Numbers and pairs and spaces oh my

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Author Message Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 749 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2023 - 03:03 pm:    Has anyone located a reliable, generally held standard for what constitutes "white box" tenant space? Phil Kabza FCSI CCS AIA SpecGuy Specifications Consultants www.SpecGuy.com phil@specguy.com Rosa Cheney Senior Member Username: rdcaia Post Number: 29 Registered: 07-2018 Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2023 - 03:17 pm:    I haven't come across that exact term before, but based on what experience I do have with other base-building levels of tenant fit-out for office and retail (warm shell; cold, dark shell, etc, and the various levels of drywall finishing required by base building or tenant work letters), I think "white box" would mean the base building has installed HVAC, lighting, ceiling, some sort of finished floor, and then demising partitions and exterior walls all have gypsum board finished and painted (...um, white). The space would be move-in ready at a very basic finish level. Edit: To add, I have never come across any specific standards as to terms and their level of finish. BOMA does not cover that for office tenants, and for retail, there is ALWAYS a formal work letter or letter of intent that outlines the relative scope of work between tenant and base building. RH (Hank) Sweers II RA CCS Senior Member Username: rhsweers2 Post Number: 32 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2023 - 06:02 pm:    Phil: It isn't "officially" a "standard" (by anybody), but years ago, I put together some "definitions" for Architectural service agreements for a buddy of mine who did a LOT of shopping center projects, to minimize misunderstandings later: 11.5 TYPICAL TENANT LEASE “FINISH TYPES”: 11.5.1 COLD DARK SHELL: enclosed space usually with “undefined” lease-areas (without demising partitions) and without interior finishes or ceilings, HVAC or electrical system, and typically with: - exterior walls: insulated but without interior finish - insulated storefront with entry door - rear or 2nd exitway if space is over 1,500 SF area. - Unfinished concrete floor – with slab blockout in rear for plumbing - Sewer: main sanitary waste stub-in at rear for future connection by Tenant - Water: 1” stub-in at rear for future connection by tenant - Gas: Main service manifold & meter for future connection by tenant - Electrical: empty conduit from main building panel for installation of distribution panel and conductor by tenant 11.5.2 WARM-DARK-SHELL: as above, but ADD the following: - HVAC unit: Rooftop mounted HVAC unit sized for one (1) ton capacity per 350 SF (+/- per code) without ductwork distribution (with additional capacity at tenant’s expense) - Electrical: 100 Amp – 208/120V 3-phase tenant distribution panel provided with conduit sized to accommodate 200 Amps. Conduit & conductor provided only to installed HVAC unit (with no lights or power receptacles) - Gas: Connection to installed HVAC only 11.5.3 WARM WHITE-BOX: enclosed tenant-spaces with demising partitions but no toilet/plumbing facilities, PLUS the following added to Warm-Dark Shell above: - Demising partitions: un-insulated partitions taped and sanded – ready for painting by tenant - Ceilings: 2 x 4 ft (typical) ceiling grid with acoustical panels - Lighting: 2 x 4 fluorescent light-fixtures at 80 to 100 SF spacing – connected to tenant distribution panel - Electrical Distribution: 1 duplex receptacle at 20 ft spacing at demising partition and rear wall, and at 12 ft spacing above storefront glazing (per code minimum) 11.5.4 WARM WHITE-FINISH (or VANILLA BOX): Semi-finished tenant lease-spaces including all above, PLUS accessible toilet & plumbing facilities as follows: - Accessible Toilets (Per ADA & code): Single uni-sex restroom with a single water-closet and lavatory in tenant-spaces up to 1,500 SF, OR two restrooms (men & women) when exceeding 1,500 SF (per code), with associated exhaust fan(s), and water heater. - Code-required plumbing facilities: Dual, accessible drinking fountain and service-sink in each tenant-space (may not be required in spaces less than 1,500 SF – to be verified) - Partition walls around toilet(s) with an optional janitor’s closet and single front/rear partition across lease space - Doors: Primed hollow-metal frame & paint-grade wood doors typically to toilet room(s), janitor’s closet and at front/rear partition (if provided) for paint finishes by tenant - Toilet accessories: Grab-bars, mirror, toilet-tissue- paper-towel- and soap- dispensers and ADA signage - HVAC distribution: supply and return ductwork in ceiling above installed throughout finished space 11.5.4 TENANT-FINISH (TF) CONSTRUCTION typically includes construction of interior rooms or spaces with drywall partitions and doors, frames and casework fixtures. It usually includes floor and wall finish treatments (tile, carpeting wall-coverings or paint) and acoustical or painted drywall ceilings with lights. HVAC and electrical power distribution is provided to serve the finished rooms or spaces with the installed equipment as appropriate. Tenant-Finish Construction does not usually include procurement or installation of furniture or Food-Service Equipment. The intent was to get this out early, so if anybody disagreed, they might say something sooner than later . . . hey, we can dream, right?