According to the U.S. Small Business Association, branding “is about the sum total of the experiences customers have with your business.” Your brand’s image is the result of everything you do, from your product and how you interact with customers/clients to the design decisions you make about your office. A commercial architect can help you build your brand by ensuring your business space – whether it’s an office, a store, a restaurant or a showroom – reflects the image you want to project and differentiates it from similar businesses in your area.
Check Out the Competition
Your first step should be researching your competition. Take a look at how similar businesses in your area present themselves. If possible, visit the competition’s buildings and take note of how they use space (or don’t use it) to appeal to their audience. Look for opportunities to stand out, via colors or materials, for example, or by how the space’s design invites clients or customers to interact with the space and the staff.
Consult a Commercial Architect
A commercial architect should understand your industry and know the area you do business in. Consulting an architect early in the process can help you understand your options and how they might fit into your branding strategy.
Here are some questions to start the discussion:
What architectural style best reflects my business’s brand and meets its needs?
Your architect can offer suggestions about which architectural styles might best fit your brand and help you stand out from the crowd. For example, a hair salon or graphic design firm might choose a contemporary style to suggest a forward-looking brand, while a Victorian style might suggest hominess and old-fashioned values that appeal to customers of a craft business. A law office might harness the solidity of a Federalist or Georgian-inspired design to project the trustworthiness of its brand.
But meeting brand expectations doesn’t have to mean cookie-cutter architectural design. Thoughtful attention to details like custom doors and windows can help give your space a unique flair that helps clients and customers notice and remember your business.
What kinds of materials best reflect my brand?
The variety of natural and synthetic building materials available offer a plethora of choices for commercial buildings. Should you choose hardwood floors and natural fibers? Or glass and chrome? Composite or stone counters? Your commercial architect can help you determine which building materials reflect your brand while keeping in mind the practicalities of your business, with expert knowledge about how different materials perform and last.
How do I want customers/clients interact with the space?
Regardless of your industry, you want your customers and clients to feel comfortable spending time in your space and interacting with you, your workers and your products.
Open sightlines, for example, might foster a collaborative atmosphere, while businesses whose brand depends on confidentiality or deep personal relationships might need smaller, cozier spaces to create an atmosphere of intimacy. Spend some time talking to your architect about how you envision all the people who use your space interacting with it. He or she can also offer perspectives from experience designing for your industry.
What building codes apply to my business pace?
If your business has special needs like reinforced floors, high-capacity electrical systems or special venting requirements, you’ll want to ensure your architectural plans incorporate them at the outset. A commercial architect will be familiar with federal, state and local building codes that apply to your business and can help ensure the permitting process goes smoothly.
How can my space differentiate my business?
You and your architect should consider all these things with an eye toward differentiating your business from others in your industry and area. Is your space in a corporate development or a row of shops with lots of similar-looking buildings or storefronts? An experienced architect can help identify opportunities to make your business stand out while staying within guidelines or requirements.
A commercial architect with experience in your industry and location can help you understand the building standards for your industry and offer practical options for your space. She can work with you to synthesize your ideas and create an affordable building plan to make your business stand out.
This post first ran in 2018.