A Cat B refurbishment is one of the most effective ways for an organisation to transform its workplace without the disruption and expense of relocating. Rather than moving to new premises and starting from scratch, a Cat B refurbishment works within the existing building to replace tired finishes, reconfigure layouts, upgrade technology, and create an environment that genuinely supports the way people work today. For organisations whose current space no longer reflects their brand, their ambitions, or their operational needs, it offers a practical route to meaningful change.
The term Cat B refers to the tenant-specific fit-out of a commercial office space. It covers everything beyond the landlord’s base build, from partitions and meeting rooms to kitchens, reception areas, furniture, flooring, and decorative finishes. A Cat B refurbishment, then, is the process of stripping back and renewing some or all of these elements within an occupied or recently vacated space. It sits firmly within the category of office refurbishment, but with a focus on the tenant’s own fit-out rather than the base building infrastructure.
For organisations in sectors such as financial services, legal, and professional services, where the workplace plays a direct role in client perception and talent retention, the quality of the Cat B environment matters enormously. A dated reception, worn carpets, or a layout that no longer supports hybrid working patterns can all undermine confidence, both internally and externally. A well-planned refurbishment addresses these issues while keeping the organisation rooted in a location it already knows and, in many cases, values.
When a Cat B Refurbishment Makes Sense
Not every workplace problem requires a move. Organisations often assume that if their office is not working, the only option is to find somewhere new. In reality, the building itself may be perfectly adequate. The location is right, the lease terms are favourable, the floor plate works, and the base building services are sound. What has failed is the Cat B fit-out, the layer that the organisation controls and that defines the day-to-day experience of everyone who uses the space.
Signs That a Refurbishment Is Overdue
Several indicators suggest that a Cat B refurbishment should be on the agenda. The most obvious is physical deterioration. Carpet tiles lifting at the edges, ceiling tiles stained by historic leaks, furniture that has passed its useful life, and finishes that look tired compared to the standards clients and staff encounter elsewhere. These are not trivial aesthetic concerns. They affect how people feel about coming to work and how visitors perceive the organisation.
Less visible but equally important are functional shortcomings. A layout designed for rows of individual desks may no longer serve an organisation that has adopted hybrid working and needs more collaboration space, fewer fixed desks, and better video conferencing facilities. Meeting rooms may be the wrong size, the wrong number, or equipped with technology that frustrates rather than supports. Tea points and social spaces may be afterthoughts rather than the vibrant hubs that modern workplaces demand.
There are also strategic triggers. A merger or acquisition may bring new teams into a space that was never designed for them. A rebrand may leave the workplace looking like it belongs to a different organisation. Growth or contraction may have shifted occupancy patterns so significantly that the original layout no longer makes sense. In each case, a Cat B refurbishment offers a targeted response that addresses the specific problem without the upheaval of a full relocation.
Understanding the Scope of Cat B Works
The scope of a Cat B refurbishment can vary enormously. At one end of the spectrum sits a light-touch refresh, new carpet, a coat of paint, updated furniture, and some improvements to communal areas. At the other sits a comprehensive strip-out and rebuild that effectively creates a new workplace within the existing shell. Most projects fall somewhere between the two, and defining the right scope early in the process is one of the most important decisions an organisation will make.
What Cat B Typically Covers
A full Cat B refurbishment typically includes the removal and replacement of internal partitions and meeting room enclosures, new floor finishes throughout, ceiling works including new lighting where required, mechanical and electrical modifications to support the new layout, joinery including reception desks, kitchen units, and bespoke features, decorative finishes and branding elements, furniture and FF&E, and technology infrastructure including AV systems, network cabling, and access control.
The extent of mechanical and electrical work often depends on how much the layout is changing. Repositioning meeting rooms or adding new enclosed spaces may require modifications to the air conditioning, lighting circuits, and fire detection systems. If the base building services are in good condition, these modifications can be made without wholesale replacement. If the existing Cat A infrastructure is nearing the end of its life, the refurbishment may need to extend into areas that would normally be the landlord’s responsibility, a point that requires careful negotiation.
Planning a Cat B Refurbishment
Successful refurbishments begin with a clear understanding of what the organisation needs the space to achieve. This goes beyond a wish list of features. It requires honest assessment of how the workplace is currently used, where it falls short, and what the priorities are for improvement. Space planning exercises, occupancy studies, and stakeholder consultations all feed into this understanding.
