A Web Based Space Planning Experiment

We're launching a new experimental service. It's a web based space planning tool that acts as an add-on to our existing marketing drawings. The software lets anyone access a drawing and add walls, doors and furniture to it. It's easy enough to use that practically anyone can create their own layouts without any training.

Here's a slideshow presentation of how it works:

Space Database Planner

And here's a link to a sample building that we have set up with the tool Go to the availability tab, click on the stack to get to a suite page and follow the link to 'create your own floor plan' to load the planner:

234 Omed Ave sample building website

The reason we are calling this an 'experiment' is that we are not certain how much a tool like this would be used. It's a great piece of technology, but will it provide a real benefit?

There are both risks and benefits that stack up against each other:

Risks:

• Inexperienced people may create layouts that are impractical or unworkable.
• Without building code knowledge, users might create designs that are not legally compliant. This is more likely in larger spaces where more than one exit may be required.

Benefits:

• It will help prospective tenants quickly understand the size and configuration of available space and lead to quicker decisions.
• The use of the tool online allows landlords to gather more leads.
• The very act of engaging in a space planning exercise will encourage prospects to 'project' themselves into the space and increase the likelihood that they will make it their own.
• It's a cheaper alternative for making an initial assessment of a space's suitability than using full-blown design services.

Based on these pros and cons there are probably certain types of space that the tool will be useful for. It's probably not for a full floor space in and A class building where both the sophistication of the tenant as well as the value of the deal would warrant serious professional design efforts.

The software might be more useful for smaller spaces that landlords hope to lease with a minimum of changes. In these cases it may be more effective for the prospective tenant themselves to see if their furniture will fit and maybe to propose minor construction changes.

Please feel free to experiment with our sample building - we'll be setting up some real ones soon.