Workers need 12 sq m of space each, says BCO

Workers should be given more space – a whole 2 sq m more space each – according to the British Council for Offices. It has updated its design bible following the Covid pandemic and advised that the 10 sq m per worker it previously recommended is insufficient. Now, it said, developers and occupiers should allocate 12 sq m per worker to “achieve the optimal level of density”. Interestingly, that would still not take it up to the average level seen at the turn of the millennium. In 2001, the UK’s average office density was almost 15 sq m per desk. The space was steadily squeezed, until by 2018 each person had just 9.6 sq m. Crowded offices, offering less than 8 sq m per worker, “are more likely to cause issues and affect occupant comfort, wellbeing and performance”, the BCO report said. The Times (£)