Workspace Density Calculator
Floor area per desk and per person for an office — against the benchmarks that separate dense from generous — and how many people the space could hold at a target density with a desk-sharing ratio.
Area per desk is the net floor area divided by desks.
How the workspace density calculator works
Area per desk is the net floor area divided by desks. Ten square meters per desk is dense, twelve to fourteen typical, and sixteen or more generous. Per person is different from per desk once desks are shared: a 1.2 people-per-desk ratio houses 20% more people in the same space.
The number decides the lease. Halving the area per person halves the rent, which is why every workplace strategy starts here.
Formula: per desk = NLA / desks; people = desks × sharing ratio
Worked examples
| Inputs | Area per desk (m²) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1,440 m² with 120 desks | 12 | 12 m² — typical |
| Desk sharing | 12 | 40% more people |
| A dense fit-out | 8.47 | under 9 m² per desk |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How much space per desk?
Ten to fourteen square meters of net area is the common range, including the share of meeting rooms and circulation. Under nine feels crowded; over sixteen is generous.
What is a sharing ratio?
People per desk. With hybrid work, 1.2 to 1.6 is common — more people than desks, on the basis that not everyone is in on the same day.
Why does density matter?
Rent. Every square meter per person is a permanent annual cost, and density is the main lever on the size of the lease.
Is denser always cheaper?
Cheaper per person, until it costs you people. Noize, meeting-room shortages and no place to focus are what dense offices lose on.
Does this include meeting rooms?
Yes — net lettable area is the whole tenancy. That is why per-desk figures are higher than the desk footprint itself.
Where these figures come from
- Sabine (1922) — Collected Papers on Acoustics — the reverberation-time equation
- CIBSE Guide A — Environmental design — daylight, comfort and ventilation criteria
- Neufert — Architects' Data — the standard reference for space and dimension
- International Code Council — International Building Code — occupant load and egress factors
- International Code Council — publisher of the model codes most US jurisdictions adopt
Last checked: September 2026. Formulas are the standard building-science and code relationships; default thresholds are common international values and should be replaced with the ones in your code.