# Office Building Design

## Space Planning Standards

### Space Allocation
| Position | Private Office | Workstation |
|----------|---------------|-------------|
| Executive | 200-400 SF | - |
| Senior manager | 150-200 SF | - |
| Manager | 120-150 SF | - |
| Professional | 80-120 SF | 48-64 SF |
| Administrative | - | 36-48 SF |
| Technical | - | 48-64 SF |

### Common Areas
| Space | SF per Person | Notes |
|-------|---------------|-------|
| Conference (large) | 25-30 SF | 20+ people |
| Conference (small) | 20-25 SF | 6-12 people |
| Huddle room | 15-20 SF | 2-4 people |
| Break room | 15-20 SF | Full service |
| Coffee bar | 5-10 SF | Basic service |
| Reception | 50-100 SF | Plus waiting |

### Support Spaces
| Space | Allocation |
|-------|------------|
| Copy/print | 1 per 20-40 people |
| File storage | 2-5 SF per person |
| IT/telecom | 100-200 SF per floor |
| Janitor | 1 per floor minimum |
| Mail room | Based on mail volume |

---

## Office Types

### Private Offices
| Size | Typical Use | Minimum |
|------|-------------|---------|
| Small | Single occupant | 80-100 SF |
| Standard | Manager/professional | 120-150 SF |
| Large | Senior manager | 180-225 SF |
| Executive | C-suite | 250-400 SF |
| Corner | Premium location | 300-500 SF |

### Open Office
| Type | SF/Person | Description |
|------|-----------|-------------|
| High density | 100-125 SF | Benching, no panels |
| Standard | 150-175 SF | Low panels (42"-48") |
| Traditional | 175-225 SF | High panels (54"-66") |
| Activity-based | Varies | Unassigned, flexible |

### Workstation Sizes
| Size | Dimensions | Use |
|------|------------|-----|
| Small | 6'×6' (36 SF) | Call center, admin |
| Standard | 6'×8' or 7'×7' (48-49 SF) | Professional |
| Large | 8'×8' or 8'×10' (64-80 SF) | Technical, manager |
| L-shaped | 8'×10' corner | Manager, professional |

---

## Circulation

### Corridor Widths
| Type | Minimum | Preferred |
|------|---------|-----------|
| Main corridor | 5'-0" | 6'-0" |
| Secondary | 4'-0" | 5'-0" |
| Between workstations | 3'-6" | 4'-0" |
| Fire egress | Per code | 44" minimum |

### Circulation Efficiency
| Building Type | Net-to-Gross |
|---------------|--------------|
| Efficient layout | 75-80% |
| Typical layout | 70-75% |
| Complex layout | 65-70% |
| Atrium/amenity-rich | 60-65% |

---

## Conference Rooms

### Room Sizes by Capacity
| Capacity | Size | Table Size |
|----------|------|------------|
| 4-6 | 120-180 SF | 4'×6' or 4'×8' |
| 8-10 | 200-300 SF | 4'×10' or 5'×10' |
| 12-16 | 300-450 SF | 5'×14' or 6'×12' |
| 20-24 | 450-600 SF | 6'×16' or 8'×14' |
| 30+ | 600+ SF | Multiple tables |

### Conference Room Requirements
| Feature | Small | Medium | Large |
|---------|-------|--------|-------|
| Display | 55"-65" | 75"-85" | Multiple or projector |
| Video conf | Optional | Standard | Required |
| Whiteboard | 4' | 6'-8' | 8'+ |
| Power | Floor box | Floor box | Multiple |
| Acoustics | STC 45 | STC 50 | STC 50+ |

### Huddle Rooms
- 2-4 people
- 60-120 SF
- Video display
- No phone reservation (first-come)
- Highly visible/accessible

---

## Building Core

### Core Components
| Element | Location |
|---------|----------|
| Elevators | Centered or balanced |
| Stairs | Minimum 2 (egress) |
| Restrooms | Near core |
| Mechanical shafts | Perimeter or core |
| Electrical rooms | Near elevators |
| Telecom rooms | Each floor |

### Restroom Requirements
| Occupancy | WC (M) | WC (W) | Lav (M) | Lav (W) |
|-----------|--------|--------|---------|---------|
| 1-15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 16-35 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 36-55 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 56-80 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 81-110 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| 111-150 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 |

