These factors are crucial for the office space required per employee: the type of work the company does, the minimum size per employee and future growth.
The question of the right amount of office space per employee in Switzerland is becoming increasingly important. Companies are faced with the challenge of making optimal use of their premises without compromising the comfort, health and performance of their teams. In times of increasingly flexible working models, technical advances and rising demands on concentration and creativity, designing modern working environments requires a clear understanding of standards, guidelines and individual needs. Not only the square footage plays a role, but also the orientation towards flexible usage models, ergonomic equipment and acoustic and visual conditions.
Workplace guidelines do exist, but they usually only provide a rough guide. Every industry has its own requirements and every company has different work structures. Nevertheless, it is worth knowing certain minimum standards. This is because an appropriately sized office not only contributes to the well-being of employees, but also directly influences their performance, creativity and efficiency. What's more, the office environment impacts a company's image, as potential customers and job applicants draw conclusions about professionalism and corporate culture based on the premises.
An overview of the relevant factors, standards and recommendations helps to ensure a well-founded approach to the planning phase. In the following, central aspects around the topic of required office space per employee will be examined. It also includes tips on how to implement the minimum sizes for smaller offices for 2 to 4 people in a meaningful way. It also explains how companies can calculate the right size of office they need to create a healthy, productive and pleasant working environment.
The working environment directly influences the motivation and health of employees. Sufficient space allows for ergonomic furnishings, proper air circulation, adequate lighting and sufficient distance between workstations. People who feel cramped in the office are less able to concentrate and tire more quickly. At the same time, too much unused space can lead to unnecessary costs. Optimal office planning aims to provide enough space for each employee without losing sight of efficiency in the use of space.
In Switzerland, modern office concepts have become more prevalent in recent years. Flexible working models, desk sharing and co-working spaces are challenging established norms. Nevertheless, a basic need remains: every employee needs a clearly defined area in which to carry out their tasks in a concentrated and undisturbed manner. Particularly in the context of open-plan solutions, the space required per person can become a critical factor in avoiding conflicts, noise problems or a feeling of overcrowding.
Spatial conditions thus play a central role in today's working world. It's about finding balance. A good room layout supports the workflow, promotes exchange and creativity, but also preserves opportunities for retreat.
In Switzerland, there are no legal regulations that precisely define how many square metres per employee are required. Architects, companies and planners often base their decisions on the recommendations of organisations such as SUVA or various industry associations. These provide guidelines for the space per employee that can be used as a reference for new construction or redesign projects.
Typically, the recommended floor space per person in an individual office is between ten and fifteen square metres. These values are often somewhat lower for open-plan offices, since the space is shared. However, the general conditions must be taken into account here: in a classic office for two people, communication channels, furniture arrangement, storage space, ventilation and lighting must be considered in order to determine an appropriate minimum office size. Similar considerations apply to offices for three or four people. The more people sharing a room, the more important sound absorption, room zoning and clear structures become.
The legal basis includes, above all, aspects of occupational safety. The guidelines for workplace design aim to avoid health risks and psychological stress. Although an exact square metreage is not prescribed, corresponding recommendations and standards provide orientation. Companies that are unsure can access advice from specialist offices to avoid making mistakes when planning their office.
In open-plan offices, the question arises as to how much space each person should reasonably have. In practice, the minimum size can often be estimated at around 12 to 20 square metres, depending on whether the work involves concentrated individual work or consulting-intensive activities. The minimum size for an office for three people can be roughly estimated at between 18 and 27 square metres, and for four people it should be between 24 and 36 square metres. These ranges are not fixed. As a rule, the more intensive the communication between employees, the more space is needed to create a pleasant working environment.
In a two-person office, a room size of around 20 square metres usually offers enough space to accommodate two desks, chairs, storage options and, if necessary, a small meeting area. For a three-person office, the space should be dimensioned so that short internal conversations are possible in addition to the workplaces, without anyone feeling cramped. In a four-person office, there must be enough space for freedom of movement, storage, printers and storage space. Well-thought-out furniture, clever room acoustics and targeted zoning are crucial here.
Another factor is the industry. In creative professions, you often need a little more space to spread out materials, samples or models. In IT departments or administrative roles, tighter spaces may suffice, provided that a calm, focused atmosphere is created. This shows that it's not just about numbers, but about whether the space supports the desired way of working.
The office space is not only based on the number of people, but also on their job profiles. Those who work with a high level of concentration need opportunities to retreat. Teams that communicate a lot benefit from communal areas and flexible setups. Modern working concepts follow the principle of variability. There are areas for quiet individual work, zones for short meetings, creative rooms for workshops and open areas for spontaneous conversations. Each of these zones requires a certain amount of space. If you want to calculate the optimal office size, you should therefore clarify from the outset which activities will take place in the room.
