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Optimising Office Space: Understanding Recommended Area per Person

Effective office space planning is essential to ensure that your workspace aligns with both current operations and future growth. According to the Building Code of Australia, the recommended office space per person is 10 square meters. However, many organisations opt for 12–14 square meters to enhance comfort and productivity. For businesses requiring additional privacy, such as legal or consulting firms, the office area per person may increase to 14–18 square meters. These figures exclude communal areas like kitchens and corridors, emphasising the need for comprehensive planning. By assessing your specific needs and anticipating future changes, you can determine how much office space you need to design a workspace that is both efficient and adaptable.

Office space size is a primary consideration when you’re relocating, renewing a commercial lease or having employees return to the workplace. The right office area not only helps your employees stay productive and efficient but can support the growth of your business in the future.

If you’re not sure how much office space you really need, here’s what we typically factor in when we’re developing a customised workplace strategy for our clients.

Your organisational strategy

What type of organisation are you? Your physical and hybrid work environment reflects your brand, intentionally or unintentionally.

The first step to calculating the space you really need is determining how your employees or customers will use the environment. What type of tasks do your employees perform and how often do they spend time at their desks each day? How much storage space do they need – physical or digital?

Is your culture fostered aroundworking collaboratively with each other where defined spaces encourage interaction, inspiration & innovation? How much storage space is required - physical or digital? You also need to consider how many meetings take place in your company, how large the meetings are and potential technologies to maximise collaborative efficiency.

Read more: How technology trends are impacting workplace design

Your business objectives

Before you get bogged down in details, it’s important to consider your overall business objectives and the purpose of your workplace relocation or redesign.

Are you hoping to improve staff productivity? Reduce building management costs? Enhance collaboration between teams? Focus the office experience towards a healthier, supportive and sustainable environment? Use your office more efficiently?

Understanding what you’re looking to achieve will help you determine how much floorspace you’ll need to achieve it.

Your spatial requirements

The Building Code of Australia requires a minimum of 10m² per person for office workers, but many companies prefer to estimate their spatial requirements at a comfortable 12 to 14m². Organisations that require more enclosed office spaces for client or acoustic privacy, such as law, psychology or accounting firms, may need to calculate their requirements at 14 to 18m² per employee.

These figures are based on approximate net lettable area's and don’t include common building core zones such as kitchens, bathrooms, shared corridors, or lift lobby areas. They’re just estimations, so it’s best to talk to a workplace designer to get an accurate estimate before renting or buying new office space.

Read more: Top tips for budgeting an office move

Your future needs

As well as thinking about your current needs, it’s essential to consider the future needs of your business.

The only constant we can count on is change. Many commercial leases run for three years or more – which is an age in today’s fast paced world.

You’ll need to ensure capacity for additional employees if you’re thinking of expansion or operational consolidation. You should also consider how much office space you’ll need if you downsize, automate workflows, divest or outsource business functions, merge with another company or undergo a restructure where teams will grow or change in size.

The amount of space you need for technology is also likely to change in the future, particularly if you’re planning to move your IT infrastructure into the cloud or relocate your data centre operations offsite. By considering how your business will look in three, five or even 10 years’ time, you’re in a better position to choose a workplace flexible enough to grow and change as your business does. How can you create a workplace flexible enough to accommodate the future?

Office Space Standards and Guidelines in Australia

When planning a new office layout, lease, or workplace redesign, it’s essential to understand the current office space standards and guidelines in Australia. These standards ensure your workspace is both compliant and practical for the needs of your team. These Australian standards office space requirements help businesses design workplaces that meet compliance, comfort, and efficiency expectations.

According to the Building Code of Australia, the minimum office space per person is 10 square metres. However, this baseline doesn’t always suit modern work environments. Many companies choose to allocate 12 to 14 square metres per employee to create a more comfortable and productive environment.

Understanding Australian Standards for Office Layouts

The Australian standard office space per person can vary depending on the nature of your business and the roles of your employees. For example, legal and consulting firms often require additional room to ensure confidentiality and acoustic privacy. In these industries, the legal office space per person may range from 14 to 18 square metres. These estimates are focused on usable space and do not include communal areas such as hallways, kitchens, or bathrooms.

