For landlords and business occupiers
Are tech-ready spaces worth it? Only if you like future-proofing
Sviatoslav JerdetchiiCEO & Founder of Craftex. Updated , 4 min read
The short answer
Yes, tech-ready spaces are usually worth it, if you spend on the parts that are hard to add later: power, cable routes, ventilation and controls. Gadgets date fast; infrastructure does not.
- Put the money into containment, power and spare capacity, not screens.
- Plan data, Wi-Fi, access control and meeting-room AV in the first design.
- Major renovations must provide in-building infrastructure for high-speed networks.
- Doing it during a fit-out avoids reopening finished ceilings later.
Most offices are not let down by the screens. They are let down by what sits above the ceiling. Too little power, no spare cable route, a comms cupboard that overheats. Then every new system means opening up finished work.
So, are tech-ready spaces worth it? Yes, if you spend on the parts that are hard to add later. This guide explains what a tech-ready space really needs, where the money pays back and the traps to avoid.
It is written from the contractor's side of a commercial fit-out. Planning works now? Book a site visit and we will check what your building can carry.
Are tech-ready spaces worth it? Our short answer
Tech-ready spaces are worth it when the budget goes into infrastructure. The devices you buy today will date within a few years. The routes, power and plant that feed them can last for decades.
The test is simple. If an item lives inside a wall, floor, ceiling or riser, build it in now. If it sits on a desk or a wall bracket, it can wait.
What "tech-ready" means in a building
A tech-ready space is not a room full of gadgets. It is a building that technology can move into without a rebuild. In practice, that means six things.
- Power. Enough capacity at the board, with spare ways for growth.
- Cable routes. Containment in ceilings, floors and risers, with room for more.
- Wireless coverage. Access points planned with the layout, not added after.
- A cooled comms room. Network kit needs ventilation or cooling and secure access.
- Access and security. Door access, CCTV and visitor systems planned together.
- Controls. Heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting that can be monitored and adjusted.
For businesses that rely on servers, AI tools or heavy computing, the bar is higher. Power resilience and cooling become the main design questions. Our data centre fit-out team handles that end of the scale.
Where the money pays back
Infrastructure costs least when the building is already open. During a fit-out, ceilings, floors and risers are accessible. Adding the same capacity after handover means taking finished work apart.
These are the items we would build in during any office or commercial fit-out:
- Spare containment in ceilings and risers for future cabling.
- Floor boxes or underfloor routes that let desks move without rewiring.
- Wi-Fi access point positions fixed at design stage, with data and power to each.
- Meeting rooms with power and data at the table and the screen wall.
- A comms room with cooling, power and space for growth.
- Sub-metering and controls, so energy use can be seen and managed.
At Beaumont House in Kensington, we turned 750 sq m of run-down offices into an open-plan workplace in three weeks. The scope included new lighting and wiring throughout and underfloor data cabling to every desk. It also included CCTV and access control. All of it went in while the floor was open.
What the regulations already ask for
Some of this is not optional. In England, Requirement R1 of the building regulations covers in-building physical infrastructure for high-speed networks. It applies to new buildings other than homes. It also applies to existing buildings undergoing major renovation.
Part L sets energy rules for the services you install. New heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting must meet minimum efficiencies and have suitable controls. They must also be commissioned and handed over with information on how to run them.
The rules are tightening. The Future Homes and Buildings Standards come into force on 24 March 2027. Work notified before that date, and started before 24 March 2028, stays under the current rules. Our guide to building regulations for office fit-outs explains the approval route.
Fuse Energy hired Craftex on the fit-out and installation of our engineering and research centre, which included electrical, heating, lighting, plumbing, and ventilation upgrades. They delivered everything to a high standard and were proactive throughout — even working weekends to help speed up the programme, despite not being contracted to. They managed last-minute changes very well, communication was clear and consistent, and the team was professional from start to finish. We’d happily recommend Craftex to anyone needing a reliable construction partner.
Five traps that make tech-ready spaces fail
Choosing the wrong set-up often leads to setbacks. These are the common ones.
Most of these come from the same cause. The technology was bought late and fitted around a finished layout. When IT, security and the building services are designed together, the traps are easy to avoid.
Flexible layouts need flexible services
Movable furniture and modular layouts only work if the services can follow. A meeting room that becomes a project space needs power and data where the new tables go. A floor that may split between two tenants needs services that can be separated.
So ask three questions at the design stage:
- Where might walls move in five years?
- Could this floor ever be let in parts?
- Which rooms will need more power or cooling as the business grows?
The answers decide where the containment, the risers and the spare capacity go.
How we plan tech-ready space at Craftex
Craftex designs and builds commercial interiors across London. On every project, the electrical, mechanical and data design sits with the same team that builds it. That way the routes and plant space are fixed before the ceilings close.
At Portsoken House in Aldgate, we delivered 1,550 sq m of offices over two floors with a full mechanical and electrical package. The work ran around tenants who stayed in the building. The services were planned with the layout, not after it.
For a full picture of what we build, see our AI and tech-ready commercial spaces service. We take on construction projects from £100,000. For more guides, visit our blog.
Thinking about a refit and want it to last? Book a site visit and we will tell you what to build in now and what can wait.
Five traps to avoid
- Poor connectivity: slow internet and outdated systems slow communication and hurt productivity.
- Lack of flexibility: spaces that cannot adapt limit growth and collaboration.
- Inadequate security: weak access control and network security put sensitive data at risk.
- High maintenance costs: inefficient or hard-to-reach kit needs frequent repairs.
- Limited support: no clear owner for the systems after handover leaves your team struggling.
