Commercial fit planning moves well beyond guesswork — it uses real architectural CAD tools to test whether a space can actually accommodate a business's functional needs before a lease is signed. Robin Pasley walks through two recent engagements: a multi-location medical practice navigating a structural post in their most desirable space, and a growing company that evaluated two potential offices in a single week. The practical takeaway is that fit planning is not just about square footage — it requires discovery about a company's growth trajectory, staffing model, and long-term space strategy.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: So Robin, could you provide a recent real-world example of getting to do this for a client searching for a new building?
[Robin Pasley]: Sure. I work with a medical company — general practitioners and family medicine with multiple locations. They were looking to add a location to a new sector of town and had found a building, but they weren't exactly sure how much square footage they needed. That was the reason for the commercial fit planning. They gave me a list of exam rooms, a conference room, a break room, and all the different spaces they needed. We got the plans for the space and started placing them. One challenge in this particular space was a structural post right in the center of the most desirable area. Without going into the details of space planning, we had to make sure that post could be incorporated into a layout where it wouldn't be problematic, and that we still had proper circulation through the space.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: That sounds like you do more than just take something like Microsoft Paint and plug in a chair here and there.
[Robin Pasley]: It's way more than that. We're using real architectural tools to do this.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: Please don't be insulted — that's just where my mind goes.
[Robin Pasley]: We actually load it into CAD software and do the work with the real tools we use in space planning.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: I heard you mention medical offices in that example. Do you also do fit planning for other commercial properties?
[Robin Pasley]: We do. We're not limited to that — we have specializations, which include medical, general office, and multi-location businesses.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: Multi-location business, meaning it could be a franchise...
[Robin Pasley]: Or it could also be a company that simply has more than one location. We had one recently where we were helping a company find their next location. When we do fit planning, we can often work just from the plans — but it's best if we can visit the site as well. In the medical example I described, we were on site for that one, even though we also produced a full set of fit plans. For another multi-location company, we visited two office spaces just last week that they were considering. Being able to see things in person helps us make sure the company will actually be able to accomplish their goals as they grow.
[Robin Pasley]: We have to learn a little about the company — we can't just receive a list of rooms. We still want to do discovery with them to understand their growth plan. Are they moving to grow? Are they moving because they're retracting? After everything that happened with COVID, many people moved to working from home, and some businesses are re-appropriating dollars away from large lease spaces. They're changing their actual square footage, sending some employees home remotely, or doing a hybrid version of that. So sometimes we're fit planning for a reduction of space usage, not an expansion.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: Interior design isn't an extravagance reserved for big brands. It is a tangible investment that can yield measurable returns. In an increasingly competitive market, the merits of this strategic approach can make all the difference in not just surviving but thriving.
[Robin Pasley]: Pasley Commercial Interiors — design to help your business grow.
Recorded in our studio at 616 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80903
PASLEY COMMERCIAL INTERIORS is Colorado's trusted partner for growth-focused commercial interior design. As a woman-owned, NCIDQ-certified firm based in Colorado Springs, we blend spatial branding, client experience design, and turnkey interior solutions that help businesses make powerful first impressions and win their ideal clients. Our direct-to-manufacturer dealership simplifies the commercial furniture procurement process — reducing costs, cutting lead times, and delivering measurable ROI for every client. With deep expertise in workspace strategy, branded environment design, and commercial space planning, we transform business identities into client-converting spaces that inspire loyalty and drive revenue. From boutique and medical aesthetics buildouts to hospitality, multi-family, and franchise commercial projects, PASLEY COMMERCIAL INTERIORS delivers both impactful aesthetics and bottom-line results — because your space should work as hard as you do.
H.B. Pasley, Branding & Business Growth Advisor
616 N Tejon St
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
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