Designing an Office Space for Effective workplace
                     Designing an Office Space for 
Effective workplace
While designing an office space requires a lot of creativity, 
data and analysis come into play as well. You may not think 
data is pivotal in designing office space, but it is. Going 
beyond headcount, it’s important to consider everything 
from typical occupancy numbers, forecasts for hiring, 
company goals, industry trends, and more. When done 
properly, data can be used to create an office environment 
that not only meets the needs of your business but also 
enhances and celebrates your unique company culture.
Let us dig a bit deeper into how data elements factor into 
office design.
Occupancy Numbers
Where do you stand in terms of occupancy numbers? 
You may think that occupancy is simply the basis of 
your headcount, but it goes beyond that. Do all your 
employees come into the office every day? For those 
that intend to come in daily, what is their vacation 
and sick time allotment on an annual basis? All of 
this data will factor into occupancy.
If your office allows for flexibility in terms of how 
people work, you may also see the numbers of people 
physically in the office drive downward. Is working 
from home an option for many employees? If so, 
what is the average number of days people come into 
the office each week?
The goal here is to figure out the average occupancy 
within the office at any given time. You may end up 
with a design where everyone has a cubicle or office 
space. You could also end up with more of a flex 
space, where people work in a variety of locations 
daily depending on who is in the office or not. Why 
set up and design an office space for 100 people 
when, on average, you only have 60 in the office? 
Make use of every inch of your existing square 
footage with an experiential office design!
Forecasts for Hiring
Do you have plans to either expand or shrink the size 
of your employee base over the next few years? If you 
plan to double the number of employees you have 
over the next five years, go with an office design that 
meets the needs of that bigger employee base now. If 
you do not have dedicated space for them today, now 
is the time to invest in a scalable office design.
It is important to think about forecasts for hiring as it will 
help you avoid having to do multiple redesigns over a short 
period of time. Say you have 50 employees today, but in a 
few years, you expect to have another 50 join the team. If 
you design a space for 50 now, but it is not something you 
can scale, or you lack the square footage to even do so, 
you’ll need to make big changes when the future new 
employees join . the team. The major expense of doing a 
whole new office move and redesign makes what you are 
doing now wasteful. Plan for today, but also plan for the 
coming years by considering your intentions for hiring.
Company Goals
What are some of the goals of your company? Who 
are you trying to attract when it comes to employees? 
All these factors are important to consider for your 
office design. If you want to attract and keep the best 
Millennial talent, for example, you’ll want more open 
concept spaces. Millennial enjoy having areas to 
collaborate with one another and so building open 
spaces where they can come together to share ideas, 
work through engagement is important. If Millennial 
are not your target, you may want to go with the 
different office design.
Your company goals will shape largely where you 
end up with office design. Technology companies 
may want a space that showcases their vision. More 
traditional companies may seek designs that keep 
them ground to their roots. Ultimately, you’re more 
likely to design an office environment that aligns 
with your bigger, overarching company goals by 
keeping them top of mind throughout the entire 
process. 
Industry Trends
Are there trends in the industry that will impact your 
office design in the short and long-term? Likely one of 
the most common trends that companies must learn to 
navigate now is work from home. More employees than 
ever seek this option, so plan for it when it comes to 
office design. It’s also important to consider other 
industry trends, such as having dedicated office spaces, 
cafeterias, common areas, relaxation rooms, and more. 
Staying up with the latest trends in the industry will 
ensure your new office environment meets the needs of 
your employees and help you acquire new talent. 
In the end, data can influence the entire direction of 
your office design. At the core of our company lies the 
Aura Integrated Experience, our unique approach to 
delivering a seamless execution of your design-build 
project. Taking all the data elements discussed above 
into consideration, we work closely with you to build 
an understanding of your needs and expectations; your 
space and location requirements; and the type of office 
environment that would best fit your company culture. 
In doing so, we create experiential office environments 
that will meet your needs in the short and long-term.
Created By:
Aura Office and Environments