March 30, 2007—The notion that workspaces have been shrinking throughout the years is no illusion. In 1987, the space allocated to an executive office was an average of 291 square feet; today that figure is down to 241, according to a recent report.
That size sounds lavish compared to today’s senior professional, who must make do with about 98 square feet, or the call center employee who is typically assigned around 50.
The vast majority of workers (59 percent) toil in cubicles, while 7 percent work in open areas with no partitions. Only 34 percent have private offices, according to the report, Space and Project Management Benchmarks, Research Report #28, produced by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
The report notes that this shrinking trend has leveled off, with relatively little change since 2002. There are a few perspectives on why this is, according to IFMA members.
One category that is growing, however, is collaborative space and amenities. Since 2002, the amount of space devoted to conference, training and break out areas has increased more than 17 percent. Workers have also benefited by gaining access to expanded amenity areas such as cafeterias, fitness facilities and day care centers.
IFMA conducted this survey of its members in the second half of 2006. Space and Project Management Benchmarks, Research Report #28 is available for purchase online in the IFMA Bookstore.
