office refurbishment devon

• Mark Dowse
• office refurbishment devon, Uncategorised
• November 29, 2017

CAT5e or CAT6 cables for your office refurbishment project?

If you are reading this article, then you are already the beneficiary of Cat5 and Cat6 cables. Although these cables are used for a variety of purposes, they are most commonly used as network cables, i.e. they connect computers and servers to modems and (ultimately) ISPs. Like virtually everything else in the technology sector, these cables have undergone significant development over the years, and the newest cables are capable of significantly greater performance than previous cables. The difference between a Cat5 vs Cat6 cable is not only higher speeds but reduced “crosstalk”.

What is Crosstalk?

Unsurprisingly, electronic equipment (including cat cables) emit electromagnetic signals. When lots of cables are near one another, these cables can interfere with one another. This interference is referred to as “crosstalk”. Crosstalk increases errors and lost packets (among other issues). Newer versions of cat cables (i.e. Cat6 and Cat6A cables) reduce the impact of crosstalk through a variety of methods, including improved shielding and twisted cable design.

Similarities Between Cat5 vs Cat6 Cables

It is worth noting that both Cat5 vs Cat6 cables utilize the same end piece, i.e. they can “plug in” to the same ports. The differences between each of these cables are in their capabilities, as well as the methods and materials used to create them. The “end” that all the cables have in common is known as RJ-45, and it is capable of plugging into any Ethernet jack on a computer, router, or another similar device. Nobody in the industry expects this to change anytime soon.

Cat5 Cable

Cat5 cable is broken into two separate categories: Cat5 and Cat5E cables. Cat5 has become obsolete in recent years, due to its limitations compared to Cat5E and Cat6 cables. Although the Cat5 cable can handle up to 10/100 Mbps at a 100MHz bandwidth (which was once considered quite efficient), the newer versions of Cat cables are significantly faster.

Cat5E cable (which stands for “Cat5 Enhanced”) became the standard cable about 15 years ago and offers significantly improved performance over the old Cat5 cable, including up to 10 times faster speeds and a significantly greater ability to traverse distances without being impacted by crosstalk.

Cat6 Cable

Cat6 cables have been around for only a few years less than Cat5E cables. However, they have primarily been used as the backbone to networks, instead of being run to workstations themselves. The reason for this (beyond cost) is the fact that, while Cat6 cables can handle up to 10 Gigabits of data, that bandwidth is limited to 164 feet — anything beyond that will rapidly decay to only 1 Gigabit (the same as Cat5E).

Cat6A is the newest iteration and utilizes an exceptionally thick plastic casing that helps further reduce crosstalk. The biggest distinguishing difference between Cat6 and Cat6A cables is that Cat6A can maintain 10 Gigabit speeds for the full 328 feet of Ethernet cable.

Ultimately, those who want to have the most “future proofed” cable will want to go with Cat6A. However, for most resident and commercial purposes, Cat5E and Cat6 cables should be more than sufficient.

For a free quotation or just a chat call 01392 834980 or email our office via this link.

(article courtesy of FIREFOLD-NC 2017 – https://www.firefold.com)

• Mark Dowse
• office refurbishment devon, Uncategorised
• June 19, 2017

Managing the budget for an office fit out.

Wherever you are in the country from central London to Devon, an office is far more than just the space that your employees work in. MD Business Interiors are the most dynamic office fitout company in Devon, based on Marsh Barton in Exeter. We’ve become increasingly aware of the effect that office design has upon creativity and productivity. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why more and more employers are investing money into office fit outs. We’ve already looked at the possibilities for tax relief during a fit out, so we thought we’d turn to another crucial aspect, budgeting an office fit out.

There are going to be a number of things that affect your budget, from the number of staff you have to the technical requirements of your business. It’s vital that your budget is a realistic reflection of how much you can afford to spend on an office fit out project. Of course, there’ll be questions that only you can answer about office requirements and necessities, but what else should you consider before starting the fit out process? We look at the things you need to discuss with your fit out company in order to effectively manage your budget and expectations.

