The 5 Phases of End to End Project Management

If the base build sets the rules, Cat A fit out writes the first draft of your workspace. Shell & Core (often written “Shell and Core”) gives you the structure and primary services. Cat A adds the systems and finishes that make a floor usable and lettable. This is where Bates Studio’s end‑to‑end design starts. We take a functional base and turn it into a high‑performing workplace across Design → Create → Build.

Quick note: there is no single UK standard for Cat A. Specifications vary by building and landlord. Verify what is included before you plan Cat B.

Shell & Core handover: what should you do first on site?

Shell & Core is the weather‑tight structure with primary services and cores. Tenant areas remain unfinished, so you can’t occupy them.

To keep your timeline, take these steps:

  1. Gather the landlord pack: drawings, O&M manuals, fire strategy, and incoming services data.
  2. Confirm access to plant rooms, risers, loading areas, and ask for the target Cat A programme.
  3. Map early constraints that could slow Cat B (void heights, power density, fresh‑air rates, acoustic limits).

Walk the floor with the landlord rep and note any ceiling void pinch‑points and access hatches on the marked‑up plan.

Next steps in practice: gather the Cat A pack this week, confirm access and void heights on the floor walk, then freeze Cat B test‑fits before placing long‑lead POs. These steps shorten the path from Shell & Core to a cat a fit out.

Bates Studio turns that pack into a plan. We verify the base, agree what Cat A must deliver, and line up Cat B so you move from Shell & Core through Cat A into Cat B without rework. Talk to our workplace consultancy and office design to learn more about the refurbishment we can do for your office!

What is a Cat A fit out (and what does it include)?

A Cat A fit out makes a floor ready for use and letting by adding basic services and finishes. Typical inclusions:

  • Raised access floors and floor boxes
  • Suspended ceilings or exposed services with a lighting grid
  • Distribution of mechanical and electrical services
  • Base lighting levels and emergency lighting
  • HVAC supply and extract with controls at a base standard
  • Fire detection and alarms to the landlord strategy
  • Basic finishes to walls and columns, and sometimes blinds

Because Cat A specifications vary, confirm the exact scope with the landlord pack and O&M manuals. A clear landlord scope makes a cat a fit out easier to plan and price. Use it to plan Cat B and avoid rework. Confirm measured lux levels (check against your task areas) and fresh‑air rates against your headcount before you freeze Cat B layouts. Ask for balancing and commissioning records for air and water; file them with the O&M pack so Cat B doesn’t retest needlessly.

Cat A vs Shell & Core: what is the practical difference?

Shell & Core gives you the building envelope, cores, and landlord systems. Therefore, Cat A adds the layer that turns a bare floor into a usable space: lighting, power, distributed HVAC, life‑safety, and basic finishes. In short, Shell & Core isn’t occupiable yet. Cat A is a baseline you can occupy once Cat B adds your layout, furniture, and technology. On design and build fit out projects, aligning Cat A early shortens the path to Cat B. If the landlord lighting grid clashes with desk rows, flag it now so Cat B can realign the circuiting and avoid rework. On most projects, the cat a fit out sets the baseline for services coordination and testing.

Why do Cat A basics matter for your Cat B design and programme?

A cat a fit out sets the baseline Cat B builds on. As a result, it shapes cost, programme, and comfort.

  • Programme. A verified Cat A reduces Cat B rework. If the lighting grid lands on desk rows and duct routes match zones, Cat B goes in faster. If they don’t, you lose time changing duct routes or power distribution. Lock the decisions list before you release long‑lead POs; it prevents design drift during procurement.
  • Cost. Keep what works at Cat A, such as a good lighting grid or duct route, and spend where people notice.
  • Compliance and comfort. Fire strategy, fresh‑air rates, and lux levels define what you can achieve. Check them against your headcount and zoning.
  • Sustainability. Re‑use Cat A where possible to avoid unnecessary strip‑out and to lower whole‑life carbon.

What is typically missing at Cat A (that you add at Cat B)?

Cat A excludes your operational features. You add these at Cat B fit out:

  • Partitions, meeting rooms, and focus rooms
  • Reception, kitchens, and collaboration areas
  • Task and feature lighting
  • Furniture, IT, AV, and room‑booking
  • Acoustic treatments matched to use
  • Brand finishes, graphics, and signage

Meanwhile, confirm containment routes for data and AV early so cable trays don’t fight the ceiling layout.

Where does Cat A+ sit between Cat A and Cat B?

Some landlords offer Cat A+, a plug‑and‑play layer between Cat A and Cat B. It may include a basic tea point, simple furniture, and a few meeting rooms so a tenant can move in quickly. Treat Cat A+ as a jump‑start, then tune it to your brief. Ask the landlord for the Cat A+ furniture schedule and finishes list so you know what you’re inheriting.

How does Bates Studio add value at Cat A so Cat B lands faster?

Bates Studio works with leading Cat A & Cat B fit‑out partners. Cat A is where our end‑to‑end design begins. We verify the cat a fit out specification against your brief, decide what to keep or change, and sequence Cat B design so installation runs to one timetable.

  • Verify the Cat A spec. Confirm lighting levels, HVAC capacity and zoning, power and data density, ceiling and void heights, raised floor depth, and life‑safety coverage.
  • Keep vs change plan. Retain Cat A elements that fit the layout. Redesign only where Cat B needs more.
  • Early orders. Place long‑lead furniture and AV once layouts freeze. Publish PO numbers on the run‑sheet so everyone can chase what matters.
  • One coordinated team. We run one timetable across partners, so decisions move quickly, and the fit‑out programme stays tight.

We publish a week‑ahead plan, so you know what lands next.

Explore our upstream workplace consultancy and office design and downstream furniture and interior solutions. See delivery outcomes on our case studies page.

What should you check at Cat A before planning Cat B?

Use this quick check before you plan Cat B and keep it with the landlord O&M pack. It helps you avoid rework and keep the programme on track.

  1. Landlord Cat A drawings, O&M manuals, and performance data
  2. Lighting grid and emergency lighting; measured lux levels
  3. HVAC capacity, zoning, and control strategy; ceiling void heights
  4. Power density, floor‑box locations, and containment routes
  5. Fire detection, alarms, and egress aligned to the landlord strategy
  6. Acoustic baseline and any limits from the lease
  7. Raised floor depth and penetrations, slab to slab and soffit data
  8. WC provision, tea‑point services, and any Cat A+ items
  9. Approvals and constraints: Licence to Alter, building rules, access
  10. Sustainability opportunities: retain vs strip‑out; reuse where possible

Cat A fit out vs Shell & Core: what are the key takeaways?

  • Shell & Core is the structure and primary services. You cannot occupy it without more work.
  • Cat A fit out adds lighting, distributed HVAC, power, life‑safety, and basic finishes so the floor is ready for use and letting.
  • Cat A quality drives Cat B cost, programme, and comfort. Verify the base and plan what to keep vs change.
  • Cat A+ can bridge the gap, yet you still need a Cat B phase to make the space yours.

Turn Cat A into a workspace that works!

Send your Cat A pack and floorplate. We’ll return a keep/change map and a draft programme. Contact the team.