When calculating your office needs, consider more than just desk space. Think about how your team collaborates, how often they’re in the office, and how your layout supports storage, technology, and flexibility. The space required per person in an office should reflect your working style and future planning goals.

How Much Office Space Per Person Do You Really Need?

Many businesses ask, “How much office space per person is needed?” or “What is the ideal office space per employee?” The answer depends on your business model, number of staff, and how often they work on-site. The typical office space per employee in Australia is between 12 and 14 square metres, though this can increase for organisations with complex workflows or specialised equipment.

The minimum office size for 1 person, as legally required, remains at 10 square metres. However, companies aiming for staff wellbeing and operational efficiency usually choose more. These considerations apply equally to large teams and small businesses working in compact office spaces.

Matching Office Space with Storage and Density

It’s also important to consider office layout efficiency. Office density or how many people are placed within a given floor area has a direct impact on comfort and performance. A balanced layout with the right mix of office space and storage ensures your team isn’t cramped, while also avoiding unnecessary overhead costs.

As your team grows or your work culture shifts (for example, from fully in-person to hybrid), your office workspace must also evolve. Effective office space planning standards include storage zones, collaborative spaces, quiet areas, and flexibility for future adjustments. The goal is to support productivity while remaining adaptable.

Estimating Costs and Value Per Employee

Business leaders also consider the average cost of office space per employee when budgeting for new premises. Calculating this cost is not just about rent per square metre it also involves planning for functionality, technology, and long-term use.

When planning for the office space required per person, a careful balance between cost and practicality helps avoid both underutilisation and overcrowding. With expert advice, you can achieve a layout that reflects your brand, supports your staff, and scales with your growth.

Final Thoughts: Define the Best Office Space for Your Needs

Whether you're managing a redesign, an expansion, or a downsizing plan, understanding your office space requirements is the key to making informed decisions. At Axiom Workplaces, we use these office space standards per person to guide our clients in creating functional, future-ready workplaces that are aligned with both regulatory needs and commercial goals.

From calculating office size per person to exploring options for workstation office space standards, we help you define what success looks like for your business environment. Reach out to our team to discover how we can help you plan your next move with confidence.

Conclusion

Choosing the right amount of office space isn’t just about following rules, it's about creating a workspace that fits your team’s daily needs and long-term goals. From understanding minimum office size requirements to planning for future growth, getting the balance right helps your business run smoothly and keeps your employees comfortable and productive.

By using Australian guidelines and practical planning strategies, you can make confident decisions about how much space you really need. Whether you're moving into a new office, renewing a lease, or rethinking your layout, it's important to think ahead and design a workspace that works for everyone.

Why Choose Axiom Workplaces?

At Axiom Workplaces, we take the guesswork out of office planning. Our team understands the importance of creating work environments that are functional, flexible, and aligned with your business goals.

We don’t just follow space standards, we look at your whole workplace strategy, including your culture, team structure, technology, and long-term vision. Whether you need help with workplace design, office relocation, or calculating the right square metres per person, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Let’s create a workplace that supports your people and grows with your business.

Need help planning your office space layout?

Get in touch with Axiom Workplaces to design a workplace that fits your people, purpose, and future growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Need expert advice in developing a workplace strategy and design to make the right decision on the size of your next office move?

Read about how workplace design influences to enhance wellness and wellbeing in the workplace below or contact us and discover how we can help.

 

Many people underestimate the time it takes for an moving an office and end up stressed, over budget and behind schedule. The key to avoiding this?

Effective planning.

We recommend you start reviewing your options around 12 to 18 months before your existing office lease expires, regardless of whether you are renewing, renegotiating or relocating.

If you’ve decided to relocate your office, here’s a general timeline of activity to help you stay on time and on budget.

Develop a workplace strategy: 2-4 weeks

Before starting your search for a property, it’s best to undertake a workplace strategy. This will help you define the goals of the business and understand what kind of space will support your business now and in the future. Your workplace strategy will include a needs analysis, an accommodation analysis and a location feasibility study. This process generally takes around two to four weeks, and is well worth it.

Search for a property & lease space: 6-9 months

Finding the right space can take time, but it’s an important decision that will affect the long-term success of your business, so it’s important to be patient. Your workplace strategy will help you narrow down options for your new space.