TYPES OF FIT OUT

The types of office fit out will vary, as will the price. Some projects will be purely cosmetic, while others will be more complicated and could include structural changes. Even the purely cosmetic fit outs will vary in terms of final touches, quality and finishes, so it’s important that you sit down with your office fit out team and crunch some serious numbers.

There are several different types of fit out available to you, which include:

SHELL AND CORE

Typically, a shell and core development will leave all internal finishes and services for the tenant to specify and install.

CAT-A FIT OUT

This type of fit out can vary amongst different developers. In a nutshell, this will leave you with a blank canvas for interior design. It will include the essential things like lighting, raised floors, suspended ceilings and toilets. It won’t usually include space planning, furniture or finishing touches.

CAT-B FIT OUT

This type of fit out is a step up from a Cat-A. It incorporates all of the features of a Cat-A fit out but will also include design features that reflect the specific needs and requirements of the staff who will inhabit the space. It can include things like internal partitions, meeting rooms, office furniture and primary finishes to the interior, such as décor, flooring and artwork.

TURNKEY

A turnkey project means that all elements of the fit out, from design to build, will be undertaken by a contractor.

MEASURING UP

When you’ve decided on the type of fit out that best suits your needs and requirements, your office fit-out company can put together an approximate cost. This typically includes everything from electrical services, lighting, furniture, contractor fees and everything else. This projected cost should account for everything that will turn your empty shell into a workplace that inspires creativity and collaboration.

Often these costs are based on a per square foot basis. Understandably, the size of your office is going to have an impact on the overall cost, so make sure that you fully utilise space and know just how big an office you need. It might seem beneficial to pick a smaller office, but if your business is likely to grow within the next 5-10 years, then make sure you have an office with enough space to accommodate this. An office fit out is something that you only need to do every few years, so it’s common sense to consider company growth and reduce the risk of outgrowing your space.

THE SMALL PRINT

An office fit out is a huge job to undertake. Take your time so you don’t run into any nasty surprises down the line, as these can slowly eat away at your budget and add more time to the project.

When you’re signing contracts, it’s imperative that you know exactly what you’re getting for your money. Is VAT included? Will you have to pay extra for minor changes? Who is liable if the project overruns? Are all third-party costs accounted for? Consider everything carefully.

Another thing that is worth considering is what happens to your workforce when the project is underway. Will they be able to work from the premises or do you need to find an alternative location? From health and safety to minor IT issues such as no telephone lines, there will more than likely come a time when it’s simply impractical for your staff to work from the office. If you need to rent out an alternative office space for a few weeks, then this will add to the overall costs and is something you need to budget for.

For more information or to book a meeting call 01392 834980 or email here.

(original article Paramount Office Sept 16)

• Mark Dowse
• office refurbishment devon, Uncategorised
• February 17, 2017

Discover the meanings of colours.

When planning your office refurbishment, fit out or office renovation it is important to recognise the importance of colour. Office furniture, partitions, screens and artwork, enable colours to be injected quickly and cost effectively into office refurbishment projects. Office furniture can be purchased in a range of MFC or veneered finishes, whilst fabrics on office chairs and screens and wall paints can be chosen to mirror and compliment corporate colours and messages.

Once you understand color psychology and the specific psychological effects of color, you can easily transform any space into an uplifting and nurturing environment.

Color is a silent language. In his book “Color, Environment, and Human Response,” Frank Mahnke discusses how color has a vibration, like music. Mahnke goes on to explain how artists such as Paul Gauguin understood the power of color to manipulate the viewer — to evoke a visceral reaction antecedent to words.

Experiencing color is both objective and subjective.

There are visual, symbolic, syn-aesthetic, emotional, physiological and psychological effects of color. For example, there are biological reactions to color that ensure survival like knowing when food is ripe enough to eat or recognizing the changing of the seasons.

There is also a collective unconscious reaction to color that we have inherited from our ancestors — formed through the development of our species. In this way, colors have a primal significance.

Another aspect of color psychology is the conscious symbolism of colors. For example, blue represents the sky. Gold represents the sun. Color has a remarkable impact on you both psychologically and physically. When you understand the effects of certain colors, you can begin to use them to create a specific reaction.

