CanopyFreight People
The Right First Impression Changes Everything
Older commercial buildings often come with strong bones, but dated entries and limited accessibility. These poor first impressions can often make attracting tenants a challenge. For the private landlord behind the Freight People building, the opportunity lay in transforming this first impression from outdated to premium, unlocking the long-term leasing potential of the industrial space.
Rather than waiting for a future redevelopment, the decision was made to invest strategically in the lobby, the first key step in improving the building’s market appeal.
Turning a Cramped Space Into Something More
The existing lobby was cramped and overbearing, offering little sense of arrival and no compliant access to the first floor. This limited the type of tenants the building could attract and restricted the areas the client could lease.
Our team was tasked with reworking the entry to feel brighter and more generous, introducing lift access to improve accessibility, and creating a lobby that felt aligned with contemporary tenant expectations - all while working within a compact footprint and a fixed building envelope.
Recommended Reading: Elevate Your Entrance: 8+ Stunning Lobby Design Upgrades
Reimagining the Entry Experience
The transformation focused on opening up the space both physically and visually. By extending the façade to the property boundary, the lobby footprint was increased, allowing the entry to breathe and feel far more welcoming from the street.
This extension was carefully integrated with the existing façade, maintaining a cohesive street presence while modernising the building’s identity. Inside, the new layout establishes a clear and intuitive arrival sequence, guiding visitors naturally from entry through to vertical circulation (either via stairs or elevator).
The refreshed lobby is defined by light, openness and simplicity. Finishes were selected to enhance brightness and clarity, ensuring the space feels calm, professional and welcoming despite its compact size.
Recommended Reading: 7+ Building Upgrades That Will Boost Property Value
Accessibility as a Value Driver
A key component of the upgrade was the introduction of a compliant lift providing access to the first floor, along with a new stairwell seamlessly incorporated into the lobby design.
This upgrade fundamentally changed the leasing profile of the building. By improving accessibility, the landlord was able to broaden the range of potential tenants, remove physical barriers, and bring the property up to a standard expected in today’s commercial market.
