Doing the math for your office layout can be almost as challenging as taking a calculus class after years of being out of school. There are many factors that you will have to deal with such as figuring out what the average amount of office space per employee should be, how many conference rooms there should be, what should the average conference room size be, and so on.
It’s important to make the right calls when it comes to all these things, as you will probably have the space you currently have for at least a couple of years, if not many more. Making sure that everything is calculated and optimized is a crucial step in figuring out measurements, especially in terms of conference rooms.
Why office and conference room sizes are important
In a typical office space, the office and conference room sizes are calculated based on the capacity of the company’s staff. In a hybrid workplace, things are a little bit different. The sizes of the overall offices are typically smaller in relation to the amount of staff at the organization, mostly because more people will be working from home or working in a hybrid setting, allowing for more flexibility and vacancy in offices and conference rooms.
Because of this advantage, it is important to optimize the space you have for your company in order to make the most of it and use it to its full potential. Knowing things such as the average office square footage or the standard office size for one person are important in being able to create a fully functional and optimized office space.
Questions to ask yourself before
Determining your office space starts with asking yourself a few questions. Once you’ve determined the needs of your space, your conference rooms, and your employees, you will be able to find out how many square feet per employee you will need.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when trying to determine the average office space per employee:
- What kind of evolvement does your company anticipate in terms of budget and staff size?
- How many employees will be in the office full-time, part-time, or completely remote?
- What will the average size of meetings be?
- What kind of office space are you striving towards? Open concept workspace? More private offices?
- How flexible is your lease on the space and how much will they allow you to expand?
Taking some time and trying to understand these concerns will help you better develop your idea of the space you are trying to create for your company. Make sure that you do not rush this process, and that you take advice from other people such as your staff, professionals, and any other resources that you can find.
Standard Conference room sizes
When it comes to finding out the ideal conference room size, the best you can do is determine your space and team needs and try to mould that idea on a standard conference room size.
Usually, there are 3 different sizes for conference rooms that you can consider.
- Small conference room: Depending on the size of your space and staff, the small conference room may be the right choice for you. It usually is 10×10 square feet and seats from 4 to 6 people. This room could be whatever you would like it to be including the typical conference room, phone area, casual meeting area, or even a brainstorming room. You have endless possibilities and with a little bit of creativity, your 10×10 room could be an incredible addition to the office space.
- Medium conference room: If you’d prefer to have a larger room because for instance, your company is in need of bigger spaces to accommodate more regular meetings, you could go for a medium conference room which is about 10×25 square feet and seats around 8-10 people. This type of room can once again be transformed into anything you would, however, rooms around this size are often dedicated to being conference rooms.
- Large conference room: This is the largest standard conference room and is about 15×25 square feet. It tends to seat around 16-20 people and can function as anything you would like that is more big scale. For example, you could simply use it for large meetings as a conference room, you could use it as a theatre, training room, classroom, and so much more.
How many conference rooms per employee?
As a general rule, you should have one conference room every 15-20 people. That being said, if your workforce is hybrid, you should apply that calculation based on the average amount of employees working from the office, rather than the total amount of employees.
Example: if you have 300 employees working out of your office, but they are on a hybrid schedule where on average they are in only 3 days a week, then you can assume that your average occupancy is 180 people, and apply the calculation based on that (which would result in 9 to 12 meeting rooms)
Also, keep in mind that these are just guidelines, some companies need more meeting areas than others due to the nature of their work. The best way to approach your conference room is to try to base the size on the needs of your company, and to mix some of these sizes into the perfect blend for your team to be able to work productively and comfortably.
Some examples of sizes by room capacity
- 5 people meeting room: 100-150 sq ft (9-14 sq m)
- 8 people meeting room: 150–200 sq ft (14-19 sq m)
- 10 people meeting room: 200-250 sq ft (19-23 s m)
- 12 people meeting room: 250-300 sq ft (23-28 sq m)
- 20 people meeting room: 350-400 sq ft (33-37 sq m)
- 30 people meeting room: 500-600 sq ft (46-56 sq m)
How to set up your conference room
Conference rooms are a pillar of hybrid workplaces. They are one of the most important aspects of a workplace setup. Making sure that your employees have well-equipped rooms where they can have meetings and feel comfortable is crucial to productivity, which is why you should invest your time in learning how to set up the perfect conference room. There are a few key design aspects that you should consider when deciding how you will set up your conference rooms.
The 5 most common conference room setups:
- Traditional: The traditional setup is really good for when people want to use their laptops and spread out notes and other paper and use it more as a workstation. This could be good for meetings where people need to take notes. Screens are also an important part of this room, as some people will be remote and will have to join via video call.
- U-shape: In this design, everyone can see each other including video conferences, whiteboards, and the presenter themselves. This is good for collaborative presentations.
- Banquet: Consists of roundtables which are convenient when meetings are strategical and require a few people brainstorming in different sessions.
- Classroom: This is a good setup for seminar-like meetings where people are required to take notes and listen to a speaker.
- Hollow square: These setups are great for in-person meetings as it gives the speaker or moderator the ability to also present from the middle of the square. This, however, is not ideal for hybrid meetings or remote meetings.
Designing Conference Rooms for Safety and Accessibility
When planning a conference room, creating a safe and accessible environment is paramount. Key considerations include:
- Accessibility: Ensure all entryways are free from obstructions and that the space is inclusive for people with disabilities, incorporating features like ramps, elevators, wide doorways, and adaptable furniture.
- Fire Safety: Comply with fire safety standards by maintaining clear escape routes and adhering to building codes.
- Electrical Safety: Proper installation of electrical outlets and avoidance of overloading prevents risks such as electrical fires. Organizing cords and cables minimizes tripping hazards.
Final thoughts
Finding the perfect size for your conference room can be challenging but is crucial to building an effective, optimized workspace. Making sure that the conference room requirements are set up properly, and maintaining a proper size is an important aspect of what will make your employees more comfortable and productive at work. On top of the physical setup, it’s important to make sure meeting spaces are managed well and that reservations and cancellations are easy for your team. Here you can find a list of the best meeting room booking systems, which of course includes Archie 🙂
