Designing a New Office | Curzey Discover

A successful office project starts long before finishes are selected. It begins with a clear understanding of how the organisation works today, how it expects to change and what the space must help people achieve.

Why companies redesign offices

The workplace must support the organisation it serves.

Companies usually reconsider their offices because their teams, technology, culture or operating model have changed. A workplace may be too small, poorly organised, expensive to maintain or simply unable to support the way people now work.

The strongest projects do more than refresh appearance. They improve movement, concentration, collaboration, client experience and the day-to-day reliability of the workplace.

Support growth, restructuring or hybrid working

Improve employee experience and productivity

Use expensive floor area more efficiently

Strengthen brand expression and client confidence

Build the right brief

Start with people, activities and evidence—not furniture counts.

A useful brief explains what people do, how frequently activities occur, where friction exists and which outcomes matter most. Headcount alone is not enough to determine the right amount or type of space.

Current and projected headcount

Team relationships and patterns of collaboration

Focus, meeting, social and support-space needs

Technology, security and operational requirements

Accessibility, wellbeing and inclusion priorities

Budget intelligence

Set an investment range before design decisions multiply.

Office fit-out costs vary with finish quality, services, furniture, technology, site conditions, approvals and programme. A realistic early allowance should include professional fees, contingency and items that may sit outside the contractor's package.

Entry-level fit-out: approximately KES 45,000–65,000 per sqm

Mid-range fit-out: approximately KES 65,000–85,000 per sqm

Premium and highly technical workplaces: often above KES 90,000 per sqm

Confirm what is included before comparing quotations

Programme and approvals

The opening date must be tested against design, approvals and procurement.

Compressed programmes are possible, but only when decisions, approvals and procurement are managed deliberately. Long-lead furniture, specialist lighting, imported finishes and landlord approvals can quickly become critical-path items.

Briefing and workplace strategy

Concept and detailed design

Cost planning and approvals

Tendering or contractor appointment

Construction, installation and commissioning

Choose a delivery route

Procurement should match risk, certainty and decision speed.

Design & Build can provide a single point of responsibility and faster mobilisation. Traditional tendering may provide stronger price competition after a complete design. Construction management can help when packages must be released progressively.

Choose based on programme, scope certainty and internal governance

Define responsibilities before appointing suppliers

Protect design intent through clear documentation and review

Maintain a live risk, decision and procurement register

Common mistakes

Avoid decisions that create expensive corrections later.

Starting design without an agreed brief or budget

Choosing a site before testing capacity and technical constraints

Underestimating approvals, IT, security and move requirements

Treating furniture and acoustics as late-stage accessories

Using the lowest quotation without aligning scope and quality

Frequently asked questions

Questions clients often ask

How early should an interior designer be appointed?

Ideally before a lease is signed or immediately after a preferred site is identified. Early test fits can reveal capacity, services and cost risks before commitments become difficult to reverse.

How much space should we allow per employee?

There is no single correct ratio. The answer depends on work style, attendance patterns, meeting demand, support spaces, circulation and building efficiency. A workplace brief and test fit provide a more reliable answer than a generic benchmark.

Can an office remain operational during renovation?

Often yes, but phased work requires careful separation, temporary services, safety controls and realistic allowances for noise, dust and productivity disruption.

Should we renovate or relocate?

Compare the existing site's technical constraints, lease position, disruption, expansion capacity and total project cost against the benefits and risks of relocation.

Curzey Project Intelligence

Turn the guide into an early project scenario.

Explore an indicative budget, programme and readiness score. Results are early planning guidance—not a quotation, tender or professional certification.

Sector

Workplace