Cases by organisation type
Seven guides to design offices that truly fit the nature of your organisation, not a generic template.
Fitting out a head office and fitting out a law firm follow two different logics: representation versus confidentiality, openness versus acoustic partitioning. Kytom has worked on these types of organisation since 2006, with 1200+ clients supported, distinguishing what belongs to identity (architecture, materials, signature furniture such as Vitra or Herman Miller) from what belongs to protocol (acoustic requirements, digital accessibility, rules applicable to workplaces). Our method always starts from the job itself: who does what, at what pace, with what need for discretion. The feedback from more than 1200 projects informs our trade-offs, but never replaces them.
All guides in this category
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« It's our showcase, it has to wow »
Fitting out a head office
A head office combines three functions: daily operations, client showcase, and employer brand. This guide details how to prioritise these uses across 1500 to 5000 sqm, from the signature reception area to the operational floors, without falling into mere decoration.
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« We have 12 branches in France to harmonise »
Fitting out multi-site branches with consistency
Harmonising 12 branches spread across France requires a shared reference framework: furniture charter, fit-out templates, approved suppliers. This guide explains how to build a replicable specification while leaving 20% of local leeway to branch managers.
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« We are going from 50 to 200, we are overflowing »
Office fit-out for scale-ups
Growing from 50 to 200 employees in under 24 months saturates the existing space. This guide sets out the milestones for a modular fit-out, able to absorb three waves of recruitment without redrawing everything at each stage.
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« Confidentiality, prestige, functionality »
Fitting out a law firm
A law firm constantly balances client confidentiality, the prestige of the premises and the functionality required by partners. This guide covers the acoustics of closed offices (Rw ≥ 42 dB), secure meeting rooms and a reception area in line with the conventions of the profession.
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« A mix of open space and private offices »
Fitting out an accounting firm
Accounting firms combine open space for staff and closed offices for chartered accountants. This guide details the right balance between the two, drawing on tax-season activity peaks and client file confidentiality.
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« We want to break the dull corporate mould »
Fitting out the offices of a manufacturer
Industrial groups often inherit a dated corporate code. This guide shows how to reintroduce raw materials, natural light and informal areas into an industrial office environment, without abandoning the operational rigour expected by technical teams.
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« We are opening a shared space »
Fitting out a coworking or corporate third place
Opening an internal coworking space or a corporate third place responds to a need to welcome partners, subsidiaries or freelancers. This guide covers the business model, access management and the audiovisual equipment of shared spaces.
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Frequently asked questions about this category
Which guide should I start with?
Start from the dominant nature of your organisation, not your headcount. A firm of 80 people falls more under the law firm guide than the scale-up guide, even if the size matches. If you are torn between two types, start with the one carrying the highest risk: confidentiality for legal, growth for the scale-up, image for the head office. Kytom's 11 agencies can qualify your case in a 30-minute preliminary discussion.
Can several types be combined?
Yes, and it is even common. A scale-up's head office combines the showcase logic and the growth constraint; an accounting firm with 15 branches falls under both the firm guide and the multi-site guide. In these cases, we first address the structuring type (the one that sets the architecture and furniture), then layer on the constraints of the second. The method remains the one described in each guide, sequenced.
Do these guides apply to SMEs as well as large groups?
Yes, provided the scope is calibrated. The head office of a 40-person SME across 600 sqm applies the same principles as a group head office across 4000 sqm, but with fewer differentiated zones and a more targeted furniture budget. Kytom has supported 1200+ clients since 2006, the majority of which are mid-caps and SMEs with between 30 and 400 employees. The trade-offs described are valid at every scale.
How long does a project take depending on the type?
Kytom's average lead time is 12 weeks between project approval and delivery, but it varies by type. An urgent scale-up is delivered in 8 to 10 weeks; a complete head office requires 16 to 20 weeks; a multi-site rollout spans 6 to 12 months depending on the number of branches. The guide for each type specifies the critical milestones and the non-compressible lead times (furniture delivery, technical packages, handover).