If you run a trade business, a fabrication shop, a mechanical workshop, or any hands-on operation, you know the problem: you need workspace AND you need office space. And putting them in the same building usually means one of them suffers.
A steel frame kit building solves this because there are no internal columns dictating your layout. The entire interior is clear-span — one open volume that you divide however your business needs.
One Structure, Custom Split
A portal frame steel building gives you an open box. No columns, no load-bearing walls, no structural constraints on your interior layout. You decide where the wall goes between workshop and office. 70/30 split? 50/50? 80/20? Whatever your operation needs.
The Workshop Side
- High clearance for vehicles and equipment
- Large roller doors or sliding doors
- Concrete slab rated for heavy loads
- Ventilation and extraction
- Power for machinery
The Office Side
- Insulated and lined walls and ceiling
- Climate control (heating and cooling)
- Electrical and data
- Bathroom and kitchenette
- Client entrance separate from workshop
The dividing wall can be insulated and fire-rated, giving you full noise and thermal separation. Your office stays clean, quiet, and climate-controlled while the workshop runs at full capacity on the other side.
Common Layouts
The 70/30 — Workshop-Heavy
Best for: Mechanics, fabricators, boat builders, heavy trades
Example: 300 m² total. 210 m² workshop + 90 m² office (reception, admin, meeting room, bathroom, kitchenette).
The 50/50 — Equal Split
Best for: Engineering firms, design-build operations, agricultural HQs
Example: 250 m² total. 125 m² workshop + 125 m² office (open plan, private offices, meeting room, kitchen, server room).
The 80/20 — Warehouse with Admin
Best for: Storage and distribution, logistics, large-scale trades
Example: 400 m² total. 320 m² warehouse/workshop + 80 m² office (dispatch, bathroom, kitchenette, meeting space).
Why Not Build Two Separate Buildings?
You could. But one building is:
- Cheaper — one slab, one frame, one roof, one set of footings
- Faster — one build, one council approval, one timeline
- More practical — walk from workshop to office without going outside
- Simpler — one set of services (power, water, data) to one building
The Freemantle: A Workshop-Office Combo Ready to Go
Our Freemantle model is already designed as a combined living and workspace:
- Total floor area: 358 m²
- Living area: 179 m²
- Garage/workshop: 177 m²
- Base kit from: $218,900
Reconfigure the living side as office space and you’ve got a 177 m² workshop with a 179 m² office — all in one building, fully engineered, ready for council.
Or we custom-design a building to your exact requirements — any size, any split, any layout.
Get Started
Tell us about your operation — what kind of workshop work, how much space, what office facilities you need, and your site address. We’ll design a single steel frame building that handles both.
Or call Brian direct: 0488 510 550