The blurring of built and bought

The blurring of built and bought
There’s one question that comes up on almost every office project. Do we build the meeting rooms, or do we buy them?

A few years ago, this was an easy call. Built meant quality. Furniture meant compromise. But that line is getting increasingly blurred and built and bought are now overlapping options.

Furniture pods are not just booths. Many now arrive as fully formed meeting rooms, with power, data, lighting, ventilation and credible acoustic performance. At the same time, occupiers are far more focused on cost certainty, lease length and exit risk.

Where built still wins
If acoustic performance really matters, built rooms are still hard to beat. They achieve higher decibel ratings, allow for greater ceiling heights and generally feel more substantial.

Built rooms also integrate better with the space. They look and sound like they belong, particularly in larger meeting rooms or client-facing areas. For longer leases and more permanent occupations, that still counts.

Where furniture has caught up fast
Furniture comes into its own at the smaller end of the scale. Two-person and quick meeting rooms are often more space-efficient as pods than as built rooms.

Cost certainty is another big driver. When it comes to furniture, what you specify is what you pay, which matters and helps businesses avoid surprises. Lead times are typically shorter too.

The commercial reality
Shorter leases, break options and dilapidations exposure all push occupiers towards solutions that can be moved, reused or sold on. Furniture has a clear advantage here.
Built rooms bring building regulations, landlord approvals and potential HVAC alterations into play. None of that is a problem, but it all adds time and risk.

So which is better?
Neither. And both. The real shift is that this is no longer a design debate. It’s a commercial one. Built rooms still make sense for the right occupier, in the right space, on the right lease. Furniture is no longer a fallback option. In many cases, it’s a smart one. That’s why the question keeps coming up and why the answer depends less on preference, and more on context.