Count people and activities
Start with how many people will be present and what they do. Reception, meeting rooms, treatment rooms, storage and back-of-house areas all take space that is easy to under-estimate.
Observe how your team works now, rather than relying on old habits.
Include shared and support spaces such as staff rooms, storage, cleaning closets and equipment rooms. These are often forgotten until the plan is nearly done.
Think about circulation and rules
Corridors, exits and accessible routes take up area and are set by code. A tight space may fail to meet occupant load or exit requirements.
A designer can test layouts early to check that the plan is viable.
Design for the busiest day, not the average one, and confirm how the layout works when the space is full.
Plan for growth and change
Leave room to add people without moving walls. Locating services such as power and data in flexible zones helps.
Flexible layouts reduce future renovation costs.
Connect layout to construction cost
Every partition, plumbing fixture and special ceiling adds cost. Grouping wet rooms, keeping equipment near services and using regular room shapes lowers the bill.
Our estimators can price alternative layouts quickly. Since electrical, mechanical and interior systems are our own trades, the comparison reflects real costs of each option.
Ceiling height and the location of existing columns also affect layout. Work around them where possible instead of moving them.
Test before you commit
Mock up key rooms with tape on the floor. Walk through typical days. A small change at this stage costs nothing compared with moving a wall later.
Questions we hear
How much space per person is typical?
It varies widely by use and style of work, so base the figure on how your team actually works instead of a rule of thumb.
Can a contractor help with layout?
Yes. We give construction feedback on layouts and work with your designer to test options.