The next steps are to:

• Inspect potential properties
• Submit offers for short-listed properties and start negotiations
• Choose your preferred property and finalise negotiations
• Conduct spatial test fits and a building evaluation
• Provide final approval and sign the lease

Design your space: 8-10 weeks

Once you’ve leased your property, it’s time to start planning what is required in the new premises. You should start with an in-depth briefing and a needs analysis with a design consultancy firm.

Get fees from a number of design consultancy firms, preferably ones with the capacity to build, as this will make for a smoother refurbishment process. Once you’ve chosen your preferred design, develop contract schedules and seek any statutory approvals required.

Delivery: 10-12 weeks

Don’t underestimate the time it will take to have all furniture and fittings delivered and installed. Renovation works like reflooring and painting should be factored into your timeline.

The big move: 2-4 weeks

Planning ahead will help you minimise downtime and ensure your team can set up their workspaces and get settled in with a minimum of fuss. You’ll need to work closely with your delivery team to ensure they move items at a suitable time and place them in the correct position.

Account for extra contractors you may need to set up and test your IT networks and phone systems so your staff can get on with their work in the new office fast. This is especially critical if you are taking existing equipment from old office to new; if it’s nearing end of life (or end of lease) consider replacing it.

Need more? Check out our ultimate guide to planning your office move

Common mistakes to avoid when moving offices

When it comes to office relocations, even the smallest mistakes can make a big impact. A collaborative effort is required from key people in your organisation, as well as external stakeholders.

Here are some of the most common mistakes we see in office moves:

• Lack of planning or preparation, or leaving  it too late, resulting in hasty decisions, increased costs and fewer options when it comes to service providers
• Not having a budget, or having unrealistic expectations about costs
• Lacking the right advice and expertise in place, leading to poor communication and expensive mistakes

Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your relocation or workplace strategy needs.

In today’s competitive market, innovation in the workplace is something we all need.

It leads to new ideas, new approaches and new ways of working, which can drive business growth and put your company on the path to long-term success. It’s become essential for doing business. However, companies often make the mistake of focusing on products and services when looking for opportunities to be innovative, forgetting that the most valuable source of creativity in any business is the people that work there.

“If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple.” Richard Branson

The benefits of a positive workplace culture

Workplace culture is essentially the personality of your company. It involves the physical workspace, company values and staff mindset, as well as the expectations and goals of people across the organisation. A company has a positive workplace culture if its employees feel like their needs are met and they’re aligned with the mission, vision and values of the organisation.

The result? A highly-motivated workforce and better outcomes. A study from the University of Warwick found that happy employees are up to 20% more productive. Staff satisfaction also has a significant impact on innovation in the workplace, with positive moods associated with creativity and goal attainment. A positive culture can also predict strong financial performance, with research by Deloitte showing that companies with a sense of purpose beyond profits were more likely to find long-term success.

 

How to boost innovation in the company

One of the best ways to foster a positive workplace culture and boost innovation in the workplace is to develop a workplace strategy. We start by defining the needs and values of your company and its employees, looking at every aspect of your new office to determine how it will support those needs and values.

We also ensure your physical environment is aligned to your work processes, so you can maintain peak performance at every stage of the project.

Here are some tips to consider when refurbishing or relocating your office, so you can foster a positive workplace culture and nurture the creativity of your team:

A good office layout is essential for a positive workplace culture. Open meeting areas, collaborative hubs, quiet rooms and wellness rooms encourage staff to build relationships and work together as a team.

Designing the desk layout so certain people are seated together can improve relationships between employees and teams, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making across the organisation.

A creative office interior design can inspire employees to think outside the box and enjoy the time they spend in the office. Whether it’s textured paint colours, natural light or inspiring artworks, there are plenty of ways to brighten your workplace.

The technology you use can support the work of your employees, so they spend less time being frustrated at slow or duplicate systems and more time being creative and achieving their goals.

Spacious breakout areas and modern kitchens encourage staff to collaborate and supports their health and wellbeing. The old days of squeezing staff into a pokey kitchenette to cook their lunch are long gone. Many companies now provide healthy snacks or meal offerings to keep brains fuelled.

While considering your workplace strategy read our Progressive Leaders Guide To The Future of Work to ensure that you shape a thriving workplace,