How much office space
does your team need?
Enter your headcount and work pattern to get an instant size recommendation — with real market benchmarks from thousands of office projects.
Market benchmarks by office type
Based on thousands of office projects completed through tendre
Open Plan / Hot Desk
Balanced Hybrid
Executive / Meeting-Heavy
Tech Startup (Dense)
Legal / Professional Services
Creative / Agency
How the calculation works
Peak occupancy
Your work pattern determines peak desk demand. A 3-day hybrid team with 50 people typically needs 30–35 workstations at peak.
Space allocation
Workstations are sized at 48–60 sq ft each. Meeting rooms, breakout, reception, kitchen and circulation add 35–55% on top.
Growth buffer
A 25% growth buffer ensures you're not back to market in 18 months. Your full tendre brief models 3 headcount scenarios side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How much office space do I need per person?
A typical hybrid office needs 100–130 sq ft per person when you account for all areas — desks, meeting rooms, breakout, kitchen and circulation. A dense open-plan environment can be as low as 60–80 sq ft. A meeting-heavy professional services office may need 140–200 sq ft per person.
Should I size for peak or average occupancy?
Size for peak with a 10–20% buffer, not average. If you size for average, you'll be over-capacity on busy days. Most hybrid teams have a clear peak day (typically Tuesday–Thursday) — that's the occupancy level your office needs to comfortably accommodate.
Does this include meeting rooms and breakout space?
Yes. The total sq ft figure includes an allocation for meeting rooms, breakout areas, kitchen, reception and circulation. The exact proportion depends on your office type selection — a meeting-heavy office allocates more to enclosed rooms, an open-plan office allocates more to collaboration zones.
What's the difference between NIA and GIA?
Net Internal Area (NIA) is the usable space inside your demise — excluding structural walls, lifts and plant rooms. Gross Internal Area (GIA) includes everything. When searching for office space, landlords typically quote NIA. This calculator outputs NIA. Add 5–15% for GIA depending on the building's efficiency ratio.
Get a full space brief — free on tendre
The full Space Calculator models collaboration needs, privacy requirements, growth scenarios and outputs a brief you can share with fit-out companies directly on tendre.
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