In this episode, Robin Pasley shares real-world insights from her work in interior design and fit planning, including designing around structural challenges for a growing medical company and touring potential office spaces with a multi-location client. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how strategic planning supports business expansion.
Find out more at our Commercial Fit Planning overview page: https://www.pasleycommercialinteriors.com/fitplan
Randi Lynn Johnson 00:47
So Robin, could you provide a kind of recent real world example of getting to do this for a client or someone who is searching for a new building?
Robin Pasley 00:57
Sure. I work with a medical company. They’re general practitioners and family medicine, and they have multi-locations. And so they were looking to add a location to a new sector of town. And they had found a building, they weren't exactly how much square, they weren't exactly sure how much square footage they needed in that building. So that was how we were fit testing. And so they gave me a list of how many exam rooms and conference room break room, all the different things they needed. And so we got the plans for the space. And we started putting them in there. One of the things we had to deal with in this one was there was this post that was right in the center of the space that was available to them. And actually the most desirable space had that post in the middle of it. So we did have to without going into the details of space planning, we did have to make sure that we could fit that post into a layout where it wouldn't be problematic and made sure we had you know, circulation through the space.
Randi Lynn Johnson 02:09
That sounds like you do more than just, you know, take a paint, like that Microsoft Paint thing and you're like plugging be like we can put a chair here.
Robin Pasley 02:22
It's it's way more. We’re using real architectural tools to do this.
Randi Lynn Johnson 02:27
Please don't be insulted. That's just where my mind goes. Haha.
Robin Pasley 02:30
We do actually load it into CAD software and do the work with the real tools we will use in space planning.
Randi Lynn Johnson 02:39
I see. So Robin, I heard you mention medical offices, that real example. Do you also do fit planning for other commercial properties?
Robin Pasley 02:51
We do. We're not limited on that we do have specializations which would be the medical general office, and multi location businesses.
Randi Lynn Johnson 03:01
Multi location business, meaning it could be a franchise …
Robin Pasley 03:04
Or it could also just be a company that has more than one location. We had one of those recently where we were trying to find the next location for a company. And when we do fit planning, we often can just work from the plans. But it's best if we can see the site to so the story I told you earlier, we were on site for that one. Even though we did a set of fit plans. And for another location, another multi-location company, we went just last week and saw two office spaces that they wanted to be able to use. And being able to see things in person helps us a lot, to be able to make sure that the company is going to be able to accomplish their goals as they grow. So we do have to find a little bit out about this company. We can't just get a list of rooms, we still want to do a little discovery with them to understand what's their growth plan. Are they actually moving to grow? Are they moving because they're retracting? You know, with all that happened after COVID So many people working from home, some businesses are actually choosing to re appropriate dollars out of big lease spaces and are changing their actual square footage that they're occupying, coming down a little bit, sending some people home remotely or doing a hybrid version of that. So sometimes we're fit planning for a reduction of space usage.
Randi Lynn Johnson 04:29
Interior Design isn't an extravagance reserve for big brands. It is a tangible investment that can yield in measurable returns. In an increasingly competitive market. The merits of this strategic approach can make all the difference in not just surviving but thriving.
Robin Pasley 04:46
Pasley Commercial Interiors design to help your business grow.
*Recorded in our studio at 616 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80903