The brief should address both immediate needs and medium-term aspirations. If the organisation expects to grow by 20% over the next three years, the refurbishment should accommodate that growth rather than simply solving today’s problems. If hybrid working patterns are still evolving, the design should allow for adjustment as usage becomes clearer. Building flexibility into the brief avoids the frustration of discovering that the refurbished space is already out of date before the paint has dried.
Lease Considerations
Before committing to a refurbishment, organisations should review their lease position carefully. The remaining lease term needs to justify the investment. Spending heavily on a space with only two years remaining on the lease is difficult to justify unless the intention is to renew. Conversely, a refurbishment timed to coincide with a lease renewal can strengthen the organisation’s negotiating position, demonstrating commitment to the building that landlords value.
Landlord consent is typically required for Cat B works, and the scope of permitted alterations varies between leases. Some landlords welcome investment in their buildings and offer incentives such as rent-free periods or contributions to fit-out costs. Others impose restrictions that may limit what can be achieved. Understanding these constraints early prevents costly surprises and helps shape the scope of works.
Budgeting and Cost Management
Refurbishment costs vary significantly depending on scope, specification, and the condition of the existing space. A cosmetic refresh focusing on finishes and furniture might cost £40 to £60 per square foot. A comprehensive Cat B refurbishment with new partitions, upgraded mechanical and electrical systems, quality joinery, and high-specification furniture could range from £80 to £150 per square foot or more, depending on the standard required. Understanding office fit-out costs in detail helps organisations set realistic expectations and avoid the uncomfortable discovery that their aspirations exceed their budget.
One advantage of refurbishment over relocation is the absence of several significant cost items. There are no agent’s fees for finding new premises, no legal costs for negotiating a new lease, no removal costs, and no period of double rent while the new space is being prepared and the old lease runs down. These savings can be substantial, and when weighed against the cost of the refurbishment itself, often make the financial case compelling.
Contingency and Hidden Costs
Refurbishments carry a particular risk of unforeseen costs. When walls are removed, what lies behind them may not match expectations. Services may be routed in unexpected locations. Asbestos may be present in older buildings. Floor voids may contain abandoned cabling that needs to be removed before new systems can be installed. A contingency allowance of 10 to 15 percent is prudent, and experienced project teams will identify potential areas of risk during the survey stage to minimise surprises during construction.
Design That Delivers More Than Aesthetics
The design phase of a Cat B refurbishment is where ambition meets reality. Good office design does far more than make a space look attractive. It shapes how people interact, how productive they feel, and how effectively the organisation operates. In a refurbishment context, the design team must also work within the constraints of the existing building, which adds a layer of complexity that new-build projects do not face.
Existing structural columns, core locations, window mullion spacing, and ceiling heights all influence what is achievable. A skilled design team treats these constraints as parameters to work within rather than obstacles to overcome. The best refurbishments turn existing features into design assets, celebrating exposed brickwork, original detailing, or generous ceiling heights that newer buildings cannot match.
The transformation of a 1930s former bank into an investment firm’s London headquarters demonstrates this approach well. The 2,496 square foot project preserved original architectural features including the vault door while creating a thoroughly modern workspace. By working with the building’s character rather than against it, the design team delivered an environment that felt both distinguished and contemporary.
Managing the Works While the Business Continues
One of the most challenging aspects of a Cat B refurbishment is managing construction activity in or adjacent to an operating workplace. Unlike a new fit-out where the building is empty, refurbishments often need to accommodate staff who continue working while the project proceeds around them. This is sometimes called a live office refurbishment, and it requires a different approach to programming, logistics, and communication.
Phasing and Decanting
The most common approach is to phase the works, completing one area of the floor plate while staff occupy another, then moving people across as zones are completed. This rolling programme means the organisation never needs to vacate the building entirely, but it does extend the overall programme and requires careful coordination to ensure that each phase is self-contained and does not compromise the functioning of adjacent areas.
For organisations that cannot tolerate any disruption to their working environment, temporary decanting may be necessary. Staff relocate to swing space, either elsewhere in the same building or in external temporary accommodation, while works proceed unimpeded. This approach allows the contractor to work more efficiently but adds the cost and complexity of the temporary arrangement.
