Institutional-grade fit-out for a professional services tenant within a heritage-adjacent office building on Smith Street corridor.
Project overview
Collingwood Offices delivers 1,200 square metres of tenancy across two levels for a professional services firm relocating from the CBD. Scope includes reception, open plan work areas, meeting suites, staff amenities, and ICT infrastructure.
Challenges
Base building services capacity required upgrade to support increased cooling load from high occupant density and server room — negotiated with building owner over cost allocation.
Construction occurred while other tenants remained occupied — demanding strict after-hours work, noise limits, and fire compartmentation maintenance.
Heritage-adjacent façade visibility required external signage compliance with council advertising controls.
Solutions
Services upgrade staged during base building maintenance window minimising disruption. Temporary cooling maintained operation on occupied levels during cutover.
Fit-out contractor selected for Melbourne CBD heritage building experience with documented WHSE performance.
Commissioning of fire, security, and ICT systems completed two weeks before lease commencement allowing soft occupation and staff training.
Outcomes
Tenant occupied on contractual date. Defects liability items closed within fourteen days of handover.
Documentation package accepted by tenant facilities team without supplemental audit findings.
Staff amenities including breakout space and quiet rooms were delivered to tenant wellbeing brief — supporting recruitment narrative in competitive professional services market.
Acoustic ceilings and partition STC ratings met open plan and meeting room privacy brief. AV infrastructure in meeting suites commissioned before client technology team acceptance testing.
End-of-trip facilities including lockers and bicycle storage met tenant staff commute policy. Shower capacity sized to peak morning arrival modelling from tenant HR data.
Make-good scope at lease end was documented at entry — tenant alterations during fit-out recorded on condition survey to clarify vacate obligations and avoid end-of-lease dispute with building owner.
Collingwood location provided tenant brand alignment with creative industries corridor — reception design incorporated local artist commission per tenant community engagement policy.
Tenant satisfaction survey at three months post-occupation reported ninety-four percent satisfaction with delivery quality and programme performance.
Technical detail
Base building cooling upgrade staged during maintenance window with temporary cooling on occupied levels during cutover — negotiated cost allocation documented between tenant and building owner before works commencement. Acoustic ceilings and partition STC ratings met open plan privacy brief verified by tenant technology team.
End-of-trip facilities sized from tenant HR peak arrival modelling — shower and locker capacity matched staff commute policy. AV infrastructure in meeting suites commissioned before client acceptance testing.
Lessons for similar sites
Occupied building fit-out demands WHSE integration with base building plan and strict after-hours noise compliance. Three-month post-occupation satisfaction survey at ninety-four percent reflects programme performance and delivery quality — benchmark we apply to subsequent commercial mandates.
Stakeholder outcomes
Tenant occupied on contractual lease commencement date with PCA issued and essential services commissioned. Facilities team accepted documentation package without supplemental audit finding. Defects liability items closed within fourteen days — no operational disruption beyond minor paint and joinery adjustment.
Building owner relationship preserved through documented make-good scope at entry and tenant alteration log during fit-out — clarifying vacate obligation and avoiding end-of-lease dispute.