A fitted wall is a partition wall that, as well as separating two spaces, contains cupboards, shelves, open compartments or niches. It combines partitioning and furniture in a single element, and in offices it gains space and order without adding furniture in front of the walls.
What is a fitted wall?
A fitted wall integrates storage within the depth of the partition or in the modules that make it up. Depending on need, it can house:
- cupboards with doors, for documents and materials;
- shelves and bookcases, open or closed;
- compartments and niches for printers, equipment or everyday items;
- technical elements, such as sockets or cable routes.
The visible surfaces are pre-finished panels, coordinated with the rest of the office walls.
How does a fitted wall differ from a storage unit?
| Aspect | Storage unit | Fitted wall |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Stands in front of a wall | Is the wall itself |
| Floor space | Takes up extra space | Adds no bulk in front of the wall |
| Appearance | Separate element | Continuous with the other walls |
| Dividing spaces | Does not divide | Divides two spaces |
| Moving | Moved like furniture | Dismantled and reinstalled like a dry-built wall |
Where does a fitted wall make sense?
A fitted wall is most useful where storage and order are needed and floor space is limited:
- executive offices, where the wall facing the corridor or meeting room holds documents and materials;
- archives, where every metre of wall becomes capacity;
- meeting rooms, with compartments for equipment and working materials;
- reception areas, with integrated storage and display niches;
- corridors, where a fitted wall makes use of a space otherwise used only for passing through.
What should you check before choosing a fitted wall?
Before choosing a fitted wall, it is worth clarifying five points.
- What it must hold: type and weight of materials, frequency of use.
- Depth and access: from which side the compartments open and how much depth is needed.
- Doors and closures: hinged or sliding, with or without locks.
- Services: sockets, cables and lighting to integrate.
- Consistency with the other walls: finishes, heights and modules coordinated with the office's glazed and solid partitions.
Does a fitted wall block noise?
A fitted wall separates two spaces, but its acoustic behaviour depends on the make-up of the modules and the joints, as with any partition wall. If acoustic privacy is needed between the two spaces, it must be designed with the doors, ceiling and junctions in mind. The guide on how partition walls reduce noise in the office covers the subject.
Can a fitted wall be moved?
If it is part of a dry-built partition system, yes. It is dismantled and reinstalled in a new position without masonry work, with its components recovered, like other modular partitions. This is a real advantage over bespoke built-in storage, which is usually not reused.
What does ADAM offer for fitted walls?
ADAM S.r.l. has made office partition walls since 1990. In the range of the ADAM Office division, the DECUS system includes solid modules, wall linings and fitted walls made with pre-finished panels, designed for meeting rooms, archives and spaces that need privacy and storage. DECUS combines with CRONO double-glazed and HERA single-glazed partitions, which share the same construction language.
ADAM Office walls are dry-built, demountable and repositionable without masonry work, and are designed and manufactured at the plant in Bernate Ticino, near Milan. Workplace projects, including KFUPM Offices in Saudi Arabia and Private Offices Milan, are on the Projects page. To discuss a project, contact the ADAM team.