Glossary

Office fit out categories

A Cat A fit out results in a space that’s fully functional, but empty. Cat B fit outs leave the space tailor-made to suit the occupant, from custom features to branded finishes – down to the flowers at reception.

Category A fit-out

A Category A fit out is the basic finishing of an interior space. Generally commissioned by landlords, this type of fit out includes the installation of a building’s mechanical and electrical services.Typically, a Cat A fit out includes:

• Raised floors and suspended ceilings.
• Basic mechanical and electrical services.
• Fire detection and protection services.
• Internal surface finishes.
• Blinds.

Category B fit-out

Category B fit-outs shape interior spaces, involving everything from building different rooms, to choosing the art on the walls. These fit-outs incorporate the things that make a space functional, but they also provide the opportunity to bring an occupant’s company to life. Cat B projects are great for clients who want a space tailored to their people and their own requirements.
Typically, a Cat B fit-out includes:

• Partitioning.
• Finishes and branding.
• Carpeting.
• Meeting rooms, conference rooms and break-out rooms.
• Reception area.
• Lighting.
• Kitchen facilities.
• IT and audio visual equipment.
• Office furniture.

Eco lighting

Eco-friendly lighting could loosely be defined as any part of lighting, including power, fixtures and bulbs, that have a reduced effect on the environment. lighting designed with energy-efficient light sources. Overall, eco-friendly lighting has a reduced environmental impact, accredited to qualities which may include energy efficiency, sustainable energy powering or non-toxic materials.

Natural light in the workplace

Good office planning provides plenty of options to help disperse natural light around a space. This might involve open-plan workspaces, the use of reflective surfaces, or even the placement of furniture and equipment. Though paler colors are a good friend to natural light, they can also make an office seem overly clinical. This can be solved by warmer lighting in key areas, focused spotlighting, or deliberating on the color palette.

Workplace lighting

Lighting is an essential component of any workplace setting. Within the context of workplace health and safety, lighting must provide sufficient illumination for employees to see their work and to safely navigate within the workspace. In addition, factors that contribute to eye strain and fatigue should be minimized by proper lighting design, such as illumination levels and color spectrum.

Office space| Open plan office

This is an office floor plan designed to increase face-to-face collaboration between employees. While most open-plan offices will have a private conference room for meetings, most of the working space is open plan, with all employees desked in the one same room.

Acoustic panels

For offices are the easiest and most effective way to ensure the comfort of employees. Since sound is simply waves of moving air, you can use sound-absorbing panels to stop it from going where it’s not welcome. The panels can be placed strategically for sound absorption. You can hang, mount or install panels that are designed to catch and contain sounds that wander and bounce off of high ceilings and walls.

Acoustic booths| Office pods

Office pods became increasingly popular due to the increasing need to create private meeting spaces and ‘quiet zones’ within open-plan offices or other open areas. We’re seeing more and more companies install acoustic booths as a way to provide distraction-free retreats for employees who need to fully concentrate on a task, or who just want a break from the hustle and bustle of the modern office.

Biophilic design

Design which is essentially ‘bringing the outside in with the use of natural materials and plants helps with stress reduction and increased happiness and productivity, but one of the overlooked benefits is acoustics. Consider using plants and shrubbery as natural dividers in open-plan offices and placing dense foliage on top of filing cabinets, or on desks.

Office design

Office design makes up all the components and elements of a workspace that are both decorative and functional. This might include features such as color choices, layout, lighting elements and connectivity between employees. Many of your office design goals will likely center on an existing space you’re working with and what your goals are for your business.

Floor plan

Floor plans are scale drawings that show the relationship between rooms, spaces and physical features viewed from above. They provide a way to visualize how people will move through the space. Floor plans make it easier to check if the space is suitable for its intended purpose, work through any potential challenges and redesign before moving forward into more elaborate planning or building stages.

Space Planning

Is a fundamental element of the interior design process. It starts with an in-depth analysis of how the space is to be used. The designer then draws up a plan that defines the zones of the space and the activities that will take place in those zones. The space plan will also define the circulation patterns that show how people will move through the space. The plan is finished by adding details of all the furniture, equipment and hardware placement.

Coworking | Co-working

Is a fundamental element of the interior design process. It starts with an in-depth analysis of how the space is to be used. The designer then draws up a plan that defines the zones of the space and the activities that will take place in those zones. The space plan will also define the circulation patterns that show how people will move through the space. The plan is finished by adding details of all the furniture, equipment and hardware placement.

Event Space

Event space is a space for rent provided by operators both to members and non-members. Event space is an extra source of profit for flexible workspace managers. It has all the benefits of a meeting room but the event space is usually larger and can fit more people (10+).

Meeting Rooms | Conference Rooms

A meeting room is a set-aside meeting space for people to get together and hold business and informal meetings, discuss issues, set priorities, and make decisions. Flexible workspaces offer a range of conference rooms that can accommodate groups of various sizes. These meeting rooms are with the necessary technology needed for conference and video calls, as well as presentations.

Open Space

Open space is a completely open area at a flexible workspace. It is usually outfitted with part-time desks, private desks, skype rooms, and phone booths. The benefits of open space are accessibility, community, openness, and sustainability. Some of its downsides include the lack of silent zones and limited privacy.

Office fit-out

An office fit-out is a project that entails the development of an office space to ensure it fulfills the demands of its occupants.

Covid-secure workspaces

Covid-secure workspaces are those that have taken the necessary measures to minimise the spread of covid. They will need to factor in three things; hands, face and space.