In a fit-out, the design is usually driven by the interior concept, while the building services have to make it work. When those two are not reconciled on paper, the conflict appears on site as ceilings that will not close, diffusers in the wrong place or a kitchen that needs more power than the DB was sized for.
Why fit-outs go wrong
Most problems come from the same few gaps: architectural drawings that do not show services, MEP drawings prepared against an older layout, and equipment selections that change after the electrical design is fixed. None of these are difficult to solve on paper. All of them are expensive to solve on site.
1. Reconcile the drawings early
Overlay architectural, interior and MEP drawings before procurement. Look for ceiling heights, bulkheads, diffuser and light positions, and access panels for valves and dampers. A short coordination meeting at this stage usually removes most later arguments.
2. Size power and cooling to the actual equipment
This matters most for kitchens and food facilities. On our interior fit-out of the Keita kitchen facility at Burjeel Medical City, the electrical package included main and sub-main DBs, DBs for HVAC, chillers and freezers, capacitor banks, earthing, power cables and light fittings. Each of those was sized around the equipment that would actually be installed, so equipment models need to be confirmed before the electrical design is frozen.
3. Coordinate with the mall or landlord
Fit-outs inside malls and managed buildings have extra approval layers. For the Mattar Third Culture barbecue at Mirdif City Centre, our scope included design coordination with the mall management, architectural design completion, tiling, marble and cladding, HVAC, DBs and lighting, plumbing, custom furnishing, glass and stainless-steel cladding, and kitchen equipment. Landlord requirements on shopfronts, ducting and fire systems should be understood at the start, not discovered at inspection.
4. Check before ceilings close
- Ductwork, pipework and cable trays are tested and signed off
- Fire alarm and fire fighting devices are positioned to match the ceiling layout
- Access panels exist wherever valves, dampers or junction boxes remain
- Earthing and bonding are complete and recorded
- Photographs of hidden works are on file for the as-built record
5. Test, commission and hand over properly
Testing and commissioning of HVAC, electrical, plumbing and fire systems should be planned into the programme rather than squeezed in at the end. Handing over with as-built drawings, test records and equipment information saves the operator months of guesswork later.
Good coordination does not add much time to a fit-out. Skipping it usually does.
This article is general information based on our project experience and is not project-specific advice.
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