Choosing an office location for your working routine

Start choosing an office location with regular journeys

Choosing an office location is easier when you begin with the journeys it needs to serve. List the regular routes that matter to your team, then add client arrivals and any work trips you make during the day. Use the actual address and entrance rather than treating a neighbourhood name as a complete answer.

Imagine an office that makes one colleague’s morning simple but complicates the team’s regular client visits. Both needs belong in the decision. Agree which journeys are essential and which are preferences before comparing locations, so the most enthusiastic voice does not accidentally set the whole brief.

Follow the route all the way to the door

Check a relevant journey using your usual travel method and the time you expect to arrive. Notice the final approach, road crossings, shelter and how easy the entrance is to identify. Record what you observed instead of attaching an assumed travel or walking time to the office.

For a visitor who is unfamiliar with the area, consider how you would explain the arrival. For deliveries, ask which entrance and receiving arrangement would apply. If the route needs to work for someone with a particular access requirement, review it with that person rather than treating the commute check as sufficient.

Consider the street during your working day

Visit the surroundings at a time relevant to your routine where practical. Look at how you would leave for a break, return for an afternoon meeting or depart after your work is finished. The neighbourhood’s atmosphere can help you choose, but its usefulness depends on the daily pattern you are planning.

If nearby services matter, verify the actual place and its suitability rather than assuming the area provides everything you need. Keep office-specific questions separate: an appealing street does not establish access, visitor arrangements or a service package inside the building. Both the journey and the proposed workplace need to fit.

Make the trade-off visible before choosing

Use the location map to compare each route and record the importance you give it. Ask colleagues to describe the same journeys from their own starting points, then compare the observations together so your shortlist reflects the team’s pattern. Add a final note on the compromise your team would accept. A location need not win every comparison; it should meet your essential journeys and make the remaining trade-offs clear.

For Figment Work Studios, compare Club House at 11 Lorong 24A Geylang with Kongsi House at 6 Sam Leong Road in Jalan Besar. Enquire for pricing with your preferred area or keep the house open, and describe the journeys or arrival needs that could change your choice.

Blank location decision map

Use these headings for your own notes. Complete the blank cells from the particular proposal or your observations.

Keep the decision connected.

• Consider Geylang and Club House
• Consider Jalan Besar and Kongsi House
• Check the complete access route