainstream providers offer around 150-300 megabytes per second. For comparison, 1 terabyte equals 1,000,000 megabytes.

2. Flexible desks

The idea of being sat at a cubical all day long is dated – nowhere more so than in the tech sector where flexible working spaces are essential. While desks are still used, they must be fitted with top of the range laptop docks and multiple screens so they can be used for various tasks.

Offices are reflecting this where traditional grid patterns for desks are being ditched in favour of clutches of desks of various sizes. Things like having your own storage next to your desk have been replaced by group lockers.

3. Adaptable rooms

As the everyday desk disappears, so does the idea of an ‘office space’.  Modern tech offices have break out areas where people can go to discuss ideas, have a quick meeting or just socialise.

These could be a set of sofas or bean bags in the corner of the room with designs ranging from the Granny’s Flat in Google’s London office to table tennis rooms as found in FourSquare’s New York office.

Private booths are popular, often set up for Skype chats or private working while the office canteen is also regularly used as an office. Comfort is key with sofas and armchairs becoming more popular than stiff desk chairs.

With advances in Wifi, more tech firms are also extending their offices to the outside with decks and roof gardens becoming more popular.

A lot of these relaxing and laidback areas are aimed at keeping people more productive for longer. If an office feels a bit more like home, then people will stay longer through choice.

4. Reliable power sources

Tech firms use a lot of power, processing huge amounts of data. Some of these processes, like rendering graphics, can be long and arduous – the last thing you want is for the power to cut out. Having a reliable power source, along with various back-up systems and alternative sources, are hugely important. 

Uninterruptable power sources (UPS) can be brought in to give you a window of time to save work and shut down computers, however a portable generator is more effective as it gives you more time.  You also need to protect against too much power – called surge protection – which can blow equipment. 

Not only does the power source need to be reliable but it also needs to be accessible. Have multiple and adaptable power points and Ethernet connections means you can have screens and access where you need it, you can plug in your laptop when it needs charging and rooms can change use easily. 

5. Cooling 

Anyone who’s worked with an old laptop on their knee knows how warm computers can get. Large servers and data centres can easily overheat and need inbuilt cooling.

Having suitable air-con systems that are tailored to your needs can make an office ideal for running such equipment. A recent report has called for the UK to be at the forefront of the ‘Cooling Economy’ with demand for cooling products expected to boom.

6. Writing surfaces

Not everything is done online, so having surfaces to write on are essential, especially in meeting rooms. These could be old fashioned whiteboards, on a window or more advanced smart boards that allow you to be interactive with your presentations.

Another popular way of getting people writing their ideas down during meetings is with a roll of paper hanging from the wall which can be unrolled on to the desk, written on then torn off.

7. Transport

Transport links are key to a modern office as working locations become more flexible. With remote working on the rise, staff need to be able to get to and from their offices with as little fuss as possible. For city offices, this means being close to a rail or underground station and for out of town offices, it means having large car parks for all staff.

Whether you’re in the tech sector or not, transport to and from the offices is classed by many as one of the most important factors when choosing office space.

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