How Much Office Space Does My Business Need?

The way UK businesses are using office space has changed significantly in just a few years. Where full-time office working was once the norm, workspaces are now right-sizing as employers adopt remote and hybrid working practices to meet the demands of their workers.

Most businesses still need office space, but changing attitudes have seen more scrutiny being applied when considering area requirements and more consideration around the value of  flexible workplaces that can adapt to the needs of modern businesses.

With this in mind, calculating how much office space you need has become a moving target. In this guide, we’ll run through the factors you should consider when deciding how much office space you need, from the legal requirements to the office space norms in different industries. And, if you need a little help, our office space experts are just a phone call away.

Calculating your workspace requirements

Working out how much office space you need was once as simple as deciding on the square footage per employee and multiplying that by your number of staff. These days, it’s not quite so simple. If you’re relocating offices, you should consider how many of your employees will be in the office at any one time — including those passing through for meetings — the type of work they will be undertaking in the office, and what amenities you wish to provide.

Here are a few things to think about to help you decide how much office space you need per employee as well as for your business as a whole.

Office space needed per person

The size of your workspace depends on all sorts of factors — from the amount of equipment and amenities you need to the right floor plan for your business and your growth projections and budget. Whether you are able to pack people in economy-style or give them a first-class experience can also depend on the industry you operate in.

High density offices

Offices with 50-100 sq ft per employee tend to be open plan, with lots of rows of small desks. They also typically have a few private offices for management and team meetings. This amount of office space per person is more common in industries such as sales and customer support roles, as well as coworking environments.

Average density offices

Office space with 100-200 sq ft per employee typically features an open plan layout but with more desk space, communal areas for collaborative working, meeting rooms, cubicles and private offices. Creative agencies, software developers and tech firms are more likely to inhabit this kind of space.

Spacious offices

Workspaces with lots of free room are typically seen in law firms and financial services companies. They can offer 200-500 sq ft per employee and may include large private offices. 

Office space for facilities and equipment

It’s not just the office space per person that you need to think about. You also need to factor in space requirements for essential office amenities, from kitchen areas to meeting rooms. Here’s a rough guide to the square footage you should allow:

• Small kitchen area - 100 sq ft
• Small meeting room (two to four people) - 100 sq ft
• Large meeting room (four to eight people) - 150 sq ft
• Board room (15-20 people) - 200 sq ft
• Small server room (up to five racks) - 40 sq ft
• Large server room (up to 30 racks) - 120 sq ft
• Manager’s office - 100 sq ft
• Senior manager’s office with a small table - 200 sq ft

One of the benefits that serviced offices have over conventionally leased offices is that the communal facilities such as meeting rooms, kitchens and breakout spaces are often provided outside your office suite on a communal basis. So, when working out how much office space you need per employee in a serviced office, you only have to think about how many desks you need.

While this guide will give you a clearer idea of how much office space you need, we strongly recommend that you get in touch with the Knight Frank team, who can directly assist with your specific needs, helping you find the best way to accommodate them.

Plans for future growth and expansion

If you’re signing an office space agreement for 12 months or more, you should be thinking seriously about your growth projections and how many new staff members you plan to hire. It stands to reason that you’ll need a lot more space for 15 employees than you would for ten, so what works well for your business now might not work so well later down the line.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s worth factoring in some extra square footage to accommodate new hires — how much depends on the length of your agreement and your business plan.

The usability of the space

Another thing to consider is just how usable the space is. Awkwardly shaped offices with corners, nooks and low ceilings may reduce the number of desks you can comfortably fit. There may also be areas in the office that have very little natural light, are next to doors that are constantly in use or are in the firing line of air conditioning units — all of which can make work life uncomfortable for your team, which may negatively affect performance. With employee satisfaction and motivation at such a risk, it’s important to bear these factors in mind.

Do some industries need more space than others?

Office Space in London: Space for Companies of All Sizes

The great thing about the vibrant office space market in London is just how many different locations, sizes and types of workspaces there are to choose from. Even if your budget is modest, our experts know exactly where to look to find the perfect office space size to suit your business. 

We have advised on office moves for startups looking for their first office space, right through to businesses requiring over 100,000 sq ft of office space for their new HQs. Here are a few insights from our team to help with your search. 

Offices for start-up businesses (1-10 employees)

If you’re in the early days of running your business, choosing the right office can be daunting. However, some excellent office space providers cater to this market in London, such as Fora, Landmark, IWG and Runway East, and they offer small serviced offices that are well suited to the needs of new and growing businesses.  

If you have between one and 10 employees, you’ll need a small serviced office with around 100 to 1,000 sq ft of space. Serviced offices include everything you need in the price, such as the furniture, broadband, utilities and access to communal breakout and kitchen spaces. They are also available on flexible deals, so you can go elsewhere or switch to a bigger (or smaller) office in the same building when your needs change. Below are examples of office space that would be perfect for small businesses.

Offices for scale-up businesses (10-100 employees)

If you run a scaling  business with between 10 and 100 employees, you should look for an office that can accommodate this growth. Most of the flexible office space providers will be able to cater to your needs. However, at this size, you will also benefit from looking at offices with their own private meeting space incorporated into the space.   

Although they’re less flexible, with typical contracts lasting one to three years, you could also consider a managed office. Managed offices give you the freedom to customise the space and choose design and practical elements that suit your business’s specific needs and brand. They lack the flexibility of serviced offices as you can’t chop and change whenever you need to. However, if you don’t expect to grow rapidly over the next 18 months or so, they could be a good fit. Crown Estate and Situu offer some excellent self-contained managed office spaces of this size in the West End.

Offices for established businesses (100+ employees) 

If you’re looking for office space for a larger more established business, we recommend looking at managed offices but also considering conventional leased options.

You will most likely be seeking a workspace that has its own private meeting rooms. Providers offering large office spaces in London include Fora (enterprise), GPE (managed) and Situu (managed). Storey and Myo also have some excellent options. As discussed there are also a number of leased options offered by landlords on a traditional, leased basis that provide opportunities for you to create an environment that is entirely bespoke for your requirements. 

If you want to better understand the difference between serviced, managed and leased options you can speak to the team by clicking here (launch contact us form) 

We’re here to help you find your perfect office space

Interested in a bespoke consultation? Get in touch with the Knight Frank team, who will be able to directly assist with your specific needs, and help find the best way to accommodate them.