Office and tenancy
Planning demolition across several office floors
Three office floors can share an address and still need three different removal packages. Compare the physical condition of each floor before deciding whether to procure them together. A common fit-out standard is not evidence that the existing ceilings, partitions or services match.
Planning guidance by MetroPoint Demolition. Illustrative comparisons describe decisions, not completed projects.
Read the floors horizontally and vertically
Start with one marked plan per floor. Show rooms being retained, finishes being removed and the condition needed by the next contractor. Then compare what connects the plans: stairs, risers, shafts and shared access. An instruction that is independent on paper may depend on a service passing through another floor.
The building team and responsible trades establish when affected systems and areas can be released. Tenant move-out alone does not answer that question. Identify the person who can confirm each dependency rather than treating a vacant room as permission to proceed.
Illustrative three-floor package
This is a planning example, not a completed MetroPoint project.
| Floor | Proposed removal | Decision that remains separate |
|---|---|---|
| Lower office floor | Selected meeting-room partitions; reception stays | Ceiling edges where walls meet retained reception |
| Middle floor | Wider interior strip; washrooms stay | Access and services supporting the washrooms |
| Upper floor | Finishes only in released rooms | Rooms awaiting the incoming tenant's design |
All three use the same loading area in this example. The GC must reconcile that shared route with the different work areas. Neither a larger package nor a common loading plan establishes simultaneous crew capacity or a shorter programme.
One contract or separately released areas?
A consolidated scope can describe common requirements once, with a schedule of floor-specific exceptions. It still needs separate removal limits and receiving conditions. Avoid a total floor-area description that conceals the retained rooms.
Separately released packages can be useful where a tenant's design is unresolved. Identify the boundary between the released work and the held floor, including any shared dependency that prevents separation. The decision is whether a package is physically ready, not simply whether it has a different floor number.
Prepare the assessment
Provide the floor plans, current tenant status, retained functions and proposed loading route. Ask the fit-out contractor to name the surface or room it needs first and what remains for its own ceiling, floor and service work. MetroPoint can assess the ordinary removals against those defined floor conditions without promising uninterrupted operation.