Office space isn’t just about how many desks you can fit into a room - it’s about creating a working environment that’s productive, compliant, and future-proof. Whether you’re expanding, moving offices or rethinking how your business works, one of the first questions to ask is: how much office space do you really need per person?

At Orega, we support businesses of all sizes with premium serviced offices that adapt to your needs. In this guide, we’ll walk through the legal minimums, best practice benchmarks, and how a flexible workspace solution can make getting the size of your office right simpler than ever.

What is The Recommended Office Space Per Person in The UK?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, a widely used guideline in the UK is 100 square feet per person (roughly 9.3 square metres). This figure generally allows for around 50 square feet per desk and another 50 square feet for access to communal areas, such as meeting rooms or social spaces.

However, this is only a guideline. The actual office area per person may vary depending on your working model, team roles, and the layout of your space. In a hybrid working environment, you might need fewer dedicated desks and more collaboration zones. In a tech-heavy setup, you might need more room per head to accommodate equipment.

What are The Legal Office Space Requirements in The UK?

There is UK legislation from HSE that outlines the minimum office space required per employee. Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, each person must have at least 11 cubic metres of space, which equates to around 4.6 square metres or 50 square feet, assuming a standard ceiling height.

However, that number represents the bare legal minimum. It doesn’t factor in space taken up by furniture or storage. Falling below these standards could lead to health and safety compliance issues, especially if movement is restricted. But to create an office space your employees actually want to work from, it’s recommended to give your staff far more space than this. 

For this reason, most companies aim to exceed the minimum office space per person recommendations and work towards best practice, typically 8 to 12 square metres or more per person.

How Do I Calculate How Much Office Space I Need?

Start with this simple formula and adapt it to your business needs. The more space you can give your staff, the better.

1. Employee count – Tally up your total staff count, including full-time staff, part-time staff and contractors. If you use hot-desking or a hybrid working policy, factor in typical daily occupancy rather than total headcount.
2. Space per person – Use 100 sq ft (9.3 sq m) as a benchmark, adjusting up or down depending on your layout.
3. Add shared space – Consider whether you’ll need private meeting rooms, breakout areas or kitchen facilities.
4. Allow for growth – Add 10–20% to allow for expansion, unless you're using a flexible office model that lets you scale on demand.

Alternatively, you could simplify it further: with our flexible solutions, you only need to focus on the space your team uses day-to-day - because all the best office amenities like meeting rooms, kitchens and lounges are shared and don’t need to be considered in your own office design or in the amount of space you need to lease.

What About Meeting Rooms, Kitchens and Other Facilities?

In traditional leases, you need to lease space for every facility your business might use - from meeting rooms and toilets to kitchenettes and breakout lounges. This inflates your office space requirements and costs, even if you only use those areas occasionally.

Typical space allowances in conventional leases include:

• Small meeting room (2–4 people): 100 sq ft
• Boardroom (15–20 people): 220–300 sq ft
• Kitchen or refreshment area: 100 sq ft
• Server/storage room: 40–120 sq ft

 
With Orega, there’s no need to lease this additional square footage; a lease with us includes everything you need to create a productive office space for your team. Our serviced offices offer access to beautifully designed shared spaces, including fully equipped kitchens and tech-enabled meeting rooms, all maintained by our on-site teams. That means your business only pays for actual office space.

Does Hybrid Working Affect How Much Space I Need?

Yes, the rise in hybrid working models means many businesses are no longer operating at full desk capacity every day, due to so many staff working from home. Instead of leasing enough space for everyone, it makes more sense to shift to more agile spaces with fewer fixed desks and more collaborative workspace zones.

This shift supports a more cost-effective and people-friendly approach - and it’s one that our approach to leases and office design also embraces. Our offices support both focused work and group collaboration, with layout flexibility and premium shared amenities to suit a range of working styles. So you can get the most out of the office space you are leasing.

What Other Factors Influence How Much Office Space I Need?

While headcount is a good starting point, it’s important to also consider:

• Team type – Tech and data teams may need extra room for hardware and extra monitors. Whilst creative teams may prefer flexible seating options more suited to brainstorming.
• Shape of the space – Awkward corners and structural columns can limit layout plans; you need to consider how usable the floor space is. 
• Location – City centre offices, especially offices in London, are more expensive than other areas, so you may need to balance space with budget, depending on where your office is.
• Storage and equipment – Paper-heavy businesses will need more space for filing and equipment than digital-first teams.

 
If you’re unsure of what you’ll need, our team can help you plan a space that fits.

Why an Orega Flex Office Space Makes it Easier to Plan

At Orega, we’ve taken the guesswork out of working out how much office space you need. Our model gives you:

• Only the space you need – You lease private office space for your team and share high-spec amenities.
• Premium design without excess – From meeting rooms to breakout spaces, everything is ready to use, and doesn’t contribute to how much space you need to lease.
• Room to scale – Whether you're growing or downsizing, our spaces flex with you.

 
We know that calculating how much room you need for an office can feel complex. But with the right support and a more agile solution, it becomes far easier to get it right from day one.

There’s more to office space than square footage. Yes, benchmarks like 100 sq ft per person are helpful - but the real goal is to create a workspace that works for your people and your business.

By choosing a luxury serviced office provider like ourselves, you gain access to everything you need - from reception services to collaboration areas - without having to lease extra space.

To find out how much space your business needs at an Orega office, speak to our team and explore our premium serviced offices across the UK.