What may be less known about color psychology is that color influences your brain waves, your automatic nervous system and hormonal activity. For instance, if you sat in an entirely red room, your pulse and blood pressure would increase. Conversely, your blood pressure and pulse would decline in an entirely blue room.

There are always personal preferences and reactions to color. These relate to your state of mind, glandular imbalances and primal memories. This quick guide to color psychology examines the universal meanings and common physiological and psychological effects of color.

Go to an individual color for more in-depth information on the symbolic and cultural references.

The List – A Quick Guide to the Psychology of Colors and Meaning of Colors

Red. Red is the most dominant and dynamic color. Psychology suggests that red is activating, stimulating, passionate, exciting, powerful, and expanding.

Orange. Orange is very stimulating, active, cheerful and sociable. It is less arousing than red and more pleasantly stimulating.

Yellow. Yellow is very happy, warm, stimulating, and expansive. It draws people out and makes people more talkative. Yellow encourages optimism and hope and helps to focus attention and stimulate intellect.

Generally, red, yellow and orange are very stimulating and active colors, while green and blue are very calming and relaxing.

Green. Green is very calming, balancing, healing, relaxing, and tranquil. It represents growth, vitality, abundance, and nature. Green stimulates possibility and is very inspiring.

Blue. Blue is calming, healing, soothing, and relaxing. Blue characterizes dependability, trustworthiness, and security. It increases creativity, contemplation, and spirituality.

Purple. Purple represents nobility, abundance, and dignity. It is very soothing and calming and is often related to intuition and spirituality.

Black. Black connotes sophistication, power, elegance, and modernity. It is also introspected and mysterious.

White. White represents clarity, innocence, cleanliness, spirituality, purity, hope, expansiveness and openness. It can also be sterile and detached.

Grey. Grey is neutral, calm, quiet, and lacks energy. According to color psychology grey can also be boring, conservative and draining to the physical body.

Brown. Brown is stable, grounding, reliable, motherly, and comfortable, and inexpensive.

Pink. Pink is sedating and calming. It also symbolizes love and romance.

Pastels. Pastels evoke openness and relaxation. Pastels are considered relieving and soothing and are even sometimes equated with sanity.

Silver. Silver is often associated with vision, clarity, insight, mental power, and intellection learning. Silver can reduce anxiety and create peace. It is often correlated to water, metal, and technology.

Gold. Gold is equated with sophistication, luxury, quality, wealth, and splendor.

To contact us for an informal discussion on your project call 01392 834980 or email via this link.

• Mark Dowse
• office refurbishment devon, Uncategorised
• May 23, 2016

Plymouth Dental practice reception done!

We were recently contacted by Edward Jones the Business Manager at Hartley Dental of Plymouth www.hartleydental.co.uk who are more than just a dentist. They wanted to improve the reception area for the customers and create a professional image in keeping with their style and developing range of services.

AutoCAD 3D rendered generic image

We will let them do the talking…..

“Having identified the need for a new and improved reception area here at Hartley Dental, we decided that the really key part of this plan was for a new reception desk to be installed as soon as possible. This desk needed to be bespoke, with room for 2 people to work independently of each other and give a corporate and professional feel to the waiting room as a whole.

The finished item!

Having identified this need, we contacted various local suppliers, including MD Business Interiors. The thing that immediately struck me about their approach (having met with Mark), was that they understood the need for the works to be carried out promptly and essentially quietly, as the business would continue to operate around the project.

The designs and quotes Mark provided were clear and concise, but with the degree of flexibility needed to ensure any identified changes were captured during the process. The works themselves were completed within the set time scales, within budget and to a very high standard. The tradesmen who carried out the works were polite professional and communicative, which was refreshing to be honest! The new desk addresses the issues we had identified and has been received positively by the team and customers alike.

A real positive step forward for us here at Hartley Dental. Many thanks, Ed.”

For more information on our 3D visual rendering AutoCAD drawings, our reception design and space planning services, send us an email  via the website or call 01392 834980.

Thanks for taking the time to read this….