Office and retail premises fit-out in Annecy.

The economic capital of Haute-Savoie, Annecy has one of the most dynamic commercial and service sectors in the region: tech and digital companies, headquarters and offices, medical and paramedical practices, estate and insurance agencies, not to mention a busy retail scene ranging from the shops of the old town to the chain stores of the Seynod, Épagny and Cran-Gevrier business parks. For these businesses, the workplace is not just a backdrop: it is a performance tool and a brand showcase. A well-designed space improves staff comfort, productivity and the image clients perceive.

Whether you are taking on a shell floor to fit out, converting former premises or reorganising existing offices that no longer suit you, the challenge is the same: balancing functionality, regulations and budget. That is precisely the job of a general contractor like Atelier NovAlp: turning your needs into a clear brief, designing the layout, pricing it, then carrying out all the work across every trade.

Our commercial approach covers office fit-outs, fitting out retail premises and shops, shop renovation and bringing buildings open to the public up to standard. To see the full range of what we do, take a look at all our services.

An office fit-out starts with thinking about how work is organised. Open-plan areas to encourage collaboration, closed offices for roles that require confidentiality, meeting rooms, break areas and phone booths: we draw up a layout plan that balances density, circulation and well-being. Every square metre counts, and the right distribution of workstations translates directly into everyday comfort.

Partitioning is at the heart of the project. Solid plasterboard partitions, full-height glazed partitions to let the light in, demountable partitions for adaptable spaces: each solution meets a specific use. We always combine them with acoustic treatment — soundproofed partitions, absorbent ceilings and panels, resilient flooring — because noise remains the number one nuisance in open-plan offices.

Next come the suspended ceilings (removable tiles incorporating lighting, ventilation and smoke extraction), the electrics and networks (power sockets, low-voltage systems, RJ45 data cabling, patch cabinets, workstation power), LED lighting, painting and floor coverings. By coordinating these trades, we deliver a turnkey office floor, ready to welcome your staff on moving-in day.

For a shop, the fit-out is a marketing investment as much as a technical one. It all starts with the shop window and shopfront: the first contact with passers-by. We create or renovate shopfronts, signage, lighting and entrances — in compliance with Annecy's planning requirements, which are particularly strict in the old town and conservation areas and sometimes subject to review by the ABF heritage architect (Architecte des Bâtiments de France).

Inside, the shop fit-out guides the customer journey: layout of shelving and display units, reception area and checkout counter, fitting rooms, stockroom, bespoke furniture. Accent lighting, materials and colours create an atmosphere consistent with your identity. A good fit-out increases the time customers spend in store and the perceived value of your products.

From professional practices to waiting rooms, from restaurants to service agencies, we tailor the retail premises fit-out to each activity: welcoming, ERP-compliant public areas on one side, functional technical and back-office spaces on the other. Shop renovations and new fit-outs follow the same logic of a well-controlled worksite, at the heart of what we do for businesses and homeowners in Annecy.

As soon as your premises receive members of the public — clients, patients, users — they become an ERP (building open to the public) subject to strict regulations. Two aspects are essential: fire safety (fire-rated materials, smoke extraction, exits and escape routes, emergency lighting, alarm) and disabled access for people with reduced mobility.

Accessibility imposes precise rules: step-free entrance or access ramp, width of doors and circulation areas, accessible toilet, clear signage, reception desk at the regulatory height, no obstacles. The ERP classification of your establishment (category based on occupancy, type based on activity) determines the applicable obligations — and the level of inspection by the safety committee.

Atelier NovAlp builds compliance in from the design stage rather than dealing with it at the end of the works. We prepare the ERP works authorisation application, size the accessibility provisions and coordinate the regulatory checks, so that your opening goes without a hitch. This regulatory expertise is an integral part of our role as project manager.

Taking over existing premises is often the quickest and most cost-effective solution. But they still need adapting: a former shop, a warehouse or a home does not become functional offices without a major renovation. We survey the existing premises — structure, services, insulation, compliance — then propose a brief that makes the most of what can be kept and reworks what needs to be.

When the use of the premises changes — turning offices into a shop, a home into business premises, a warehouse into a showroom — it is called a change of use. This is governed by planning law: a prior declaration (déclaration préalable) or a building permit depending on the case, a check of the local plan (PLU), sometimes a parking or floor-area study. We handle all the permissions to secure your project before work begins.

Shop renovation, restructuring of a floor, refurbishment after a tenant leaves: we handle both the finishing trades (partitions, floors, ceilings, painting) and the technical packages (electrics, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning). To discuss your commercial fit-out project, the simplest way is to contact us to arrange a visit to your premises.

For a business, managing a host of tradespeople yourself — plasterer, electrician, plumber, painter, joiner — is time-consuming and risky. A general contractor changes everything: you have a single point of contact, one contract, one overall quote and one party responsible for the result. We design, coordinate and carry out the whole project, and we take responsibility for the worksite from start to finish.

This way of working guarantees controlled lead times: the trades work in parallel to a managed schedule, with no downtime between packages and no passing the buck. For a business, every week of delay has a cost: our commitment to a clear schedule secures your opening or moving-in date.

Finally, we are highly experienced in working in occupied premises. Refitting offices without stopping business, renovating a shop while keeping closure to a minimum: we work in phases, isolate the areas under works, schedule noisy work outside business hours and ensure the safety of your staff and visitors. Discover our work among our projects.