• The efficiency of an office building design is measured by the ratio of
rentable space to total space.
• The average efficiency is about 70 per cent; the maximum possible is
about 85 per cent.
• The nonrentable space consists of the elevators, stairs, and toilets
and their associated lobbies, corridors, pipe and duct shafts, and
janitor's closets. These facilities are usually planned in a compact unit
called the service core.
• Since the floor space within 25 to 30 ft from the exterior wall brings
premium rentals, office buildings (site or zoning consideration aside)
tend to assume a slablike shape, 60 to 70 ft wide by 150 ft or more
long, with the service core in the center
• For greater flexibility in the rental space, the service core may be
moved completely outside the office space.
LOBBY
Proper design of the reception
area is
critical in communicating an
organization's
desired corporate image.
Reception spaces are both the
first and last areas with which the
visitor interacts and, accordingly,
have considerable visual impact
in communicating that image.
Not only must the reception
space look
attractive, but it must function
properly as well.
A typical receptionist’s desk
ELEVATO
R
For preliminary assumptions, the number of elevators
required may be estimated on the basis of one elevator
per 25,000 sq ft of rentable area.
Elevator lobbies should be 6 to 9 ft wide if elevators are
on one side only; and 10 to 12 ft if elevators are on
both sides.
CAFETERIA/FOOD
COURT
Several critical dimensions that the
designer must consider:
• Aisle circulation must be adequate in
width
• other clearances to consider include
chair depth from the edge of table and
clearance between chairs.
some of the basic clearances required for a
typical counter
Restaurants and cafeterias with
fixed seating should include
some movable searing for
guests in wheelchairs and/or
guests who have difficulty
getting onto the bench seats
BANQUET
DAYCARE
Space per Child: A common Classrooms: Standard
guideline is to provide at least 35 to classroom sizes can range from
50 square feet (3.25 to 4.65 150 to 300 square feet (13.94
square meters) of indoor space to 27.87 square meters).
and 75 to 100 square feet (6.97 to Nap Areas: Typically, each crib or mat
9.29 square meters) of outdoor should have a minimum of 18 to 24
play space per child. square feet (1.67 to 2.23 square meters)
of space around it to ensure safety and
comfort
Other amenities in a typical
daycare:
• Bathrooms
• Indoor Play Area
• Outdoor Play Area
• Adult Spaces
CONFERENCE ROOM
Rectangular and boat-shaped
conference
tables lend themselves toward
formal settings where status and
hierarchy are important.
Both table shapes are also more
suitable
in a room where an audiovisual
wall is
placed at one end of the space,
or where
speakers are making
presentations.
The boat-shaped table also offers
greater visibility of others seated
at the table, as well as ease of
circulation around its perimeter
Round conference tables offer the
advantages
of intimacy, "equality," and
compactness.
On the other hand, if status is an
issue,
or if one wall within the space is an
audiovisual
wall, this table shape can be less
than satisfactory. The same problems
can
arise with a square conference table.
In both
instances, however, the total seating
around
each table shape must be viewed in
the
context of chair size, chair spacing,
and tasks
to be performed at the table.
OFFICES
General office space
refers to an open area
occupied by a number of
employees, supervisors,
furnishings, equipment, and
a circulation area.
Large open areas permit
• flexibility and effective
utilization,
• aid office
communications, A typical workstation
• provide better light and Open-Area Work Stations: The
ventilation, space allocated to these workstations
• reduce space is based on the furniture and
requirements, equipment necessary to perform the
• Make possible better work assigned as well as on the
flow of work, circulation area.
• simplify supervision,
• eliminate partition The space assigned to any specific
costs. workstation
may be increased due to special
Floating or free-standing workstations tend
to utilize more floor area than workstations
placed against a wall or sharing the same
wall panel.
Clustering of workstations will ultimately
result in the use of less floor area but at
the expense of major ergonomic
considerations.
Decisions relative to both acoustical
privacy and personal space are often
sacrificed in the name of economy.
Typical open office plan
PRIVATE OFFICES
The design of the private office
requires a knowledge of the
basic dimensional
requirements
and clearances of the
executive workstation and,
where applicable, of visitor
seating
accommodations.
It is desirable that private
offices be a minimum of 100
sq ft and a maximum of 300
sq ft each in size, depending
upon the requirements of the
occupant.
