Lobby and common area upgrades in occupied buildings

What a common-area upgrade involves

Common-area scopes range from new floor and wall finishes, lighting, ceilings and reception joinery in a lobby to the renewal of corridors, lift lobbies, mail and waste rooms, stairs and shared amenities. In apartment buildings the client is usually an owners corporation; in commercial buildings it is the owner or asset manager seeking to lift the building’s presentation and tenant appeal.

The complicating factor is that these areas are the building’s circulation. Entrances, lifts, fire egress, security systems and mail delivery have to keep working every day of the programme.

How DYME plans the works

Planning establishes temporary arrangements first: an alternative entrance or protected walkway, hoarding that preserves egress widths and security, and a sequence that keeps at least one lift and one route through each area in service. Scope and staging are then explained to the committee or asset manager and communicated to occupants before works begin.

Long-lead items such as stone, feature joinery, lighting and signage are released early, and works in each area are sequenced so that services, ceilings and wall finishes are complete before floor finishes and joinery are installed.

Delivery and returning areas to use

Works are staged area by area with protection of adjoining finishes, defined noise hours and daily clean-down so that the building remains presentable throughout. Security, access control and fire-system interfaces are coordinated with building management and the relevant specialists.

Each completed area is inspected and handed back before the next is hoarded. For a Sydney or NSW lobby or common area enquiry, share the building address, the areas in scope, whether it is a commercial or strata building, any drawings or concept design, decision timing, preferred work period and a budget range.

Common questions

Will the main entrance be closed during the works?

Not for the whole programme. Where the entrance is in scope, a temporary entrance or protected route is set up and the main entrance is closed only for the stages that require it, with notice to occupants.

Does the upgrade cover fire and security systems?

The interfaces with those systems, such as door hardware, detectors and access control, are coordinated within the works. Upgrades to the systems themselves are a separate scope that can be planned alongside.

Can a strata committee stage the upgrade across budgets?

Yes. The scope can be split into stages, for example lobby first and corridors later, with each stage planned as a complete, hand-back-able area.