Office fit-out costs split into two parts, known as Cat A and Cat B.
Cat A is the base build, covering raised floors, ceilings and basic services, and it is usually provided by the landlord. Cat B is everything specific to you, such as layout, meeting rooms, kitchen, furniture and branding etc.
Most budget confusion starts here. People don't know which category a cost sits in, and they find out after the lease is signed.
Cat B costs vary widely. A simple open-plan layout is one budget, while acoustic pods, breakout areas and bespoke joinery are another.
Start with how your people work, and spend on what they use every day. Design the space for them and think through how they are likley to use it everyday.
Reuse where you can. Existing ceilings, partitions and furniture often still work, which can save money and material costs. You can be inventive with material reuse, often adapting what’s already there into something new.
Find out the Cat A condition before you price Cat B, because it can change the number a lot.
At Weston Street in London Bridge, we reworked two existing warehouse buildings into workspace. Reusing the parts of the building that worked well and changing the areas that didn’t.
