Glossary

Office Fit-Out Glossary

80+ terms every office fit-out decision-maker should know. From BOQ to WELL, Cat A to warm shell. Plain English definitions written from real Indian project experience.

A

Activity-Based Working AHU (Air Handling Unit) ASHRAE

B

Bare Shell Bill of Quantities (BOQ) BIM (Building Information Modelling) Biophilic Design BMS (Building Management System) BUA (Built-Up Area)

C

Carpet Area Cat A Fit-Out Cat B Fit-Out Chilled Beam CIBSE Circular Economy (in interiors) Commissioning

D

Data Cabling (structured) Day Lighting Factor Dead Load Defects Liability Period (DLP) Design-Bid-Build Design-Build

E

Embodied Carbon End-User Commissioning ESG (in built environment)

F

Fit-Out Fit-Out Ratio Fixed-Price Contract Floating Floor Fresh Air Unit (FAU)

G

GCC (Global Capability Centre) Glazing Ratio Green Star GRIHA

H

Hot Aisle / Cold Aisle Hot-Desking HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning)

I

IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Integrated Ceiling System

L

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Live Load Lux Level

M

MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) Millwork Mock-Up

N

Neighbourhood (in ABW) Net Lettable Area (NLA)

O

Occupancy Density Open Plan Office Operational Carbon

P

PMC (Project Management Consultant) Point-of-Work Technology Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) Prefabrication

Q

Quantity Surveyor (QS)

R

Raised Access Floor Return on Investment (fit-out) Reverse Auction

S

Sit-Stand Desk Snag List Space Planning Space Utilisation Stacking Plan Super Built-Up Area

T

T-Grid Ceiling Tenant Improvement (TI) Allowance Turnkey Fit-Out

U

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Utilisation Rate

V

Vastu Shastra (in commercial design) VRF / VRV (Variable Refrigerant Flow/Volume)

W

Warm Shell WELL Building Standard Work Order Workplace Strategy

Z

Zero Snagging Handover

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Last updated: June 2026

How to use this office fit-out glossary.

Office design-build involves terms from architecture, interiors, engineering, construction, property, technology, sustainability, and workplace strategy. This glossary gives each term a plain-language starting point and connects it to decisions made during a real commercial fit-out.

Use a definition when you need to clarify a brief, compare procurement options, review a drawing or specification, or prepare questions for a project team. The right meaning can vary with the building, landlord requirements, local approvals, operating model, and the scope agreed in the contract. Definitions do not replace a professional design, engineering, legal, or safety review.

For the practical next step, explore the services, read the delivery process, or compare the Pune and Mumbai fit-out cost guides.

From terminology to better decisions

Clear language improves the quality of a workplace project. When a client, designer, contractor, landlord, and technology partner use the same term in the same way, scope gaps are easier to find before they become cost or programme problems. Use the linked entries to prepare a brief and then confirm the project-specific interpretation with the responsible professional.

The glossary is organised as a learning resource. Follow related terms to understand how space planning connects with occupancy, how MEP connects with comfort and operations, and how procurement language connects with approvals, quality, and handover.