The challenge
Sleepmax needed a complete office fit-out, and needed to keep operating throughout. That combination rules out the standard approach of clearing the floor and working front to back. Three constraints shaped everything:
- An occupied floor. Staff were working through the programme. Dust, noise and access all had to be managed rather than tolerated.
- Restricted working hours. Noisy activity — drilling, cutting, demolition — was only permitted outside business hours.
- Landlord compliance. Drawing approvals and building rules had to be cleared before any site work, which we ran in parallel with detailed design rather than sequentially.
The solution
- Zone the floor into fourWe split the floor plate into four independent zones, each capable of being finished and handed back fully functional — power, data, lighting, HVAC and furniture all working.
- Sequence services firstIn each zone, HVAC distribution, electrical, fire and data went in before any ceiling closed. This is the single sequencing decision that prevents rework.
- Split the dayQuiet work — joinery installation, finishing, furniture — during business hours. Noisy work after hours and at weekends.
- Dust barriers, properlySealed barriers between live and active zones, not plastic sheeting taped to a wall. This is what makes an occupied fit-out tolerable for the people working through it.
- Rolling snagEach zone was snagged and closed before the next began, rather than leaving one large defect list at the end.
Design and build under one accountable roof
The result
The office was delivered across all four zones with no lost business days. The executive cabins and boardroom set the tone — marble-topped desks, warm timber panelling and glass partitions that keep daylight moving through the floor plate rather than trapping it at the perimeter.
Phased handover meant zero lost business days. Cabins, then workspace, then boardroom.
Facilities Manager, Sleepmax
What we would highlight
| Decision | Why it mattered |
|---|---|
| Glass cabins placed internally | Keeps daylight reaching open workstations rather than blocking it at the windows |
| Services before ceilings, zone by zone | Eliminated the most common cause of fit-out rework |
| Four-phase handover | Client kept trading; no temporary relocation cost |
| Acoustic ceiling in meeting suites | Addressed the most frequent post-occupancy complaint before it happened |
| Landlord approvals in parallel with design | Removed two to four weeks from the critical path |
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
Can an office fit-out happen while staff are working?+
Yes, with proper zoning. We divide the floor into independent zones, complete and hand each back fully functional, run noisy work outside business hours, and install sealed dust barriers between live and active areas. On the Sleepmax project this meant no lost business days.
How long does a corporate office fit-out take in Mumbai?+
Six to nine weeks for a basic warm-shell office, nine to fourteen for mid-specification, and fourteen to twenty for a full hybrid workplace — plus two to four weeks of landlord approvals, which can run in parallel with detailed design.
Why put glass cabins on the internal side of a floor plate?+
Because cabins on the window edge block daylight from reaching the open workstations behind them. Placing them internally, with glass rather than solid partitions, lets light travel across the floor — and daylight access is one of the strongest predictors of workplace satisfaction.
What does a project like this cost?+
We build Mumbai offices at ₹1,220–₹1,840 per sq ft for a basic warm shell, ₹2,130–₹3,190 mid-specification and ₹3,140–₹4,700 high-specification, ex-GST — bands taken from commercial projects we have billed and completed, held at October 2026 prices. Cushman & Wakefield's 2026 benchmark of ₹6,567 per sq ft for a fully collaborative hybrid workplace is a published market figure for one configuration, not our rate. Specification, shell condition and AV scope decide where a project sits inside our bands.