How Much Office Space Do I Need?
How Much Office Space Do I Need?
When you’re starting a business or moving offices, one of the first things you need to do is calculate how much office space you’ll need.
There are many factors to consider such as;
- Is your business growing or shrinking? Will you need to downsize or upsize your office space in the near future?
- How many private offices, conference rooms and desk space does your office need?
- What type of office space environment do you want to create for your employees and customers?
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through all the steps involved in calculating how much office space you will need and give you some tips on how to make the most of the office space you have.
If you would like to skip straight to calculating your office space requirements, visit our office space calculator here. Keep in mind that this is just a guide if you would like a detailed complimentary assessment you can contact a TACTIC representative here.
Number Of Employees
The first step in calculating how much office space you need is to determine how many employees you have and how many you will have in the future.
If your business is growing rapidly, you may want to consider leasing additional space so that you have room to expand. On the other hand, if your business is slowing down or you’re downsizing, you may want to consider subleasing some of your current space.
Generally, we use the average of 6sqm per employee for an average space and 7.2sqm per employee for a spacious space.
Keep in mind that these figures really depend on the type of your business and do not include support spaces such as conference rooms, break rooms, storage rooms, etc.
The Type Of Business You Have
As mentioned above, the type of business you have will impact how much space you need. For example, businesses that require customer interaction or face-to-face meetings will need more space than businesses that are purely digital with open plan offices.
Private Offices
Standard private office space generally adds 10sqm to the overall office space requirement. This is because private office spaces typically need to accommodate additional furniture and file storage. In addition, private office spaces typically require more lighting and power outlets than open office spaces.
Conference rooms
Conference rooms vary in size, but you can find a good rule of thumb below;
- 16sqm – Small meeting rooms (up to 6 people)
- 24sqm – Medium meeting rooms (8 to 6 people)
- 35sqm – Large boardroom (12-16 people)
- 60sqm – Conference room (up to 25 people)
Reception
When deciding on reception, you have to think about what mood/atmosphere you want to create for your customers and the future growth of your customers.
A small reception area is generally 18sqm but can vary significantly on how factors below;
Many customers you will have visiting the office? Do you need a waiting room?
If you are constantly having customers visit the office space you might want to have something a bit more spacious to avoid congestion. Generally, a small waiting room for 4 visitors adds 20sqm, and 25sqm for 8 visitors depending on your office layout.
What experience do you want to create for your customers when they visit your office space?
Spacious office space will give them a premium and calm feeling whereas a smaller reception might have the opposite effect. Think about what impression you want to give your customers before they walk into the office.
Amenities
When looking for your new office space you should think about what amenities will keep your employees productive and motivated to work.
Do you require a kitchen?
A lot of businesses nowadays are offering a kitchen in the office space for their employees. A guide for a kitchen is to increase your office space by 1.2sqm per employee. Alternatively, you can use the guide below.
- 15sqm – Small kitchen for up to 6 people
- 20sqm – Medium kitchen for up to 10 people
- 30sqm – Large kitchen for up to 15 people
Do you want an outdoor area or a balcony?
An outdoor area is a great way to create extra quiet space and give employees a place to relax during their lunch break. A guide on how much space an outdoor area can be is below;
15sqm – Small terrace/outdoor area for up to 6 people
30sqm – Medium terrace/outdoor area for up to 15 people
60sqm – Large terrace/outdoor area for 30 people
Quiet spaces & break-out rooms
Quiet spaces and break-out rooms are important for employees to have a place to relax, take a break from work, or collaborate with the team away from their desk space. A good rule of thumb for quiet spaces & break-out rooms is to have one break-out room per 15 employees.
Tips & Guide
Office Space Calculator
We have developed a calculator to help you with your office space planning. Based on your requirements the calculator will give you the average office space you will need plus show properties that suit your office space needs.
https://tactic.au/office-space-calculator
Locate Your Office In A Building With A Co-working Space
If you are uncertain about how fast your business will grow it might be beneficial to find an office building with a co-working space. This way you have somewhere to put your new employees or department in the same building while you find a new office or negotiate a larger floor plate in the same building.
Before you find your future office space, does your current building offer co-working spaces or split-level offices you can expand to in the meantime? If you are downsizing can you sublease your current office space?
If you are interested in a building with co-working opportunities, Mobo Co offers flexible office space from 250 – 12,000sqm and co-working here.
Average Space Per Business Type
11sqm per employee
- Accounting firm
- financial institution
- Call centre
- Software development company
- Consulting firm
- Design and web development agency
- Human resources
- Utility company
- Government Agency
- Non-profit organisation
- Educational institution
12sqm per employee
- Marketing firm
- Data processing centre
- Medical laboratory
- Transportation Company
14-17sqm per employee
- Law firm
- Architectural firm
- engineering company
- manufacturing company
- construction company
- research and development
20sqm per employee
- Corporate Headquarters
Need help?
If you need help with finding office space, planning your office design, or fitting out your office our team at TACTIC can help. Contact us for a complimentary consultation here.
Disclaimer
Please note that this is for general informational purposes and is to be used as a guide only. The spatial requirement is dependent on your specific business needs and is subject to change following a thorough analysis. See full disclaimer here.
