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Materials used on the floors, walls, and ceiling, as well as window treatments, must meet the applicable building and accessibility codes. Architectural finishes must be commercial-grade products to stand up to heavy wear and maintenance.
Flooring: Some areas of the office that require higher-end design specification, such as portions of executive suites, might also see the use of woods, ceramic tiles, or stones for flooring materials and commercial-grade resilient surface materials and short pile carpets for heavy foot traffic, movement of chairs, and overall ease of maintenance. The heaviest traffic areas, like entrance lobbies, public corridors, and restrooms, are commonly specified to have resilient and hard surface flooring. Interior designers need to choose resilient and hard surface materials carefully to ensure that office users do not slip on slick surfaces.
Material Presentation board of choice of materials and finishes
Walls: The specification of materials for use on full-height partition walls will be regulated by the location of the walls within the project space. They can be finished with drywall and painted, but are most commonly finished with a vinyl or fabric wall covering. A wide variety of patterns and colors of commercial wall coverings is available to create the right backdrop for corridors and other partition walls in the interior spaces. Depending on local codes, the designer may have the option of using residential-grade materials in private offices and conference rooms.
Ceiling: The primary materials used for ceilings in commercial offices facilities are ceiling tiles made primarily of fiberglass. In most large spaces, the predominant type of ceiling tile specified is 2 by 4 feet. In smaller rooms, a 2 by 2 foot tile might be used. Ceilings have various qualities of sound absorption and finishes. The tiles are installed in a metal ceiling grid suspended from the structural ceiling above. Mechanical systems like HVAC ducts, electrical wiring, plumbing for fire sprinklers, and telephone and data cables are installed in the space between the acoustical tiles and the structural ceiling above. Lighting fixtures can be easily dropped into the grid or holes can be cut to install various kinds of spot lighting.
Window treatments: These are quite simple in commercial office interiors to present a uniform look from the outside. The most common treatments used to achieve this effect are either vertical or horizontal blinds. When an area such as an executive office is being designed, the interior designer might specify fabric drapery over the blinds. However, local fire codes may prohibit the use of textile window coverings in commercial offices unless the material meets a high flame resistance standard or the fabric is treated with a flame resistant chemical. Like textile wall coverings, flame-resistant treatments of window coverings almost always change the color of the fabric and the hand of the material.
Color, texture, pattern in interior surface is important in the commercial interior-because it contributes to the productivity and to the psychological satisfaction of the occupants in a space. A workable and pleasing color scheme, in conjunction with proper lighting, can increase productivity and worker comfort; thus, color schemes should be selected carefully. Office areas with few or no windows should not be specified with dark colors. Artwork may be highlighted in the reception area and conference room, soffit lights may be specified in the employee lunchroom, and track lights may even be used as supplemental or primary ambient fixtures instead of fluorescent tube fixtures. In addition interior ambience is enriched with art work, accessories, indoor landscape, logo to blend with the theme and style of office space.
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