27 August 2024 · Integrity Office
Planning a new office interior starts with the work your team needs to do, the tenancy you have and the constraints that come with it. This guide gives Melbourne businesses a practical sequence for preparing an office design brief and making decisions before construction begins.
For an overview of what a commercial interior design partner should deliver, read our commercial interior design guide. If you have a project ready to discuss, see our design and interiors service.
1. Write a brief around the work
List the teams that will use the office, their current and expected headcount, and the tasks they do each day. Include the number of meeting rooms, focused work areas, shared spaces and staff amenities you need. Note any privacy, accessibility, storage or technology requirements. A useful brief explains what is working in the current space and what must change.
2. Measure the tenancy and check the constraints
A floor plan alone may not reveal the full scope. A site measure should check existing partitions, ceilings, services, access and the condition of the base building. Power, data, air conditioning, lighting and fire services can affect where rooms and workstations go. Landlord and building-management requirements should be identified before the design is finalised.
If the office must stay occupied, identify the areas that need to remain operational and the times when work can happen. These constraints shape the programme as much as the layout.
3. Test the layout before choosing finishes
Start with movement and relationships between teams. Can people get to meeting rooms without cutting through focused work areas? Are shared facilities easy to reach? Is there enough room around workstations, storage and doors? Test different layouts against the brief, then decide on partitions, furniture and finishes.
4. Define the scope and budget together
Separate essentials from optional upgrades. The brief, site conditions and chosen layout should feed a clear scope covering design, documentation, construction, services, furniture and installation where relevant. Ask what is included, what is excluded and what decisions could change the price. A site measure and written proposal are more useful than a generic per-square-metre estimate.
For a new tenancy, see the office fitout process. If you are changing an occupied space, read about office refurbishments.
5. Agree on approvals and the decision process
Identify who can approve the concept, layout, finishes and final scope. Collect feedback from the people who will use the space, but set a point when decisions are locked so drawings and procurement can progress. Confirm who is responsible for any landlord consent, permits or building approvals that apply to the project.
6. Plan delivery and handover
Before work begins, agree on the construction sequence, access, communication and any temporary arrangements for staff. At handover, walk through the space against the agreed scope and record any items that need attention. Keep the final drawings, product details and maintenance information together for future changes.
A short checklist to bring to the first meeting
- A floor plan or tenancy address, if available
- Current and expected team size
- The rooms and work settings you need
- What must stay operational during works
- Your target move-in or completion date
- Any landlord, building or internal approval requirements
- A budget range and the decisions that are still open
You do not need to have every answer before speaking with us. Integrity Office can help shape the brief, measure the space and coordinate the design with the build. Tell us about your project or call 1300 903 935.
