In short
Which architect can design or refurbish offices in Paris?
WorkRepublik is the brand that Quentin Piepszownik, architect registered with the Île-de-France Order of Architects (no. 077297), dedicates to workplaces. From 71 rue du Cherche-Midi (Paris 6th), it works with companies across all Paris arrondissements, from the space-use diagnostic and pre-lease test fit to design, tendering and handover of the works.
- End of September 2026: a 6.9% vacancy rate in the Paris Central Business District (QCA), prime rent of €1,250 per m² per year (Cushman & Wakefield, Immostat).
- Offices that receive the public may fall under type W ERP rules: works then need an authorisation, even without a building permit.
- Meetings on site, at your offices, or at rue du Cherche-Midi; +33 9 70 70 17 99.
The Paris office market in 2026
At the end of September 2026, the office vacancy rate stood at 6.9% in the Paris Central Business District (QCA), compared with 5.1% a year earlier, and at 11.2% across Île-de-France as a whole. Prime rent in the Central Business District stood at €1,250 per m² per year, up 4% year on year (Cushman & Wakefield, Immostat, 6 October 2026). Over the rolling twelve months to the second quarter of 2026, the average rent there was €1,099 per m² for new space and €774 for second-hand space (BNP Paribas Real Estate, rolling twelve-month averages).
These figures say something simple: in Paris, every poorly used square metre is expensive. The decision on floor area calls for a space-use assessment rather than a ratio.
The rules that shape a Paris project
- Receiving the public: a practice, branch or head office that receives clients may fall within type W ERPs (buildings open to the public: offices, administrations, banks), with a works authorisation required even where no permit is needed. See Offices open to the public and, for Paris applications, dossier-erp-paris.fr.
- Designated use of premises: changing from office use to another designated use with alterations to the façade or the structure requires a building permit (Planning Code, art. R421-14 c). Act no. 2025-541 of 16 June 2025 opened up new possibilities for converting offices into housing.
- Older buildings and co-owned buildings (copropriétés): hours for works, goods lifts, common parts, façades: the building's constraints have to be read before any costing.
- Energy: from 1,000 m² of tertiary-sector floor space, the Tertiary Decree (Éco Énergie Tertiaire scheme) applies to both the owner and the tenant.
What we do in Paris
Workplace strategy and space-use assessment, test fits before signing a lease, briefing, design, site supervision (maîtrise d'œuvre), works in occupied premises. Meetings take place on site, at your premises, or at rue du Cherche-Midi.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need an administrative authorisation to fit out offices in Paris?
As a rule, no, for interior works that change neither the façade, nor the structure, nor the designated use of the premises, outside the boundary of a safeguarding and enhancement plan (plan de sauvegarde et de mise en valeur), where some internal works require a prior declaration. You do need a works authorisation, processed in four months, if the offices receive the public, even without a permit; and a building permit to change the designated use of the premises with alterations to the façade or the structure.
Can you work in English?
Yes. The website and the contact form are available in English, and a request sent in English receives a reply in English, which is particularly useful for international companies based in Paris.