The market of finishing services and office equipment has been developing at a very rapid pace in recent years. Complex interior design results in intensive development of design & fit out services. We are talking with Senior Project Manager of Interbiuro, Wojciech Galej, about fit out designs.
Interbiuro has been developing services within design & fit out sector for nearly 10 years on the office real estate market. Why is it worth benefitting from the experience of companies which are specialised in such services and commissioning them the process of designing and carrying out a project of our new office?
There is a great variety of benefits resulting from commissioning a company from design & fit out sector to perform such works. The most important ones concern comfort during the entire process of realization, including design, construction and warranty service. At all these stages an investor cooperates with one company, which has qualified experts and experience, guaranteeing the implementation of the entire investment without unnecessary problems or stressful moments for a client.
We commission a fit out of our office to a company which specialises in such designs. What are their responsibilities? What is the scope of their works?
Design & fit out consists in complex realization of office space relying upon the following principle: “from design to implementation.” Our Architecture Department is usually held responsible for commencement of works, including recognition of client’s needs and their confrontation with the potential of a given area as well as a given building. It is worth remembering that, except for design itself, the rules of law are much more important, that is the amount of people on a given area, access to toilets, or desired quantity of fresh air and daylight. Therefore, the role of acoustics is increasingly important in office rooms. A client starts to perceive its office with both senses: hearing and vision. There are more and more rooms for quiet work, conference halls are equipped with ceilings and doors with increased acoustic parameters and telephone boots are mounted in close proximity to open space so that talks would not disturb other employees. After the agreement of all the above mentioned factors, the work is conducted on a space plan, and then, on an executive project. After its acceptance, we seize control of that area and start a realization phase. Although it is the most difficult part, we believe that at the same time it is the most interesting one.
What should be taken into consideration by a client who chooses an offer of a company which specialises in fit out projects?
There are more and more modern office areas in metropolises and big cities and thereby companies which specialise in fit out services. A client should analyse their offers thoroughly and choose the best one. What would be their characteristics? It should be complex and reliably prepared so that an investor would not have to incur additional unforeseen costs because of it. A detailed schedule should be prepared, which would show whether a contractor is able to realize a design within the given timeframe, or whether they have an idea how to realize it. The last stage includes checking references of a given company as well as their recent projects; whether their scope or degree of complication fit the valued project.
What is crucial before commencement of every fit out design, especially concerning large areas?
An analysis of client’s needs and potential of a given building is of great importance. It has to be balanced between these two poles. The more detailed the analysis is and the more arrangements are to be made at the beginning, that is during design stage, the more efficiently we are going to approach the realization. At this particular stage, at bigger projects, the issue of logistics of delivery and management of employees as well as sticking to the plan are more important. We cannot cause delays on the first day because there will be no time to catch them up.
How much time does it take to carry out a project of this type? Is there a certain standard and what factors influence the realization of a tenant’s office?
Fit out projects with “design and build” standard usually last between 10 up to 14 weeks, and their duration is more depended on both scope and kind of used finishing materials and installation devices than on their size. Glass walls, doors, fan coils, etc., are also essential here, since we sometimes have to wait for them up to 8 weeks.
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