The Ultimate Office Refurbishment Checklist
An office refurbishment can change much more than the appearance of a workplace. It can improve how space is used, support new ways of working, update ageing building services and create an environment that better reflects the needs of the people inside it.
The decisions made before work starts often have the greatest influence on the project.
A clear brief, realistic budget and proper understanding of the existing building give the design and construction team a much stronger starting point. They also help reduce the risk of important decisions being left until the project is already on site.
So, what should you think about when planning an office refurbishment?
Start with Why the Office Needs to Change
Before thinking about finishes, furniture or layouts, be clear about what the refurbishment needs to achieve.
Perhaps hybrid working has changed the number of desks you need. Meeting rooms may be constantly booked while other parts of the office sit empty. The building may need upgraded services, better staff facilities or a more professional environment for clients and visitors.
For landlords, the objective may be different. Refurbishment could form part of repositioning an older commercial building, improving shared areas or preparing office space for future tenants.
Those objectives should shape the project brief from the outset.
Understand How Your Current Office is Being Used
Existing workplaces can tell you a great deal about what the new space needs to do.
Look at where people naturally choose to work. Consider which meeting rooms are used most often, where noise becomes a problem and whether teams have enough space for both focused work and collaboration.
Current and future headcount matters too. A layout designed purely around the number of employees in the business today may become restrictive as the organisation changes.
Good office space planning should consider the way people actually work rather than simply filling a floorplan with desks.
For businesses preparing to refurbish or relocate in the city, our office refurbishment work in Newcastle covers the process from early planning through to fit out and handover.
Set a Realistic Budget Early
An office refurbishment budget needs to account for more than visible finishes.
Depending on the project, costs can include strip out, construction work, mechanical and electrical upgrades, flooring, ceilings, partitions, joinery, technology, furniture and professional services.
Existing buildings can also introduce unknowns. Surveys may reveal services or building conditions that need to be addressed before the intended design can be delivered.
This is why early engagement is useful. A project team can review the brief alongside the available budget and identify where priorities need to be set before detailed design progresses.
Give the Programme Enough Thought
There is no standard timeframe for an office refurbishment.
Programme length depends on the size of the space, the extent of the work, existing building conditions, design development, procurement and whether employees need to remain in the building during construction.
Furniture and specialist products can also have lead times that need to be built into the programme.
If the refurbishment is linked to a lease expiry, relocation or fixed move-in date, that deadline needs to be understood early. Working backwards from a fixed completion date can help identify when surveys, approvals, design decisions and procurement need to take place.
Review the Lease and Landlord Requirements
Businesses occupying leased offices should understand what the lease allows before making substantial alterations.
Some projects may require landlord approval or a Licence to Alter. There may also be requirements relating to building services, access, working hours or how the property needs to be reinstated at the end of the tenancy.
These discussions are better held before the design is finalised.
Understanding the lease position early can prevent time being spent developing proposals that later have to change.
Understand the Existing Building
A successful refurbishment needs to work with the building that is already there.
Existing layouts, structure, mechanical and electrical services, fire strategy, access and building condition can all affect what is practical.
The information required will depend on the scale and nature of the project. Appropriate surveys can give the team a clearer understanding of existing conditions before construction starts.
This is particularly important where refurbishment involves significant alterations or older commercial properties. What appears straightforward on a drawing can become more complicated when existing services and building fabric are opened up.
Our wider commercial refurbishment services are built around understanding these existing conditions and planning the work accordingly.
Plan the Layout Around People and the Business
Workplace design has changed considerably as businesses have adopted more flexible working patterns.
A refurbishment might need fewer fixed desks but more collaboration areas. Teams may need quiet spaces for concentrated work alongside larger meeting areas, informal settings or video-call rooms.
Reception areas, storage, staff facilities and circulation also need to be considered.
The aim should not simply be to make an office look different. The layout should make the workplace easier and more effective to use.
Consider Building Services Alongside the Design
Lighting, power, data, heating, cooling and ventilation should form part of the refurbishment conversation from an early stage.
Moving a meeting room or adding more desks can affect power and data requirements. Changes to layouts may influence lighting or ventilation. New meeting-room technology can introduce further infrastructure requirements.
Treating these elements separately from the office design can create avoidable compromises later.
The same applies to the level of fit out being delivered. Our guide to Cat A and Cat B fit out explains how the scope can differ between a landlord-ready space and a completed workplace for an occupier.
Decide How People will Work During Construction
If the office needs to remain operational, this should influence the refurbishment programme from the beginning.
Work may need to be phased across different areas. Temporary working spaces might be required. Deliveries, noisy activities and service shutdowns may need to happen at specific times.
Clear communication with employees is also important. People need to understand which areas are affected, how long changes will last and what temporary arrangements are in place.
For the construction team, working in an occupied building means planning the project around the people using it, not expecting the business to simply work around the construction.
Bring the Right Project Team Together Early
The earlier the key people understand the brief, the easier it is to make informed decisions about design, programme, budget and buildability.
That may involve the client, landlord, project manager, consultants, interior designers, principal contractor and specialist trades.
At One Citygate in Newcastle, Aptus delivered a £2.9m design and build refurbishment across 40,000 sq ft. The completed project combined Cat A and Cat B office fit out, M&E upgrades, reception improvements and new workplace environments across four floors. View the One Citygate project.
Projects of this scale demonstrate why office refurbishment needs to be considered as one coordinated process rather than a series of separate design and construction decisions.
Plan Beyond Practical Completion
The project does not finish simply because construction work has stopped.
Snagging, testing, commissioning, furniture installation, cleaning and final documentation all need to be considered before employees move into the completed space.
A clear handover also gives the facilities team the information needed to operate and maintain the refurbished workplace.
Good planning at the beginning makes this final stage much easier.
Planning an Office Refurbishment?
The best time to discuss an office refurbishment is before every detail has been fixed.
Early conversations give the project team an opportunity to review the building, understand your priorities and identify potential constraints while there is still time to influence the approach.
If you are considering a commercial office refurbishment, contact the Aptus team to discuss your plans.