The DTRE project at 25 Argyll Street in Mayfair illustrates how careful programming delivers results in demanding circumstances. The 11,000 square foot refurbishment required coordination of specialist joinery, high-quality furniture, and sophisticated AV integration. By maintaining rigorous quality standards and programme discipline throughout, the project achieved a BREEAM Very Good rating while meeting the client’s exacting expectations.
Sustainability in Cat B Refurbishment
Refurbishment is inherently more sustainable than demolition and new build. By retaining the existing building structure and base building services, the embodied carbon associated with construction is significantly reduced. This environmental advantage can be amplified by making conscious choices about materials, waste, and energy throughout the refurbishment process.
Sustainable material selection extends beyond choosing products with environmental certifications, though these are valuable. It includes specifying furniture and finishes that are durable enough to last the lease term without replacement, selecting materials that can be recycled at end of life, and favouring suppliers with transparent and responsible supply chains. Where existing furniture is in good structural condition, reupholstery or refinishing can extend its life at a fraction of the environmental and financial cost of replacement.
Formal sustainability certifications such as BREEAM and SKA provide frameworks for measuring and validating the environmental performance of refurbishment projects. Achieving these certifications requires planning from the outset, as decisions made during design and procurement directly affect the final rating. For organisations with corporate sustainability commitments, these credentials provide tangible evidence of progress.
Furniture and FF&E in a Refurbishment Context
Furniture decisions in a refurbishment are more nuanced than in a new fit-out. The organisation may have existing furniture that ranges from perfectly serviceable to well past its best. Deciding what to keep, what to refurbish, and what to replace requires honest assessment of condition, functionality, and aesthetic compatibility with the new design intent.
Furniture consultancy brings objectivity and market knowledge to these decisions. An experienced consultant can audit existing stock, advise on what is worth retaining, and benchmark replacement options against budget and specification requirements. They can also manage the logistics of clearing unwanted items, whether through resale, donation, or responsible disposal.
New furniture procurement for a refurbishment follows a similar process to any Cat B project. Ergonomic considerations should be a primary driver, particularly for task seating and desking where people spend extended periods. Durability matters in a commercial environment, and products from established manufacturers with strong warranties provide better long-term value than cheaper alternatives that will need replacing sooner.
Warehousing and Delivery Coordination
Off-site warehousing is particularly valuable during a phased refurbishment. New furniture can be received, inspected, and stored until the relevant zone is ready to receive it. This prevents the congestion that arises when deliveries arrive before areas are prepared. It also protects new products from construction dust and damage. Items arrive in the building only when their destination is complete, clean, and ready for installation.
Technology and AV Upgrades
A Cat B refurbishment provides an opportunity to bring workplace technology up to current standards. Many organisations find that their existing AV equipment, network infrastructure, and room booking systems have been overtaken by the demands of hybrid working. Meeting rooms designed for in-person gatherings now need high-quality cameras, microphones, and screens to support participants joining remotely. Wireless presentation systems have replaced the tangle of cables that once characterised conference rooms.
Technology upgrades need to be planned alongside the physical refurbishment rather than treated as a separate workstream. Cabling routes, power requirements, and equipment locations all need to be coordinated with the wider design. A meeting room that looks beautiful but has a camera positioned in a way that makes remote participants feel excluded has missed the point. Integrating technology planning into the design process from the outset avoids these disconnects.
The Value of an Integrated Approach
Cat B refurbishments involve the coordination of multiple disciplines: design, construction, mechanical and electrical engineering, furniture procurement, AV integration, and often move management if staff are being relocated between zones. When these disciplines are managed by separate parties, the burden of coordination falls on the client’s internal team. Gaps between scopes of work, conflicting programmes, and diffused accountability all create risk.
An integrated design-and-build approach changes this dynamic. With a single team responsible for design, fit-out, furniture, and project management, coordination becomes internal rather than external. Design decisions are made with full awareness of their construction implications. Programmes are developed holistically. When issues arise, they are resolved within the team rather than escalated between organisations.
K2 Space has been delivering Cat B refurbishments across London for more than 20 years, working with organisations ranging from global financial institutions to growing professional services firms. Our integrated approach brings together all the capabilities needed to transform an existing workplace under a single team, a defined timeline, and a fixed budget. For organisations whose current space is holding them back, a Cat B refurbishment with the right partner can deliver the workplace they need without the disruption of a move.
To discuss your refurbishment requirements, contact our team or request an initial cost estimate to begin the conversation.