At some point in almost every growing business, this question comes up:
“Do we actually need more space… or are we just not using what we have very well?”
It’s a fair question.
And it’s one that rarely has a simple answer.
Because most businesses don’t outgrow their offices overnight.
They outgrow them gradually, in ways that are easy to miss.
Why this question feels so confusing
When leaders try to answer how much space they need, they’re often given advice like:
“Allow X square metres per person.”
“Just add more desks.”
“That’s what the landlord recommends.”
Those rules of thumb aren’t wrong… they’re just incomplete.
They don’t account for:
how your team actually works
how often people are in the office
where focus is breaking down
how collaboration really happens
what kind of business you’re becoming
So the question “How much space do we need?” starts to feel slippery.
Most space problems aren’t about size… they’re about fit
In my experience, many offices that feel “too small” are actually:
poorly zoned
badly laid out
over-allocated to the wrong activities
missing key support spaces
And occasionally, offices that feel “too big” are simply underutilised or misaligned.
Before assuming you need more square metres, it’s worth asking:
Are the right teams sitting near each other?
Do we have enough quiet spaces for focused work?
Are meeting rooms being used as intended?
Are support spaces (storage, print, amenities) stealing space from core work?
Very often, the answer isn’t more space… it’s better allocation.
A more helpful way to think about office space
Rather than starting with desk counts, I encourage business owners to think in terms of how space is used, not how it’s measured.
A simple way to do this is by grouping space into three broad categories:
1. Focus space
Desks, quiet rooms, individual work areas - anywhere people need sustained concentration.
2. Collaboration space
Meeting rooms, shared tables, project spaces, informal discussion areas.
3. Support space
Reception, storage, amenities, circulation, print areas, tech zones.
When one of these is under, or over, represented, friction creeps in.
For example:
Too little focus space → people work from home to concentrate
Too little collaboration space → meetings spill into quiet areas
Too little support space → clutter and bottlenecks take over
Planning for now… and what’s next
Another common trap is planning for today’s headcount only.
Growth is rarely linear, but it’s often predictable if you look ahead:
upcoming hires
role changes
shifts in how teams work
changes in client interaction
increased collaboration or specialisation
A workspace that only fits today can feel outdated very quickly.
Good space planning gives you room to adapt - without having to redo everything six months later!
You don’t need perfect numbers… you need the right questions
This is where many leaders feel pressure to “get it right.”
But the goal isn’t to calculate the perfect square metre figure.
The goal is to understand:
what activities your space needs to support
where pressure is building
which areas are under strain
and where flexibility matters most
Once you see that clearly, decisions about size, layout, or even relocation become much easier.
This is exactly what we unpack in the Masterclass
In the Creating Workspaces That Work masterclass, we’ll look at:
how to translate your Audit insights into space allocation
how to identify where you need more, and where you don’t
how to avoid overbuilding or under-providing
and how to plan a workspace that can flex as your business grows
If you’re asking “do we need more space, or just a better plan?” - join me for the Creating Workspaces That Work masterclass.
You don’t need to have the answer yet.
You just need a framework that helps you find it.