How can FM teams handle constant change without constant construction, asks Justin Lovely, Process Manager, AKON Curtains Limited.
Facilities management is defined by change. A workplace layout that suited the business last year needs reworking this year. A contractor needs a section of the building sealed off for a fortnight. An area has to be decanted while it is refurbished, then brought back into use. Seasonal demand expands storage one quarter and frees it up the next. For the FM team, each of these is a request to reshape the building, usually at short notice and without the budget or programme for construction work.
This is where flexible partitioning earns its place in the FM toolkit. Rather than treating every change as a construction project, FM teams can use industrial curtain systems to create, move, and remove physical separation at the pace that operational change actually demands.
Containment during contractor works
When contractors are working in an occupied building, separating the work area from live operations is both a practical and a safety necessity. Industrial vinyl curtain walls create a floor-to-ceiling barrier that contains dust and debris, screens the work from view, and keeps occupants and contractors apart, without the time and cost of erecting temporary stud walls. When the work is complete, the barrier comes down and the space returns to use immediately.
Decant and refurbishment space
Phased refurbishment relies on being able to decant activity from one area to another and keep the business running. Curtain partitioning lets FM teams stand up temporary functional zones quickly, then reconfigure them as the works move through the building. Because the systems are track-mounted and repositionable, the same materials can be redeployed across successive phases rather than being built and demolished each time.
Everyday operational segregation
Beyond project work, FM teams face a steady stream of smaller segregation needs: cordoning an area for a deep clean, separating a temporary storage zone, screening a noisy or messy process from adjacent workspace, or dividing a large hall for a short-term change of use. Warehouse separation curtains and strip curtains handle these routine reconfigurations with none of the permanence of fixed partitions.
The considerations that still apply
Flexibility does not remove the need to specify properly. Any partitioning introduced into a building must be coordinated with the fire strategy: it must not obstruct escape routes or fire detection, and where sprinklers are present it must not impede coverage, in line with BS EN 12845 and the duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Fabric should be certified to BS 5867 Part 2 Type B, with BS EN 13501-1 Euroclass classification where a reaction-to-fire rating is required for the application. Where temperature separation is part of the requirement, insulated systems should be specified by U-value in W/m²K. Involving whoever owns the fire risk assessment before installation is always the right step.
Handled this way, reconfigurable partitioning gives FM teams something genuinely useful: a way to say yes to constant change without a construction project every time.
AKON Curtains Limited supplies industrial PVC partitioning systems, including curtain walls, strip curtains, and insulated divider systems, across the UK, Ireland, and broader European markets. Drawing on operational experience from its US parent group's installation base and 15 years of industrial PVC specifier expertise, AKON Curtains Limited works with FM teams to create flexible, compliant working environments. For specification guidance, visit akoncurtains.co.uk.
