4 Proven Steps to Determine Office Space Needs

(Last Updated On: August 20, 2019)

Determining your office space needs is a key consideration when relocating your business or renewing a commercial lease.  When calculating how much space you require, there are several important factors to consider which can have an impact on your business.  Too much space may affect your operating expenses.  Too little space can limit productivity and efficiency, demoralise staff and restrict your ability to grow as a business into the future.  Follow these 4 steps to get a basic understanding of your office space needs.

Office Space Needs

  1. Your Objectives

The first step is to consider your overall business objectives and the purpose of your workplace relocation or redesign.

  • Are you aiming to improve staff productivity or efficiency?
  • Do you want to enhance collaboration and teamwork between different departments?
  • Do you wish to reduce running costs?

Understanding what you’re looking to achieve will help you determine the office space you will require to achieve it.

2. Your Workplace Strategy

The second step is to determine how your employees will use the space.

  • Does the number of staff fluctuate distinctively over the year?
  • What types of tasks do staff perform and how often do they spend at their desks each day?
  • Do you want to employ new working models such as agile working? Your organisation may want to consider opportunities to give staff more flexible arrangements.
  • Will there be desk sharing or does everyone need a workstation? Will staff be housed in open plan workstations, cubicles or private offices?
  • How much storage do staff require?
  • How many meetings take place in your company? How large are the meetings and what type of technology or equipment is required to maximise their efficiency?

Adentro Design uses this information to develop your Workplace Strategy. A Workplace Strategy will allow you to align your work processes with your physical environment, so your company operates as close to peak performance as possible.  It will allow your design team to create a space that supports business growth, adapts to market trends and meets the needs of current and future employees.

3. Your Future Needs

As well as calculating your office space needs for now, it’s important to consider the future requirements of your business.  Many commercial leases last between 2 to 5 years, so you need to ensure there is room for additional employees if you’re thinking about expanding during that time.  You may also need to consider downsizing, a merge or restructure where teams may grow or change in size.  By considering how your business will look in 5 years’ time, you can choose an office space that is flexible enough to grow and change as your business does.

4. Your Space Template

The Building Code of Australia requires a minimum of 10m2 per person for office workers, but many companies prefer to estimate their space requirements at around 12 – 15m2 per person (inclusive of kitchenettes, breakout spaces and conference rooms). Companies that require more enclosed office spaces may choose to calculate their office space needs at 15-25m2 per person.

For a more precise calculation, we define the types and quantities of areas required in your office. Different floor plates and restrictions such as structural columns will affect circulation space but a generally accepted percentage for circulation space is 30% of the net lettable area.  We look at all of this information in more detail to enable us to develop a more accurate measure of the space you require.

Adentro Design can help you put a Workplace Strategy in place that will inform your office space needs.  This can include an accommodation analysis, as well as test fits and space planning for your new or existing office space.  Give us a call.