The brief: what you need
The functional brief lists each type of space with its purpose, its users, its capacity, its quantity, its area, how it is occupied, its technical and acoustic requirements, its adjacencies and its level of confidentiality. It is written from future headcount expressed as assumptions, the usage observed and the working principles agreed.
Density is always measured against an explicit definition: usable area per workstation, per person, lettable area per person, number of workstations per person. Two densities calculated on different definitions cannot be compared.
Adjacencies: who needs to be near whom
A matrix shows, for each pair of teams or functions, whether proximity is essential, desirable, neutral or to be avoided. It draws on observed interactions, confidentiality, visitor flows and security. Over several levels, it guides the allocation by floor (“blocking and stacking”).
The test fit
The test fit checks that a brief fits on a given floor: façade grid, depth, cores, circulation routes, toilets, daylight. It is not the final design: it answers the question “can we fit our teams in here, and on what conditions?”. It is particularly useful before signing a lease.
Workplace rules apply to the client (maître d'ouvrage) fitting out offices, with or without a building permit: daylight, lighting, ventilation, toilets, accessibility (French Labour Code, art. R4211-1 et seq.). If the floor receives members of the public, the rules for buildings open to the public (ERP) also apply. The guide to the rules that apply to offices.
What you receive
- Functional brieftypes of space, quantities, areas, requirements
- Headcount assumptionsseveral trajectories, made explicit
- Adjacency matrixessential, desirable, neutral, to be avoided
- Zoning and allocationby floor plate or by storey
- Test fitfeasibility plan, blocking issues
- Regulatory pointsworkplace rules, ERP, authorisations
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between space planning and office design?
Space planning organises: it places teams and functions and checks capacity. Office design and fit-out shapes the space itself: materials, acoustics, light, furniture, details. The first comes before the second.
Is there a regulatory minimum floor area per workstation?
The French Labour Code sets requirements for ventilation, lighting, toilets and accessibility, but no general minimum floor area per office workstation appears in the articles cited on this site. The area follows from the brief and the ergonomics of the workstations; it is checked project by project.