17 services · Sussex & Surrey
Residential
Extensions, conversions and whole-home projects for homeowners, with site visits across West Sussex, East Sussex and Surrey.
Extensions
Office to Residential Conversion Services
Empty Office Floors Turned Into Compliant, Saleable Flats. Nationwide.
Why Developers Trust Our Office to Residential Conversion Services
Office buildings were never designed for people to sleep in, so every floor plate needs testing for light, escape and sound. ArchEvolve is MCIAT-chartered, models the existing building in Revit and gives you a realistic unit count before you commit to a planning route.
- 15 years of experience
- 350 planning approvals secured
- 500 projects completed
- Revit 3D modelling as standard
- MCIAT-chartered accreditation
Our services
Office Conversions and Related Services
Turning buildings into offices, shops or showrooms sits with our commercial conversion services. This page covers the opposite direction, offices into homes. Houses split into apartments are covered by our flat conversion services. Before you buy, a feasibility study tests the unit count, and our building regulations drawings take the approved scheme to site.
20 services · Nationwide
Developers & Commercial
Planning and technical design for developers and commercial clients across England.
Developer services
Site & feasibility
15 services · Homeowners and developers
Planning & Drawings
From the first feasibility check to construction drawings, in the order a project needs them.
01Feasibility & survey
02Planning
03Technical & construction
Office to Residential Conversion: Prior Approval or Full Planning
Our office to residential conversion services help developers turn vacant or underused office space into flats that the council will approve and buyers or tenants will want. The first decision is the planning route: prior approval under the Class MA permitted development right in England, or a full planning application where that right does not apply or does not suit the scheme. We then plan units around the existing structure, cores and windows, and carry the design through to Building Regulations and construction drawings.
Common challenges
- Unclear whether Class MA prior approval or full planning applies
- Deep floor plates leaving inner rooms without natural light
- Flats squeezed below the nationally described space standard
- Office stairs and corridors not designed for residential escape
- Sound travelling through thin office floors and partitions
- Existing columns, windows and risers fighting the unit layout
How ArchEvolve solves them
- Planning route checked against current rules, Article 4 directions and site history
- Single and dual aspect units planned around the light each facade receives
- Every flat tested against space standards before the unit count is fixed
- Escape, compartmentation and alarms designed into the layout from the start
- Separating floors and walls specified to meet Part E sound requirements
- Layouts set out from a measured Revit model of the existing structure
How an ArchEvolve Project Works
Every office conversion follows a clear sequence, from testing the existing building to drawings your contractor can build from.
Building Review
We review existing drawings, planning history and any Article 4 directions, and confirm whether prior approval or full planning is the realistic route.
Measured Model
The existing floors, cores, columns and windows are modelled in Revit, so every flat is planned around what is really there.
Unit Capacity Test
We test unit mix and numbers floor by floor against space standards and natural light, giving you a defensible yield before design fees rise.
Scheme Design
Flat layouts, entrances, refuse and cycle storage and any facade changes are designed and shown to you in Enscape visuals.
Planning Submission
We prepare the prior approval or planning drawings and supporting information, submit through the Planning Portal and answer officer queries.
Technical Design
Fire strategy, sound separation, ventilation and thermal upgrades are developed into a Building Regulations package for your chosen inspector.
Construction Information
We coordinate with structural and services engineers and issue construction drawings your contractor can price and build from.
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Office Conversions Designed for Sites Across the UK
Why a 3D Model Matters When Converting Offices Into Flats
Most office conversions are drawn in 2D over old plans that rarely match the building. ArchEvolve models the existing structure in Revit and renders proposals in Enscape, so clashes with columns, risers and windows surface at design stage, not on site.
3D Visualisations Included
Every conversion is modelled in Revit and rendered in Enscape, so you can judge flat layouts, entrances and facade changes before money is committed.
Faster Route Decisions
We confirm early whether prior approval or full planning suits the building, which avoids paying for drawings aimed at the wrong application.
UK-Wide Remote Delivery
Office conversions are delivered for developers across the UK over Microsoft Teams, with site visits arranged where the building needs one.
End-to-End Service
Alex Page runs your conversion personally from the first building review to construction drawings. No handoffs and no junior staff on your scheme.
Office to Residential Conversions Across the UK
ArchEvolve designs office to residential conversions for property developers and investors anywhere in the UK, working remotely over Microsoft Teams with optional site visits.
What do your office to residential conversion services include?
The service covers a review of the building and planning position, a measured Revit model, a unit capacity test, scheme design with Enscape visuals, the prior approval or planning submission, a Building Regulations package and construction drawings coordinated with your engineers. You can appoint us for the whole process or for individual stages.
Can I convert an office to flats without full planning permission?
In England, the Class MA permitted development right allows many buildings in Class E use, including offices, to become homes through prior approval rather than full planning. The council still assesses matters such as transport, flooding, contamination, noise and natural light. Article 4 directions and other conditions can remove the right, so we check eligibility first.
Have the Class MA rules changed recently?
Yes. The eligibility conditions have been amended since the right was introduced, including changes to the floorspace and vacancy requirements, and councils continue to make Article 4 directions. A lot of online guidance is out of date, so we check the current legislation and the council’s position for every building.
Do converted flats have to meet space standards?
Yes. Homes created through permitted development in England must meet the nationally described space standard, and most local plans apply it to full planning applications too. Undersized flats are one of the most common reasons office schemes stall, so we test every unit before the count is fixed.
Does an office conversion need Building Regulations approval?
Yes. Changing offices to flats is a material change of use, so the conversion must meet the Building Regulations, including fire safety, sound insulation between flats, ventilation and energy. Our building regulations drawings service prepares this package for Building Control or an approved inspector.
What fire safety issues come up in office conversions?
Offices are designed for people who are awake and leave together, while flats need protected escape routes, fire separation between homes and suitable alarms. Taller buildings also face additional requirements under the Building Safety Act, so height and storey count are checked at the very first review.
How is this different from your commercial conversion services?
Our commercial conversion services turn existing buildings into offices, shops, showrooms and other business space. This service works in the opposite direction, taking office floors out of commercial use and designing them as homes, with the residential planning, space and safety rules that follow.
Have you converted an office building into flats before?
Yes. Our South Street project converted the disused first and second floors of an office block into nine flats, starting with a pre-application stage to obtain early council feedback, followed by a full planning application. See more developer work in our developments portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start Your Office to Residential Conversion Today
Free initial consultation for developers UK-wide. Send us the address and floor plans and we will advise on the right planning route.