Another important factor is the furniture. Large, heavy desks take up more space than modern, space-saving office furniture. Equipping the space with shelves, storage and technology also determines how much space is actually needed. Sometimes it is worth not only looking at the space required per person, but also at future developments. Is the team growing? Will more flexible workstations be needed? Are co-working models planned? Anticipating possible changes at an early stage helps to create space reserves and avoid costly conversions.
To calculate the size of your office, it's best to proceed systematically. First, you need to determine how many workstations, meeting rooms, quiet zones and communication zones you'll need. Then you can calculate a rough area value for each functional area. After that, you add together the areas of corridors, technical rooms, photocopying areas and storage areas. You can use benchmarks based on experience, recommendations from specialist departments or information from the literature.
For example, initial calculations can be made based on an assumed guideline value of ten to fifteen square metres per person. If additional meeting rooms or break rooms are needed, these areas are added. Then you check whether the preliminary calculations match the existing building concept or whether adjustments are necessary. This process is dynamic. Plans should always be tailored to the specific needs of the employees and the desired work culture.
Another important tool is to determine space requirements based on the intensity of use. Not every workplace is permanently occupied. In desk-sharing concepts, several people share a workplace at different times. This may allow a reduction in the total area without individual employees feeling cramped. However, spaces for privacy, lockers and storage options must still be provided to ensure a functional environment.
Not only the number of people, but also the nature of their activities influences the space required. Those who carry out complex analyses need more peace and quiet. Teams involved in agile project work need flexible corners for exchanging ideas. The office space per employee in Switzerland is thus directly related to a company's organisational model. The more decentralised work, home office or mobile forms of work are used, the lower the space requirement in the office often is. But be careful: a room in which everyone is rarely present at the same time should not be too small if the place is full on certain days.
The equipment with technology also plays a role. Those who use many monitors, special devices or exhibits need more space. Ergonomic standards such as adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs and generous distances between computer screen workstations also require a certain minimum amount of space. These requirements cannot simply be ignored if a sustainable and health-oriented working environment is to be created.
Office planning is changing. New working models, generational change, technical innovations and increasing demands for flexibility are having a lasting impact on space planning. Structures are shifting in many companies: away from rigid individual workstations and towards dynamic spaces that can be rearranged as needed. Mobile room dividers, flexible furniture systems and modular concepts are gaining in importance. The calculated office space per employee is thus not only a static parameter, but also a variable value that changes over time.
Sustainability also plays a role. Resource-saving materials, energy-efficient lighting, optimised air-conditioning concepts and the integration of natural elements such as plants and daylight influence the planning. A modern office is not just a place to work, but a space that fosters a sense of identity and well-being. These aspects are incorporated into the planning and also indirectly influence the space requirements.
In addition, planners are responding to the trend towards hybrid forms of work. Those who work from home for several days may not need a fixed place at the office location. Instead, areas are created for short meetings, project work or socialising. The conventional formula for calculating floor space is no longer sufficient. A dynamic approach that is linked to actual usage needs is becoming more important than rigid figures.
Choosing the right office space is not just a question of key figures. It also conveys the corporate culture and shapes the identity of a company. Spacious areas symbolise openness and a willingness to communicate, while smaller, self-contained units support a concentrated and quiet way of working. Interior design is therefore part of a strategic process. A company that promotes innovation and collaboration will rely on fluid transitions between work zones to facilitate the exchange between teams. A traditional company that emphasises formal structures will tend to rely on closed offices to emphasise hierarchies and privacy.
The office space per employee thus becomes a reflection of the corporate vision. A well-thought-out spatial concept conveys appreciation of the employees. Those who feel comfortable in the office work with more motivation, stay with the company longer and identify more strongly with its goals. Carefully considered spatial planning is thus much more than just a business cost calculation. It is part of the corporate culture and has a positive effect on the entire working environment.
Finding the optimal floor space is not a rigid mathematical calculation. Rather, it is a process influenced by numerous factors. While minimum sizes provide a starting point, companies should always keep the type of activity, working models, corporate culture and future development in mind when planning.
Anyone wanting to calculate the optimal office size would be well advised to take into account existing standards, ergonomic requirements and organisational specifics. The space required per person is determined by the interaction of the activity profile, technical equipment, furnishings and room climate. Well thought-out concepts go beyond pure numbers. They rely on flexibility, promote health and well-being, and at the same time strengthen the identity of the company.
In Switzerland, companies have many options for finding individual solutions. Although standards, recommendations and empirical values provide a basis, it is ultimately the careful coordination of all factors that determines whether a spatial concept is successful. Those who rise to this challenge and see office design as a strategic tool create a working environment in which everyone involved can flourish in the long term.
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