---

## Tenant Improvement

### Shell vs. Tenant Work
| Shell (Landlord) | Tenant Improvement |
|------------------|-------------------|
| Base building structure | Partitions |
| Core restrooms | Private restrooms |
| Base HVAC to floor | Ductwork/diffusers |
| Main electrical | Circuits to devices |
| Fire protection main | Adjust heads |
| Elevator lobbies | Reception, finishes |

### Standard Tenant Work Letter
- Partitions (LF per SF)
- Doors (number included)
- Electrical outlets per SF
- Data drops per SF
- HVAC zones
- Light fixtures per SF
- Flooring allowance

### Typical TI Allowance
| Market | New Construction | 2nd Gen |
|--------|-----------------|---------|
| Class A | $50-80/SF | $30-50/SF |
| Class B | $30-50/SF | $20-35/SF |
| Class C | $15-30/SF | $10-20/SF |

---

## Building Classifications

### Class A
- High-quality finishes
- Premium location
- Professional management
- Modern systems
- Efficient layout
- Above-market rents

### Class B
- Average finishes
- Good location
- Adequate systems
- Functional layout
- Average rents

### Class C
- Basic finishes
- Secondary location
- Dated systems
- Below-market rents
- Often candidates for renovation

---

## Typical Building Specifications

### Floor-to-Floor Heights
| Building Type | Height |
|---------------|--------|
| Low-rise office | 12'-13' |
| Mid-rise office | 13'-14' |
| High-rise office | 13'-6" to 14'-6" |
| Trophy/Class A+ | 14'-16' |

### Ceiling Heights
| Space | Finished Ceiling |
|-------|-----------------|
| Open office | 9'-0" minimum |
| Private office | 9'-0" minimum |
| Conference | 9'-0" to 10'-0" |
| Lobby/reception | 10'-0" to 14'-0" |
| Corridor | 8'-6" to 9'-0" |

### Floor Loads
| Area | Live Load |
|------|-----------|
| Office | 50 PSF + 20 partition |
| Corridors | 80 PSF |
| Lobby | 100 PSF |
| File room | 125-250 PSF |
| Computer room | 100-150 PSF |

---

## MEP Considerations

### Electrical
| Space | Watts/SF |
|-------|----------|
| Open office | 3-5 W/SF |
| Private office | 2-4 W/SF |
| Conference | 3-5 W/SF |
| Data center | 50-150 W/SF |

### HVAC Zoning
| Space | CFM/Person | CFM/SF |
|-------|------------|--------|
| Office | 15-20 | 0.10-0.15 |
| Conference | 15-20 | 0.20-0.25 |
| Reception | 15 | 0.10 |

### Lighting
| Space | Foot-candles |
|-------|--------------|
| Open office | 30-50 FC |
| Private office | 30-50 FC |
| Conference | 30-50 FC (dimmable) |
| Corridors | 10-20 FC |
| Reception | 10-30 FC |

---

## Amenities

### Standard Amenities
- Lobby/reception
- Conference rooms
- Break room/kitchen
- Restrooms
- Fitness center access
- Parking

### Premium Amenities
- Tenant lounge
- Rooftop terrace
- Full-service cafeteria
- Fitness center on-site
- Concierge service
- Bike storage/showers
- EV charging
- Child care center

### Wellness Features
- Sit/stand desks
- Walking paths
- Quiet rooms
- Mother's room
- Outdoor space
- Natural daylight
- Biophilic design

---

## Technology Infrastructure

### Connectivity
| System | Requirement |
|--------|-------------|
| Data backbone | Fiber to floor |
| Floor distribution | Cat6A minimum |
| Wireless | Full coverage |
| Cellular | DAS if needed |
| AV infrastructure | Conduit to conference |

### Data Drop Ratios
| Density | Drops per Workstation |
|---------|-----------------------|
| Low | 1-2 |
| Standard | 2-3 |
| High | 3-4 |

### Power
| Feature | Requirement |
|---------|-------------|
| UPS | Data rooms, server |
| Generator | Life safety + optional tenant |
| Surge protection | Building-wide |

---

## Drawing Checklist

### Plans Show
- [ ] Partition layout
- [ ] Door locations/swings
- [ ] Furniture layout
- [ ] Ceiling grid
- [ ] Power/data outlet locations
- [ ] Light fixture locations
- [ ] HVAC diffuser locations
- [ ] Fire protection layout

### Elevations/Details
- [ ] Reception desk
- [ ] Millwork (coffee bar, copy alcove)
- [ ] Conference room technology
- [ ] Signage locations
- [ ] Specialty walls/features
