Your architectural signature, delivered to the millimeter
EXE audit validated within 5 business days
Across 1200 commercial real estate projects delivered since 2006, 70% of execution drifts originate between the DCE (French tender package) and the works order (OS), not on the construction site. This is the blind spot of commercial real estate project management: the elevation detail that gets dropped in the coordination meeting, the floor-wall junction arbitrated by the trade in the biggest hurry, the Rw index negotiated down to keep an HVAC budget in check. Our reading of the profession diverges here from the conventional wisdom: the EXE (execution design) audit is not a proofreading formality, it is the only moment when architectural intent can be locked in contractually. Commercial real estate is our sole field: enclosed offices, open-plan floors, meeting rooms, coworking. The architect keeps their signature, their client and their fees, Kytom carries the execution across four axes: EXE audit, all-trades coordination, regulatory compliance, preservation of the signature through to the acceptance report.
Our project managers audit the EXE drawings before validation, identify layout discrepancies, impossible junctions and thicknesses incompatible with the planned air handling units. Three levels of control structure this technical review:
- Dimensional consistency: false ceiling elevations, beam drops, duct routing, clearance heights compliant with the Labor Code (article R4214-22).
- Partition acoustics: verification of Rw indices, targeting Rw = 32 dB minimum between enclosed offices, Rw ≥ 38 dB for executive rooms.
- Compatibility of fluids and currents: HVAC routing, high and low voltage, BMS, technical management, sprinkler systems.
A deliberately contrarian position on acoustic arbitration: the profession too readily lowers the enclosed-office Rw to 30 dB to absorb a partition overcost. In practice across our portfolio, an Rw of 32 dB minimum remains the threshold below which staff feedback on speech intelligibility deteriorates noticeably, regardless of absorbent ceiling treatment. We hold this position in arbitration, even if it means proposing a more economical partition variant rather than a degraded index.
When an arbitration is required, we propose 2 to 4 argued variants with quantified cost and schedule impact, rather than a unilateral decision. Acceptance is carried out with your eye, not against it. The EXE audit lead time generally reaches 5 business days for projects under 2,000 m², with formalized feedback in a reviewed report. For projects over 5,000 m² or involving a complex variable-flow HVAC trade, we deliberately extend the lead time to 10-12 business days. Below 300 m² on a new floor delivered in shell condition, the structured EXE audit loses its economic value: a simple half-day technical review is sufficient, and charging for a full audit would amount to an unjustified overcost.
All-trades coordination: 12 trades managed by a single point of contact
Partitioning, false ceilings, soft and hard flooring, high and low voltage, HVAC, plumbing, BMS, acoustics, security, integrated furniture, signage, indoor green spaces: we orchestrate the whole. A single coordinator synchronizes the interventions, anticipates elevation conflicts and oversees the COPREC tests.
| Coordinated item | Reference standard | Contractual deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Partitions and joinery | DTU / 25.42 | Rw acoustic report |
| False ceilings | DTU | Signed layout plan |
| High-voltage electrical | NF C 15-100 | CONSUEL report |
| HVAC | DTU | COPREC tests, balancing |
| Fire safety | Labor Code R4227 | Commission report |
For the partner architect, the professional stake is the traceability of the signature: a compliant DOE with reports in order protects your ten-year liability under article 1792 of the Civil Code on the design portion that remains attributable to you, regardless of execution. Weekly reports every Friday, joint visits scheduled every 15 days, monthly budget review and a single point of contact on change orders: the pace remains predictable through to the lifting of reservations.
Limit of the single-coordinator model: on simultaneous multi-site projects of more than 4 locations in parallel, the single coordinator becomes saturated and coordination loses responsiveness. In this case, we switch to a pairing of a senior coordinator plus a dedicated junior coordinator, with an acknowledged impact on fees. The 12-trade coordinated model also ceases to be relevant below 150 m² with fewer than 5 trades mobilized: the conventional general contractor remains more economical, and we indicate this during the scoping phase.
