Office Fit Out in Shoreditch EC2

Project Overview

A rapidly growing technology startup had secured a 4,200 sq ft space on the second floor of a converted warehouse in Shoreditch EC2. The space was delivered in Cat A condition — raised floors, suspended ceiling, basic M&E — and needed a complete Cat B fit out to accommodate their team of 40, with room to scale to 55.

The client wanted a workspace that reflected their brand: modern, open, and energetic, with the right balance of collaborative areas and quiet focus zones. They needed to be operational within eight weeks to align with the end of their previous lease.

Scope of Work

• Full Cat B fit out of 4,200 sq ft across a single floor plate
• Space planning and workplace strategy in collaboration with the client's leadership team
• Frameless glass partitioning to create meeting rooms
• Open-plan workspace with 40 desks arranged in team clusters, with capacity to expand to 55
• Kitchen and breakout area with island counter, banquette seating, and informal meeting booths
• Structured data cabling (Cat 6A) throughout, with 48-port patch panels and wireless access point infrastructure
• LED lighting upgrade with daylight-sensing controls and task lighting at each desk cluster
• Acoustic treatment including ceiling rafts, wall panels, and sound masking in meeting rooms
• Feature wall with brand graphics and living plant wall in reception

Challenges

The eight-week timeline was tight for a project of this scope. The building had a single goods lift with restricted access hours (before 8am and after 6pm on weekdays), which meant all major deliveries and noisy work had to be carefully scheduled around these windows.

The converted warehouse space had uneven floor levels in several areas, which required remedial work before the raised access floor tiles could be reinstated. Additionally, the client's IT team needed early access to begin server rack installation, so we had to sequence the data cabling and comms room fit out ahead of the rest of the project.

Our Solution

We developed a phased programme that prioritised the comms room and data cabling in weeks one and two, allowing the client's IT team to begin their setup from week three. The glass partitioning and M&E first-fix ran in parallel across the main floor plate.

To overcome the delivery restrictions, we established a detailed logistics plan with the building management team, pre-booking lift slots and staging materials in a dedicated area on the loading bay. Our site manager was on-site from 6:30am daily to coordinate early-morning deliveries.

The floor levelling issue was resolved with a self-levelling screed in the affected areas, adding only two days to the programme — which we absorbed by overlapping the decoration and furniture installation phases.

Results

The project was handed over on schedule at the end of week eight. The client moved in over a weekend and was fully operational by Monday morning. The workspace has been praised by the team for its balance of open collaboration space and quiet meeting areas, and the breakout kitchen has become the social hub of the office.

Within three months of moving in, the client had already on-boarded 8 additional team members into the expansion space — validating the flexible layout we designed from the outset.