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 Fremantle: A Workshop-Office Combo Ready to Go
Our Fremantle model is already designed as a combined living and workspace:
- Total floor area: 497 m²
- Living area: 358 m² (179 m² per floor, two storeys)
- 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.