Regulatory compliance: 6 application files covered in parallel
Administrative processing concentrates a growing share of operational risk. For the architect, the issue is not the file itself, it is the processing time that weighs on the shared-cost account and erodes the fees of the construction supervision phase. Kytom secures each authorization by drawing up the files directly, while leaving the architect in control of the graphic and programmatic design. The six files covered as standard:
- Building permit or prior declaration (Urban Planning Code L421-1).
- ERP (public-access building) authorization (mainly fifth category, including the safety commission review).
- IGH (high-rise) compliance where applicable, with SSI coordination per the decree of December 30, 2011.
- PRM accessibility (decree of December 8, 2014, final certificate signed by an approved firm).
- RE2020 for the relevant projects, Bbio and Cep calculations submitted with the building permit certificates.
- Pre-works surveys: asbestos (Public Health Code R1334-29-5) and lead if the building predates 1949.
The Kytom agencies work with approved inspection bodies (Apave, Bureau Veritas, Socotec) and level 1 and 2 SPS coordinators. The architect retains design responsibility, Kytom handles the processing and commission follow-up, with no delegation of signature.
When carrying all 6 files in parallel is not justified: on a project in an occupied site with no facade modification, no change of use and no exceeding of the fifth-category ERP threshold, only 1 or 2 files actually need processing. Selling a 6-file package would then be a pointless administrative shell. We flag this in the scoping note and bill only the actual procedures.
B2B framework: architect’s fees preserved, separate Kytom contract
The architect who entrusts a project to Kytom keeps their client, their signature and their full fees. Our technical contract is separate, signed directly between the project owner and Kytom, with no interference with the project management assignment. Three principles structure this relationship:
- No client poaching: no commercial solicitation of the project owner outside the entrusted works scope, a contractually formalized clause.
- Design visibility: your name appears on the reports, the site boards and the delivery communications.
- Cross-referencing: delivered projects presentable in your references, professional photos provided.
Professional reframing for the partner architecture firm: the real economic variable of a commercial real estate assignment is not the displayed fee rate but the hidden cost of the construction supervision phase on a conflict-ridden project. A construction supervision assignment that overruns by 3 months absorbs the equivalent of 8 to 12% in non-billable additional fees. By outsourcing execution to Kytom, the firm secures its margin on the design phase, where its added value remains the least substitutable.
Frequently asked questions
Does the architect indeed keep the signature and full fees of their assignment?
Yes, entirely. The Kytom contract is signed directly between the project owner and Kytom, separate from your project management assignment. You keep your client, your name on the project materials and your design fees with no reduction. A contractually formalized clause prohibits any commercial solicitation outside the entrusted works scope.
What is the standard EXE audit lead time on a 1,500 m² commercial real estate project?
5 business days on average for projects under 2,000 m², based on our recent experience. Beyond 5,000 m² or with a complex variable-flow HVAC trade, the lead time extends to 10-12 business days. Below 300 m² on a new shell floor, a half-day technical review replaces the full audit.
Does Kytom also intervene on architectural design?
No. The Kytom scope starts at the EXE audit and stops at the acceptance report with the lifting of reservations. The graphic and programmatic design and the architectural signature remain entirely carried by the partner architecture firm. This clear boundary protects each party’s liability under article 1792 of the Civil Code.
How is a technical arbitration unfavorable to the architectural intent handled?
We formalize 2 to 4 argued variants with quantified cost and schedule impact, submitted to the architect before decision. On structuring arbitrations such as the partition Rw index or false ceiling elevations, we hold a documented technical position rather than accepting a degradation by budgetary default. The final decision belongs to the architect plus project owner pairing.
Does the Kytom model suit all commercial real estate projects?
No. Below 150 m² with fewer than 5 trades mobilized, the conventional general contractor remains more economical and we indicate this during scoping. On simultaneous multi-site projects of more than 4 locations, we switch to a pairing of a senior coordinator plus a dedicated junior, with an acknowledged impact on fees. Enclosed offices, open-plan floors, meeting rooms and coworking constitute our core target.
