Office Interior Design
OCT 2022 | LAST UPDATED
SNAPSHOT
Office interior design is often a major investment and often pivotal in signing a new lease or when undergoing a renewal and relocation exercise. In cities like Hong Kong, a key challenge for occupiers is how to justify an expensive capital outlay for interior design, spread across fewer years of use, typically 3 years.
With fit-out costs continuing to rise, coupled with the prevalence of flexible workspace and an evolving corporate culture, a good return from a major investment of a new office interior today needs to be built with flexibility and adaptability in mind.
Whether you are looking for a new office, exploring a renewal vs relocation or a lease surrender, this guide provides various strategies that can affect a tenant’s bottom line.
LEASING A FITTED OFFICE
Massive savings can often be generated by leasing fitted spaces, with such cases often being 'win win' situations where the ingoing tenant takes over the premises in 'as is' condition at nill or nominal cost and the outgoing tenant saves the cost of reinstating the premises.
Cost Considerations:
- Marketability and sustainability of the space upon lease expiry. In doing so, a space can better meet both the physical and financial needs of a replacement tenant over the long term.
- Due dilligence on reinstatement liabilities. Where original landlord provisions such as ceiling tiles, air-conduction ducts, sprinkler heads are moved, these features will need to be reinstalled.
To learn more, refer to the SAVVI office design and fit-out guide here
FITTING OUT YOUR OFFICE
As business strategies emphasise iterative releases and constant development as the best model for success, a good return from the major investment of a new fit out ultimately needs to be built with flexibility and adaptability in mind.
Cost Considerations:
- Adaptability can come in many forms, from layouts that require limited modifications to increase density, to rooms that are easily converted as space needs change.
- One primary goal of every new fit-out should be maintaining the ability to change and upgrade within the existing space envelope for years to come, rather than needing to move to an entirely new space.
SURRENDERING YOUR LEASE
Is your current space inadequate for your future needs? Are you looking to downsize or expand? SAVVI will match accredited tenants and arrange negotiations with your landlord to release you from your lease obligations. Simply list your space with SAVVI to get started, and you allocated account manager will be in touch to discuss with you on a confidential basis.
Cost Considerations:
- The potential savings in successfully placing a replacement tenant to take over your lease can be huge. Often this is subject to the marketability and adapatability of the existing fit-out.
- Subject to the condition and quality of the office interior, a fit-out monetisation subsidy will be discussed with the incoming tenant.
- Reinstatement liabilities will be passed onto the incoming tenant. Thorough due dillgence will be conducted for the incoming tenant to assess the overall cost savings of taking over the premises in 'as is' condition.
OFFICE RELOCATION
Not renewing your office lease? The default lease requires tenants to reinstate to 'bare shell' condition. SAVVI matches prospective tenants to take over a fitted space.
Cost Considerations:
- List your upcoming avaibility as soon as possible, to cost save on reinstatement and potentially monetise your fit-out. This provides more time for SAVVI to match prospective tenants to utilise your fit-out for a 'win win' scenario for both incoming and outgoing tenant.
ADAPTABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY
An effective and evolving ecosystem of spaces is accomplished through a combination of five spatial zones tailored to your business needs, and designed to adapt and evolve over time.
GLOBAL AVERAGE OFFICE INTERIOR DESIGN COST
DETERMINING YOUR OFFICE INTERIOR DESIGN
Just a few years ago, most tenants leased a space for 3 to 6 years, without updating it for the whole term of the lease. Today’s work spaces need an ecosystem of spaces designed to adapt and evolve over time, with many tenants updating their space every year or two to foster higher levels of employee engagement.
When planning a new office design fit out, the first step toward determining the cost is deciding on the style and density. Occupiers should consider the impact each style will have on employees and organisational work styles, in addition to focusing on cost.
To learn more about the cost structures involved in an office fit-out, refer to the SAVVI office fit-out cost guide here.
A TIMELESS OFFICE?
A well designed and practical office is evergreen, and allow tenants to monetise their fit-out to replacements tenants upon their lease expiry, generating savings on reinstatement obligations. To learn more, refer to the SAVVI office reinstatement guide here.
Progressive
Example Tenants: Tech companies, startups, progressive corporate offices.
Cost considerations: Significant savings on construction costs due to lack of private offices is nearly outweighed by minimal furniture savings and a substantial increase in tech expenses.
Open-office floor plan with 100 percent bench-style seating and no enclosed offices. Design also includes numerous varieties of both collaboration and conference spaces.
Significantly increased density over all other office styles, ranging from 20 to 50 percent more employees than Traditional and Moderate Styles.
The standard work dynamic is a significant shift from Traditional style offices, with focus placed on activity-based working, encouraging employees to select the best workspace for the task at hand
Moderate
Example Tenants: Standard office users, corporate offices transitioning to efficient office models
Cost considerations: Fewer private offices reduces construction and furniture costs. Tech expenses are modestly higher due to increased density.
Agile floor plan with 10 percent enclosed offices and 90 percent open floor plan with 6-by-6-foot workspaces and minimal benching for visitors. Design also includes a mix of conference rooms and two to four dedicated collaboration spaces.
Modest employee density when compared to other office styles —20 to 25 percent more dense than Traditional spaces, and 20 to 25 percent less dense than Progressive Spaces
A mix of efficient-sized workstations and limited private offices create a balance of both Traditional office dynamics and Progressive office efficiencies, and collaborative workspaces.
Successful Moderate style office layouts can leverage the benefits of activity-based working, efficient floor plates and office privacy to varying degrees.
Traditional
Example Tenants: Law firms, traditional financial companies, privacy-focused office spaces.
Cost considerations: High ratio of private offices and significant office furniture expenses boosts project costs.
Private office heavy floor plan with 30 percent enclosed offices and 70 percent open floor plan with large 8-by-8-foot workspaces and no bench space, promoting privacy over collaboration. Design also includes several conference rooms and one dedicated collaboration space.
Lowest employee density of all other office styles, ranging from 20 to 50 percent fewer employees than Moderate and Progressive Styles
The introduction of more efficient low-partition 6-by-6-foot workstations or benching workspaces can begin to increase density and quality of office dynamics if properly designed.
Standard plan includes eight conference rooms of varying sizes and one open collaborative and multi-use space
SPACE QUALITY & COMPLEXITY
Economical
Designed on a low cost and simple budget, with finishes focused on function. Space contains basic technology and aesthetic design.
Average
Increased project complexity, taking into account upgraded lighting, cabling and design features. Average quality materials and details.
Premium
Complex project design with emphasis placed on top-quality finishes and space improvements. Increased effort spent on aesthetics and detail design.
OFFICE INTERIOR COST | HONG KONG
PARTNER WITH SAVVI
- There are hundreds of contractors. We provide access to full service & best in class specialists, categorised by industry & track record to ensure your project is delivered on time & within budget. Simple.
- Quick response test fits to quickly assess options with your team.
- Due diligence to ensure your interests are fully protected.
- Open book procurement in conjunction with our best in class provider, driving best value through competition.
- Access to specialists for all buildings owned by major Hong Kong landlords, resulting in total understanding of their requirements and procedures, saving both time and cost.
- Ability to negotiate and purchase discounts across suppliers
