Realize the Possibilities. Design Your Reality. Influence Your Life & Community.

Office Build-Out Case Study

Project Overview: An insurance company, located in Oak Lawn, IL, enlisted the commercial architectural services of JP Architects, Ltd. to design their new office space. JP Architects, Ltd. provided programming, schematic design and construction documents. This program included a reception area, open and private office space, a conference room, storage and ADA Bathrooms.

From the beginning, this client was concerned whether or not everything he envisioned would fit in the space. This is a common question from our business owner clientele, especially when we are transforming a space to fit their business's needs. The image you see above was actually a fast food restaurant prior to becoming the home of this insurance company.

In the following sections, we will discuss exactly what architectural services occurred during each phase of our process so you can see how a commercial project unfolds with JP Architects, Ltd. by your side.

The Process: 

Step 1: Programming

During this phase, we explore what the business owner is looking to have included in their new space. It played out like this:

The client & Jose met and discussed the client's needs & expectations for his new office space. As said in the project overview, the client wanted shared and private office space, a conference room, storage, a reception area and ADA bathrooms. The document created during this phase is not an architectural document; it is essentially an overview of expectations that keeps the client and JP Architects, Ltd. on the same page about what is included in the program.

This is a necessary phase of the JP Architects, Ltd. process. Without it, we would have no direction on what to design in our next phase. Although we will provide suggestions and ideas for the space, the client should have considered what is to be included in their desired program.

Step 2: Schematic Design

Schematic design is the point in the process, where we, the commercial architect, provide you with your first architecture document - a floor plan of your space. This document displays the entire program in its most basic form - meaning room dimensions and use. After our first draft is completed, we meet our client at the location of the project to discuss the design and help them visualize what we have on paper.

If there are any changes requested, we draft a new document that reflects those changes because JP Architects, Ltd.'s goal is to ensure the floor plan matches your vision and needs. Furthermore, schematic design is the ideal point for business owners to make changes and adjustments, as no construction has started and the documents have yet to be finalized.

In this insurance company example, we provided our client two iterations of the schematic design. In the first, we designed the space to contain 2 separate sales agent offices. However, after meeting on location to review that design, the client realized that separate sales offices were too small and not functional. Our second schematic design accounted for that, as we changed the separate spaces into one shared office.

The final stage of schematic design is for the client to approve the floor plan, which allows the architect to begin producing construction documents. In this case, our client approved the second version we provided, and we quickly moved on to producing construction documents for permitting review, while the client began bidding the project to general contractors. (Pro-Tip: Upon completion of the schematic design, it is an ideal time to start bidding the project for a more accurate cost)

Step 3: Construction Documents

This is the final phase before construction begins. These are the drawings you and your general contractor present to the city, town or village's permitting department for review and approval. Our documents adhere to all local building codes and zoning regulations. These drawings address anything that is going to be built in the new space - walls, electric, plumbing, HVAC, ceiling, windows, doors.

There are cases where the business owner would like us to also provide a "finished floor plan," where we describe in detail the interior design finishes for the project. However, the permitting department doesn't take this into consideration when approving or denying your building permit.

For this specific project, we provided all construction documents + interior design services.

The success of your project depends on the construction documents because if everything is built as displayed in the drawings and you pass inspection...You will officially be open for business in your new office space.



This case study is intended to give you a look into how we work with business owners on their build-outs and renovations. No matter your vision, we can design a workplace that fits your needs now and in the future.

Questions or looking to get started on your commercial renovation? We're ready to help - 708.907.3651

Until Next Time,

Jose R. Pareja, AIA

JP Architects, Ltd. was founded in 2015 by Jose R. Pareja, AIA. We specialize in and are passionate about residential design, commercial architecture and public sector planning / capital improvement projects. Located at 7250 College Dr., Palos Heights, IL 60463, we serve North and Central Illinois. We complete hundreds of projects per year and bring sound principles of design, resourcefulness, reliability, unmatched quality and enthusiasm to each project. JP Architects, Ltd. realizes the possibilities, designs your reality and influences your life and community.