At first sight it is puzzling that people find old buildings more attractive than new ones. You would imagine that architects would be designing office buildings in a contemporary style that modern people found attractive, yet this does not seem to be the case.
Of course, there are some very fine modern buildings, such as Gaudi’s Barcelona Cathedral, and the Sydney opera house in Australia. But these are exceptional buildings, and were very expensive. In the end it seems that modern office buildings are either all glass, which is not attractive, and not pleasant to work in during the summer, or they are dismal concrete blocks. You are better off in an old city like Cheltenham, than a modern town like Basingstoke.
If you thought you would be better off with the modern conveniences of new buildings in a concrete block, you are probably losing out in productivity and new ideas – even if the offices are pleasantly decorated.
One thing you can do is to get your air conditioning system upgraded with special filters. This can raise morale. There are firms involved in office maintenance who can carry out air conditioning maintenance in Leeds. Actually, air conditioners are not that complex, and many firms can maintain them properly – but maintenance is needed. In fact, getting regular and good office maintenance is a good way of maintaining morale in the office.
An alternative to your hight turnover of staff is to move your business where people will be happy to come to work. You will find plenty of opportunities for office refurbishment in Leeds, for example, because it is an old city that has functioned as a large and prosperous place for about 200 years. Therefore, you will find a lot of older buildings you can use for your new office, and your staff will enjoy it much more than a concrete block.
Other opportunities abound in places such as Cheltenham or Bath. Why these towns? Because they are old, and catered for the gentry who had taste.
