© Jacobs Workplace Strategies
We are often asked to make office space as efficient as possible. Our clients want to know “What can we do in the least amount of space? At what point is it unlivable?”
We know there are human limits to space reduction – from pushback and experience. The challenge was to expand our intuitive design thinking with quantitative, multi-disciplinary research about human behavior, space use and best practices.
Jacobs has collected benchmarking data on space use for more than 20 years with annual decreases in space per person and workstation sizes. For the first time in 2016, the Jacobs Benchmarking data showed slight increases in space use. What was happening? Had we reached the tipping point?
Our goal was to document the tipping point beyond which increasing density can threaten engagement with work, performance and well-being – all of which are key business drivers.
It was much harder than we thought! We analyzed behavioral research, benchmarking trends, corporate real estate experience and our design experience for insights. The result came from design testing which showed a dynamic relationship between space factors of work settings, group space and circulation. Our research partners, which include. Philadelphia University’s College of Architecture and the Built Environment, Department of Interior Design, the Building Owner and Managers’ Association (BOMA), Jacobs’ annual Workplace Conference participants and our own senior designers brought multiple perspectives to the matter.