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Method

Six steps, each with a deliverable and a decision.

Never start by drawing. Understand the work, then the organisation, the people, how space is used and the data. Space comes next, and we measure after opening.

Steps
Read, align, decide, design, transform, measure
Entry point
At any step, depending on what has already been decided
Contract
Engagement, deliverables and fees set out in writing before work begins
Output
A documented decision at each step

The six steps

Schematic plan of an office floorIllustration of the method: survey of how space is used, teams, scenarios, zoning, phasing of the works, then measurement after the move. The values shown are fictitious.Core2/31/30/22/31/3Space-use survey over several weeksTeam ATeam BTeam CManagementInteractions between teams, business needsSpace to reallocate?A · Optimise what existsB · TransformC · RelocateFocus workCollaborationFocus rooms and boothsHybridroomsCafé, receptionPhase 1: worksPhase 1: teams at workMoves in batches, buffer zones3 mois6 mois12 moisReviews after opening: use, comfort, pain points
Schematic plan, fictitious valuesRead: workplace use survey

  1. 01

    ReadUnderstand how work is really done

    Interviews, workshops, observation and attendance data (badges, bookings, counts), processed in aggregate form. We distinguish attendance, occupancy and utilisation, and look at peak days as closely as at the average.

    Deliverables
    Diagnostic of how space is used, activity profiles, pain points, list of missing data.
    Decision made possible
    Is the problem spatial, organisational, managerial, technical or real-estate related?

  2. 02

    AlignManagement, business units, HR, real estate, IT

    Team needs are tested against strategy and constraints: lease, budget, timeline, works council (CSE) consultation. Attendance rules and ways of working are decided before the plans.

    Deliverables
    Working principles, team interaction matrix, decision and consultation timeline.
    Decision made possible
    Which working model, for which teams?

  3. 03

    DecideBuild and compare scenarios

    Optimise the existing space, transform, relocate, combine several sites: each scenario is costed (rent, works, furniture, IT, removal, fees, contingencies) and compared on its risks and timescales.

    Deliverables
    Comparison of scenarios, test fit, overall project budget.
    Decision made possible
    Stay, transform or leave, with a realistic budget.

  4. 04

    DesignBrief first, then draw

    Functional brief, adjacencies, zoning, then design: acoustics, light, ergonomics, accessibility, hybrid meeting rooms, furniture, materials and reuse.

    Deliverables
    Brief, layout plans, outline design, authorisation application if required, tender documents.
    Decision made possible
    An approved design, a works budget, a timeline.

  5. 05

    TransformTender, build, move in

    Competitive tendering trade package by trade package, bid analysis, supervision of the works, phasing in occupied premises, handover. In parallel: keeping teams informed, trials, preparing the move.

    Deliverables
    Bid analysis, site meeting minutes, handover, workplace maintenance file (dossier de maintenance des lieux de travail).
    Decision made possible
    Offices delivered within the agreed budget and timeframe.

  6. 06

    MeasureCheck after opening

    At three, six and twelve months: actual utilisation, satisfaction by team, acoustics, bookings, pain points. We adjust what does not work rather than defending the plan.

    Deliverables
    Post-occupancy evaluation, corrective actions, monitoring indicators.
    Decision made possible
    What to adjust, and what to keep.

Principles

Nine rules we do not negotiate.

No flex office by default, no open-plan by default, no reduction in floor area without evidence, no productivity promise without measurement.

  1. 01

    Work before space

    We describe the actual activities before talking about floor areas.

  2. 02

    Organisation before the plan

    A fit-out supports a clarified organisation; it does not repair it.

  3. 03

    Data before ratios

    A desk ratio is calculated, not copied.

  4. 04

    Peaks before averages

    We size for the busy days, not for an average Tuesday.

  5. 05

    The brief before the drawing

    We know what is needed before we start drawing.

  6. 06

    Scenarios before the decision

    Stay, transform or move: we compare before choosing.

  7. 07

    Budget before works

    Every cost item, the same assumptions, before signing.

  8. 08

    Change before the move

    Teams understand and test before moving in.

  9. 09

    Measurement after opening

    We check actual use and adjust.

Governance and timeline

An office project involves senior management, finance, human resources, real estate, IT, facilities management, managers, employee representatives and the teams. From the outset, we establish who decides what, at what point, and how decisions are escalated: steering committee, project team, workshops, sign-off points.

The timeline incorporates the mandatory lead times: consultation of the works council (CSE) in companies with at least 50 employees (one month in the absence of an agreement, two if an expert is appointed), review of planning or ERP authorisations by the authorities, the lease notice period. The timeline guide.

The contract

Each engagement is covered by a prior written agreement defining its nature, scope, deliverables and fees (architects' code of ethics, art. 11). An engagement can stop at any step: a diagnostic does not commit you to what follows.

Completion of the works

At handover (réception), snags (réserves) are listed and cleared; the workplace maintenance file is given to the users no later than one month after they take possession (French Labour Code, art. R4211-3). Then come the reviews of how the space is used.

A method, but not a one-size-fits-all package.

Each engagement is scaled to your situation, your data and your deadlines. The first conversation is used to define its scope.

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