Most offices and institutes here occupy buildings that matter architecturally, and a good number are leased from owners who quite reasonably do not want holes in them. So the interesting constraint is not technical difficulty — it is doing the job in a way that leaves no trace when it comes out.
A partition that stands up without the building
Where nothing may be fixed to the original fabric, the partition has to carry itself.
That is done with a self-supporting frame: a base and head section braced so the assembly is stable on its own, held against the walls rather than drilled into them.
It uses more material and it is entirely reversible. For a leased heritage building that is usually the only acceptable answer, and it is worth asking your landlord about before assuming a conventional partition is allowed.
Very high ceilings, and where to stop
Rooms in these bungalows are often four metres or more to the ceiling, and taking a partition all the way up is expensive and rarely necessary.
A partition at normal door height with open space above keeps the proportion of the room visible, which is usually why people took the building in the first place.
The trade is sound: an open top means the rooms hear each other. Where that matters we glaze the upper section rather than leaving it open, which keeps the light and the sense of height and closes the gap.
Working in a building that must not be marked
In buildings like these the floor, the doors and the cornices are the things that get damaged during a fit-out, not by the fit-out.
It happens while carrying materials, not while fitting them.
So we protect the route before anything comes in — floor covering along the path, padding on door reveals and corners — and we agree what that covers before starting. It adds a little to the first morning and it is much cheaper than making good a floor in a building of this age.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
