The rate per sqm alone does not say which cost layer it describes

One of the most common mistakes in office budget analysis is treating the rate per square metre as the final answer. A number per sqm says very little if it is not clear which cost layer it describes. Does it include only construction works and building systems? Does it include glazing, built-ins, AV and furniture? Is it calculated for a simple open space or for a layout with many enclosed rooms?

An investor may receive several different numbers and all of them may be formally “true”, but none of them will be comparable. That is why at Ecoffices we look not only at the starting rate, but also at what is included, what is excluded and which decisions change the final result.

The functional programme is the main budget engine

In the Ecoffices methodology, office cost results directly from the functional programme. Headcount, attendance model, number of meeting rooms, offices, kitchenette, storage, chillout area, phone booths, focus rooms or server room are not soft project descriptions. They are parameters that trigger specific costs.

In the Ecoffices model, we assume indicatively around 6.0 sqm for a fixed workstation and around 4.5 sqm for a temporary hot-desk workstation. For meeting rooms, we use an order of magnitude of around 12 sqm for a 4-person room, 20 sqm for a 6–8-person room, 32 sqm for a 10–12-person room and around 44 sqm for a boardroom. For offices, we assume indicatively around 9 / 13 / 22 sqm for 1-, 2- and 4-person layouts.

Ecoffices does not calculate cost in isolation from spatial reality

In the Ecoffices model, cost does not exist without spatial logic. That is why the calculator includes a simplified volume check and fit test. As a baseline, we work with a threshold of 13 m³ per person and additionally compare the programme with the real floor area.

An office that is too tight for the programme very often also becomes more expensive than expected, because cost is artificially pushed up by too many partitions, building systems and functional compromises.

Glass is an aesthetic choice with a very real cost

In many projects, investors underestimate the impact of glazing on CAPEX. In the Ecoffices methodology, glass is not a decorative detail but a specific budget component. The model works with an indicative price range from around PLN 1,100/sqm to around PLN 2,500/sqm, and the base variants have default glazing assumptions for meeting rooms and offices.

A larger share of glazing means not only a higher material cost, but also more demanding acoustics, more sensitive detailing, more expensive doors, more demanding workmanship and a higher risk of aesthetic errors.

A layer that grows quickly at larger scale

In the current logic of the Ecoffices calculator, furniture and equipment are not thrown into a bucket of “optional extras”. Furniture, AV and IT are treated as separate layers. In the model, indicative default levels for furniture are around PLN 4,900 per workstation for lower variants and around PLN 6,500 per workstation for the representative variant. For AV and IT, we work indicatively at around PLN 1,800 per workstation and around PLN 2,500 per workstation in more demanding projects.

Small function, large impact on the whole model

One of the more important developments in the Ecoffices calculator logic is the separate inclusion of the server room / IT back office. In many companies, this function stays in the background for a long time until it starts affecting the budget, power, cooling and layout.

Even a small server room can change not only the functional programme, but also the systems structure, electrical scope, cooling range and sensitivity of the entire project.

Cost and environmental savings must come from real analysis

In refurbishment and modernisation projects, a very important layer is resource retention, meaning the reuse of selected existing elements. In the Ecoffices model, a resource retention level of up to around 70% can be assumed. In practice, this may apply to systems, luminaires, floor boxes, parts of walls, parts of ceilings, carpets, decorative elements or other components that can be reasonably adapted to the new programme.

In the Ecoffices calculator, we assume a base indicator of around 190 kgCO₂e/sqm for fit-out. This is a simplified model, but very useful at the decision-making stage.

Time also needs to be counted as an investment layer

In our methodology, cost does not exist without time. For the design phase, we assume around 6 weeks, for approvals around 2 weeks, for execution usually around 12–16 weeks depending on the area, programme complexity and technical layers, followed by commissioning, handovers and buffer. In total, the model logic usually closes at around 25 weeks.

Total cost is not always the same as tenant-side cost

From the tenant’s perspective, it is very important to distinguish between the total project cost and the tenant-side cost. Part of the entry cost may be reduced by the landlord’s contribution, but this does not mean that CAPEX disappears.

That is why the Ecoffices calculator does not stop at the “total cost” number. It shows the relationship between CAPEX and annual rent, potential landlord contribution and tenant-side cost.