Maximizing Building Space Utilization: Calculating and Classifying Space

December 2023 | Charles Saunders

Understanding and effectively utilizing space is a critical factor for facilities management teams across industries. Whether it’s office space, warehouse space, or data center space, accurately defining and classifying these areas is essential for optimal utilization.

To do this, it’s necessary to understand the basics of space utilization, which includes knowing how to classify rooms and calculate their net area.

Defining Space and Its Industry-Specific Variations

When it comes to space utilization, space refers to a physical area measured in square feet or square meters. However, the definition and significance of space can vary across different industries and contexts.

For example, space holds different importance for organizations that rent office spaces, provide data centers, or engage in retail operations. Similarly, the healthcare industry has its own unique space requirements defined by the Facility Guidelines Institute (or FGI), while the Department of Defense has specific space criteria publications for its own facilities. It is important to recognize that each industry may have its own standards and guidelines for measuring and planning space.

The Importance of Classification for Effective Space Utilization

Classification plays a critical role in maximizing space utilization. By categorizing spaces based on purpose and functionality, organizations gain valuable insights for decision-making and resource allocation.

A standardized classification system ensures consistency and enables organizations to compare building space utilization across campuses, regions, or even continents. Furthermore, classification facilitates accurate space planning, identifying areas of excess or insufficient space and aligning the available space with organizational missions and goals.

Organizations can use established space classification systems such as Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate (or OSCRE) standards to correctly classify their rooms. OSCRE provides a comprehensive framework for classifying office spaces, allowing for consistent categorization across different organizations.

For example, OSCRE classifies office spaces into categories such as dedicated enclosed workstations, shared enclosed workstations, dedicated open workstations, shared open workstations, open team settings, general file and storage areas, shared workstation file and storage spaces, and shared equipment stations. By employing such classifications, organizations can streamline space allocation, enhance collaboration, and effectively manage storage requirements.

Harnessing the Power of Space Utilization Metrics and Formulas

Beyond classification, a space utilization formula can permit deeper insights into space efficiency. Various metrics, such as space utilization rates and occupancy rates, provide quantitative measures of how effectively space is being used.

Similarly, it’s essential that organizations know how to calculate office space square footage or meterage. By accurately calculating this measurement, organizations can effectively plan and allocate their resources, ensuring efficient utilization and optimal functionality.

To determine the net square footage of a space, a systematic approach is necessary. This is typically done with an indoor LiDAR scanner, laser distance meter, or other measuring device and placed in CAD.

Essentially, the process comprises these steps:

• If the space is square or rectangular:
  • Measure the length and width of the space.
  • Multiply the length by the width to obtain the area of the space in square feet or square meters.
• If the space is an irregular shape:
  • Divide the irregular shape into recognizable regular shapes, such as triangles, rectangles, circles, or squares.
  • Then, find the area of these individual shapes and add them together to get the area of the irregular shape.
• Exclude any nonusable areas, such as columns, from the measurements.
• If there are multiple spaces or areas within the space, repeat the measurement process for each space.
• Finally, sum up the individual square footage to obtain the total space area.

These metrics can be calculated with formulas that take into account the total area, the occupied area, and the number of occupants or employees who use the space. By monitoring and analyzing these metrics, organizations can identify underutilized areas, implement strategies to optimize space allocation, and make informed decisions about future space needs.

Final Thoughts on Building Space Utilization

Understanding and effectively utilizing space is a fundamental aspect of facilities management across industries. It allows organizations to optimize their use, make informed decisions, and efficiently allocate resources. Through the calculation of net areas and the classification of rooms based on their specific uses, organizations can unlock the potential of their spaces and align them with their missions and goals.

By leveraging space utilization metrics and formulas, organizations can continuously monitor and improve their space efficiency. Ultimately, by prioritizing space utilization, organizations can enhance their operational effectiveness and ensure that every square foot contributes to their success.