Why Space Planning is so important...

Getting the basics right…

There are many things to consider when designing an office layout… Whether you’re wanting to know how many people will fit comfortably (and legally) within any given space, ensuring that you have the right distances between desks so everyone can work and sit comfortably, or making certain your walkways, aisles and circulation spaces meet the law when it comes to the latest UK fire regulations, there’s probably far more to space planning than you first realise.

Safety first…

Workplace design should always prioritise safety first and foremost, so entrances and exits should always be clearly marked with illuminated signage, and aisles that lead to entrances and exits should always be at least 1000mm wide for any offices that have occupancy levels of eight people or less – This will allow two people to pass each other comfortably. This aisle width should be increased to 1200mm if up to 25 people work in the office, and this should increase again to 1,500mm for offices that have more than 25 people.

Meeting regulations…

Desks and chairs are also subject to regulatory standards. We work to an optimum space of 1000mm for someone to sit comfortably at their desk, but if desks are opposite each other with two people occupying this space, then the minimum distance between the front edge of each desk should be no less than 1800mm.  It’s also important to consider the layout of furniture and how it will accommodate any future growth plans you may have. For example, will you need any additional desk space? What about meeting and break-out space? Have you thought about hot-desking?

Storage cupboards and filing cabinets should positioned where they can be fully useable, so that when doors and drawers are fully open with a person using the storage item, this should not encroach upon any aisle space used for entering or exiting a workspace, and all mains and data cables should be placed away from heavy foot-traffic to avoid potential trip hazards.

Light and ventilation…

Two major factors to consider when arranging office furniture are temperature and airflow. Temperature can have a huge impact on the comfort and productivity of your employees, and so it’s important to consider the size of a workspace, the number of people who work in the office, and the amount of ventilation and natural light that’s present. By placing furniture away from walls, this will help to improve airflow and allow windows to be opened easily whenever required. It will also ensure that natural light is able to spread evenly and without any restrictions throughout the office space.

Better Meetings…

Meeting spaces should be arranged in a way that encourages collaboration, engagement and free-flowing conversation. A round table might be useful for hosting smaller groups whereas either a U-shaped or theatre-style set-up might work best for larger gatherings. You might also consider having video-conferencing facilities for meetings where some team members are physically ‘in-the-room’ and others are working remotely, either at home, or at another location, off-site.

What about workflow?…

Think about task pathways and make sure they’re short and efficient? For example, if someone is constantly walking ‘in-and-out’ of the office, or maybe they’re always using the office printer, ensure they’re placed in an optimal location and have clear access paths for whatever they need to do regularly. People who need to interact and communicate regularly throughout the day should be placed together, and likewise teams that need to interact should also be placed together… So, your sales team and your marketing team might benefit from being placed alongside each other, whilst teams such as HR, Health and Safety and Payroll teams are also likely to be grouped together, because they perform similar roles and may also need to interact. Whilst open-plan layouts help to increase social interaction and promote better communication, they can also be a distraction for those who need to focus and concentrate, or for those with more neuro-diverse needs, so consider how ‘quiet spaces’ that might be positioned well-away from the busy workplace might be beneficial, especially when they’re considered at an early stage and built-into a workspace design from the outset.

Working together…

Maybe one of the most important aspects of space planning is that ideally, it should always be a collaborative process that’s done together with the client. It needn’t be difficult, indeed it can be a fun and creative time, where your ‘day-to-day processes’ can be looked at, carefully considered, and sometimes, completely reworked in a new and transformative way, but there are simply no shortcuts… If you want your new workspace to be a success, it all starts with the planning stage, which should always be done properly.