Interior Commercial Construction & Design 101

If you have ever undertaken an interior construction project, or if you are considering one, you know how difficult it can be to know where to start. Different companies offer different services, depending on the type of construction you are looking for there is a huge range of different vendors to consider, and a multitude of documents and permits along the way.

We want to help you approach service providers confident in your understanding of the construction process and therefore armed with a good base knowledge of your specific needs and what your expected outcome is. The first step in gaining this confidence is understanding the typical lifecycle of a commercial construction project. ?

The Commercial Construction Lifecycle

1.??????Interior Design & Development ?

Every commercial construction process starts with a blank canvas. During the building’s construction, the architects will have considered the structural elements from an aesthetics point of view such as wall shape, ceiling height, building flow such as where the kitchen should be, the restroom, storage area etc. But the interior designer will enhance aesthetics and functionality of the development by planning out colours, lighting, furniture and so on. The interior designer’s role is to transform a blank canvas into an appealing, engaging, and functional space that is completely tailored to your needs.

2.??????Budgeting & Tendering

During this phase a construction budget is developed. This is an estimate of how much the project is going to cost from initiation to closure. The Project Manager starts with a project plan and compiles a list of every element that needs to be considered such as materials, labour, permits, demolition, equipment and so on. As part of this process, the PM will reach out to suppliers and service providers with a tender and in return receive a quote for their services. Effective tendering allows the PM to quote competitive and realistic costs to the client as well as ensuring that the suppliers and service providers fully understand the scope of work to be undertaken and is confident that they can meet the requirements.

3.??????Construction

When the design has been finalized, the next step is converting the design into a reality. This stage involves a construction company creating the building shell and the essential interior elements such as walls to denote different rooms, ceiling and floors, window installments and so on. This stage doesn’t necessarily have to come after the interior design and planning phase, but it’s best practice that it does to best achieve a suitable aesthetic and function for the building. As part of the design planning, interior designers will have already chosen furniture, decorative pieces, appliances etc. so they will work alongside the construction team to ensure everything is placed correctly, installed, and tested.

4.??????Post-Construction

After a commercial space has been outfitted and a tenant is occupying the space, as with any property, there is the usual maintenance and servicing needed for the buildings upkeeping.

Additionally, a common post-construction service occurs when tenants move out and the new tenants want to update the space based on their business needs and company culture. This stage is essentially a repeat of stage 2, with a design team employed to recommend the right look and function and a contractor to implement the changes. Common services sought in this phase are renovations, remodeling, tenant improvements and corporate upgrades.

Below is an overview of the parties involved in each stage of the process, what they do, and what the outcome typically is.

Coordinating all these different parties can be difficult and time-consuming, which is why many companies offer numerous services under the one roof or offer services that will do the coordinating for you. Most commonly you will find:

• Interior Design companies that do both pre-construction design and planning as well as post-construction design.
• Construction Companies that act as a Project Manager in overseeing the coordination of all parties involved.

The Most Common Types of Construction Services

If you decide to use a provider that does some, if not all, of the coordination for you (and we recommend you do as it saves a lot of time and hassle), you’ll need to decide what type of service you want to employ them for. Each provider will offer different services but below are the most common types of services you will come across and what each of them entails.

General Contracting

A general contractor is a point of contact, can be an individual person or a company, that is employed to oversee a construction project through to completion. Responsible for the overall coordination of a project, general contractors may also act as?building designer?and?foreman. A general contractor is responsible for providing all of the material, labor, equipment (such as?engineering vehicles?and tools) and services necessary for the construction of the project. A general contractor often hires specialized?subcontractors?to perform all or portions of the construction work. When using subcontractors, the general contractor is responsible for overseeing the quality of all work performed by any and all of the workers and subcontractors.

Construction Management

Construction management?is a service utilized by clients to hand over the responsibility of effectively managing a construction project, including scheduling, cost estimates, ensuring quality, safety procedures, scope of work, and function. The CM represents the client’s interests and provides oversight for the entire project directly for the client. Their mandate is to work with all parties to deliver the project on time, on budget, and to the client’s expectations. Typically, the construction management providers will supply a general contractor for the project.

Project Management

Project management involves directing and coordinating resources throughout the life of a project by using management techniques to achieve the construction objectives on time, on budget, and to the client’s expectations. Project management is similar to construction management but includes a larger portion of the project cycle. General contracting and construction management typically includes coordinating different vendors, trades, and suppliers while project management includes these responsibilities with the addition of working closely with and coordinating the architectures, design teams and any other consultants employed in the project.

Design-Build

Design-Build projects reap an enormous advantage of benefiting from collaboration. Design-Build projects combine a design team and a construction team to work directly alongside each other. Typically, there will be a designated person managing the overall project, acting as a Project Manager, but as a whole this style of work is much more collaborative between the design and the construction team. Often, construction companies will have interior design firms that they recommend based on previous work and vice versa, interior design firms will have construction companies that they trust to do an excellent job. ?

By working together, the design team has creative freedom with the confidence that the construction team can advise on practicality and value engineering. Meaning together they can create an optimal design and finished project that remains cost-effective.

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Exploring the Right Construction Project for Your Needs

So, you know the construction life cycle, you know what providers are involved in what part of the process, and you know the different types of services that are on offer. The final piece of the puzzle is knowing what options there are for bringing your interior vision to life.

Most commonly, commercial interior projects fall into one of the below:

Tenant Improvements

You’ve just leased a new commercial space, but you want it to be better tailored to your business needs and your company culture. Tenant improvement projects involve changing the interior look and feel of a space or in other ways altering the space to be customized to you. This is also referred to as remodeling. Usually, this style of project requires a contractor and a designer.

Renovations

Renovations involve restoring a space to a good state of repair. This style of project is undertaken when a space is in a state of disrepair, and work needs to be done to bring it back up to code or to fix any areas that make the property unsafe. Usually, this style of project requires a contractor and clients typically also opt for a designer, so the final product is not just habitable again, but also fits with their business needs and company culture.

Interior Fit-Outs

Interior fit-out services are most commonly utilized for interior spaces that are in shell condition aka new spaces that are yet to be occupied. In these instances, work involves taking an empty space and transforming it into a usable and functional space. For example, in a new commercial building where floors were left empty to accommodate for all business types, the scope of work includes putting up structural features like window placements, door fittings, HVAC etc. to create a space that can be used for offices.

Usually, this style of project requires a contractor who will coordinate numerous different trades and suppliers to fit-out the building with everything needed to make it functional. Clients will often opt to include a second phase to the project that resembles a tenant improvement project to personalize the space.

Once you have decided each of these aspects, you are ready to start exploring your options. We suggest starting by narrowing down the list of service providers in your area that are relevant to you e.g. “commercial interior companies Vancouver”. You can then see if they offer the service that you are interested in, e.g. general contracting, project management. Another great option is asking around. Anyone you know in the industry that has undergone work might have suggestions of companies, if you’re using a broker or have leased through a real estate agent, they will often have good knowledge of service providers in the industry too. Once you’ve decided on a provider or providers you like the sound off, you’re ready to start a conversation with them!

At Reotech we have over 30 years experience in interior commercial projects. We take on projects across British Columbia of all types, sizes, and complexity. If you are planning an interior project, we’d love the opportunity to help you bring it to life. Get in touch anytime -?https://reotech.ca/contact/