Commercial Fitout

Retail, Manufacturing, and Mixed-Use Fitout

At Design Yard 32, we work across a range of commercial fitout types - from retail and manufacturing environments through to projects where more than one type of use needs to fit into a single building or tenancy.

For our most common fitout types, we have dedicated pages with detailed information on each area. This page covers our work in retail, shopfront, and manufacturing fitout, and projects that combine more than one type of use.

Retail Fitout Design

Retail fitout design centres on creating a space that brings a brand to life - from the shopfront and entry through to the sales floor, product display, fitting rooms, and point of sale.

A well-designed retail space guides customers through the store, keeps them engaged with products, and communicates the brand through the choice of materials, lighting, and joinery. We design retail spaces that work well for customers and are easy for staff to operate and restock.

We design independent boutiques, professional service offices with a retail front, and speciality retail spaces that need a purpose-designed approach rather than a standard shopfit.

Shopfront Design

The shopfront is the first thing a customer sees - and often the reason they walk in or walk past. We design shopfronts and facades as part of the overall experience, ensuring the exterior matches the interior brand and meets local council requirements.

Where council approval is required for shopfront modifications, signage, or fascia changes, we prepare the relevant submissions and assist the client through the process. We coordinate signage design with experienced signage consultants as part of the project, so the result is consistent from the street through to the inside of the store.

Manufacturing Fitout Design

Manufacturing and light industrial fitout design requires a specific approach to workflow, zoning, finishes, and environmental controls - with documentation that reflects how the facility actually operates, not a generic commercial standard.

We design manufacturing environments with particular attention to process flow, how staff and materials move through the space, the separation of clean and production zones, services infrastructure, and the regulatory requirements that apply to the product being made.

For pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities - including cleanrooms, sterile preparation areas, and compounding laboratories - we have specific experience in the environmental controls, surface specifications, and compliance documentation required under TGA and relevant Australian standards. This work sits alongside our compounding pharmacy design work.

Multi-Sector and Mixed-Use Projects

Not all projects fit neatly into one fitout type. A medical centre that includes allied health and a retail pharmacy, a professional building that mixes clinical and office areas, or a facility combining laboratory and administrative use - all of these need the different parts of the design to work together as one.

For projects where more than one use needs to be resolved in a single floor plan - with shared reception, amenities, entry, and services - we manage the design as a whole. The infrastructure, approvals, and documentation all reflect the full scope of the project, not just one part of it.

Approvals and Permits

Commercial fitouts in Victoria and across Australia typically require a building permit or fitout certification under the National Construction Code. The right approval pathway depends on the type and scale of the works - whether structural changes or modifications to electrical, mechanical, or plumbing services are involved.

We identify the right approval pathway at the start of each project and assist with the process - including building permit documentation, planning permit applications, and council approvals for signage and shopfront modifications.