Cat B Fit Outs: Tailoring Your Office to Reflect Your Brand and Culture

A Cat B fit out transforms a basic office space into a fully functional environment tailored to your brand and culture. It goes beyond the essentials of a Cat A fit out, allowing you to personalise every detail to create a workspace that aligns with your team’s needs and reflects your company’s identity.

But what exactly goes into a Cat B fit out, and why does it matter?

What is a Cat B Fit Out?

A Cat B fit out takes the basic shell of a Cat A space and adds everything you need to make the office fully functional and unique to your company. Here’s what typically falls under a Cat B fit out:

  • Partitioning and layout design: Creating separate meeting rooms, offices, and open-plan areas that match your business style.
  • Furniture and fixtures: Desks, chairs, storage, and more, all chosen to suit your team’s comfort and productivity.
  • Branding and decoration: Custom wall colours, company logos, and anything else that ties the space to your brand identity.
  • Specialist lighting and acoustics: Ensuring the office environment is both comfortable and practical, with the right lighting and soundproofing where needed.
  • Technology setup: Installing IT systems, workstations, and anything else that makes your office work seamlessly.

In short, Cat B is what turns a plain office into a space that reflects your company’s culture and supports how your team works day-to-day.

How Does Cat B Differ From Cat A?

You might be wondering how Cat B differs from Cat A fit outs, and the easiest way to think about it is this: Cat A is the foundation, and Cat B is the personality.

With a Cat A fit out, the essentials are covered:

  • The ceilings
  • Lighting
  • Floors
  • Air conditioning,

are installed, and the space is ready for occupation—but it’s not yet a functional office. It’s a blank canvas.

A Cat B fit out, on the other hand, is where the personalisation happens. You move beyond the basics to create an environment that works for your team and reflects your brand. While Cat A provides the structure, Cat B gives you the freedom to bring your company’s culture into the space.

Why Choose a Cat B Fit Out?

A Cat B fit out isn’t just about making an office look good. It’s about making it work for your team. Here are the main reasons why businesses choose one:

1. Tailoring the Space to Your Brand

Your office says a lot about who you are as a business. A Cat B fit out allows you to create a space that reflects your brand identity, making a strong impression on clients and visitors. Whether you’re after a professional, corporate look or a relaxed, creative vibe, it lets you customise every element to suit your style.

2. Improving Team Productivity

A well-designed office can have a huge impact on how your team works. Cat B fit outs are all about creating spaces that support your team’s day-to-day activities. Need quiet zones for focused work? They can include acoustic panels and private workspaces. Want to encourage collaboration? It’s easy to create open-plan areas and flexible seating options.

3. Maximising Space Efficiency

A Cat B fit out is also about making the most of your office space. With custom partitioning, modular furniture, and clever storage solutions, you can maximise your available square footage, ensuring every inch of the office is used effectively. This not only boosts productivity but also helps you get more value from your rental costs.

4. Creating a Comfortable Environment

Employee well-being is a hot topic these days, and rightly so. A Cat B fit out allows you to design an office that’s comfortable for your team, with ergonomic furniture, proper lighting, and climate control systems that make the workspace a more pleasant place to be. A happy team is a productive team, after all.

The Process of a Cat B Fit Out

So, what does the process look like? It’s usually broken down into these key stages:

1. Consultation and Planning

This is where the design team sits down with you to understand your business needs, brand identity, and the functionality required for your office space. Every company is different, so this stage is all about figuring out how to tailor the space to suit your unique culture and workflow.

2. Design Development

Once the planning is done, the design phase kicks off. This is where the layout is finalised, and the aesthetics of the office come to life. You’ll choose everything from the colour scheme to the furniture, making sure it aligns with your brand and team’s needs.

3. Installation and Fit Out

Next comes the actual fit out. Partition walls are built, furniture is installed, and the office starts to take shape. The key here is that everything is fitted to your specifications—no cookie-cutter office layouts.

4. Final Adjustments and Handover

Before the handover, a good fit out team will make sure everything is up to standard and that you’re happy with the result. They’ll make any last-minute adjustments, test systems like IT and lighting, and ensure the office is ready for your team to move in.

When a Cat B Fit Out is the Best Choice

A Cat B fit out is ideal for businesses that want full control over how their office looks and functions. If you’re moving into a new space and want it to reflect your brand while supporting your team’s specific needs, Cat B is the way to go.

It’s particularly useful for businesses that need a space designed for a particular style of working, such as creative agencies that thrive on collaboration or corporate firms that require privacy and meeting rooms.

On the other hand, if you’re leasing a property with the intention of subletting or don’t want to get involved in the finer details, a Cat A fit out might be more suitable. It provides a clean, neutral space for tenants to customise themselves. But if you’re the tenant and want help from a professional, Cat B is the perfect choice.

Final Word on Cat B Fit Outs

A Cat B fit out is all about transforming a standard office into a space that reflects your brand while also increasing and supporting your team’s productivity. It’s more than just decoration—it’s about creating a workspace that works for you, from the layout of the desks to the colours on the walls.

At Bates Studio, we’ve helped businesses of all shapes and sizes create offices that truly represent who they are, from sleek, professional setups to creative, relaxed environments. If you’re thinking about a Cat B fit out for your office, let’s have a chat and see how we can bring your vision to life.