Planning a small workplace: draw the space the furniture needs

Draw the furniture doing its job

Start with the equipment you actually expect to use. Ask for the dimensions of desks, chairs, storage units and shared machines, rather than relying on whichever symbols happen to be in a drawing. Include anything being brought from the current premises.

Then draw a second outline around each item to show how it operates. A cabinet needs its doors or drawers open. A chair needs space for someone to sit down and stand up. A printer may need access from the side for paper or maintenance. Ask suppliers for the relevant clearances rather than guessing.

In a hypothetical studio, a printer fits neatly into an alcove until its side panel has to open. Moving it out for servicing then blocks the route to the kitchen. Identifying that on a drawing is much easier than discovering it after the cabinetry is installed.

• What opens, slides or pulls out?
• Where does the person using it stand or sit?
• Can it be maintained without moving several other things?

Give the supporting things an address

I would make a separate list of the things that tend to land wherever there is a spare surface: courier boxes, coats, laptop bags, stationery, recycling and cleaning equipment. These are part of the workplace even if they never appear in the inspiration photographs.

For each item, identify where it arrives, where it is used and where it belongs afterwards. A delivery needs somewhere to be put down and unpacked, not just a shelf for the contents. Keep that activity out of the everyday route through the office.

WorkSafe's workplace guidance requires space to carry out tasks safely and safe movement into, out of and within the workplace, including during an emergency. I would have the team check the layout with these everyday items included. A furniture exercise does not replace the project's accessibility, fire or other technical checks.

• Where will a visitor put a bag or wet coat?
• Where can supplies wait without occupying a workstation?
• Who needs access to the storage during the working day?

Try one part at full size

Choose the tightest area on the plan and mark it out in a suitable clear space, using removable tape and the actual furniture where possible. Try opening the storage, getting out of the chair and walking past someone using the equipment. Include the people who will use that area.

Write down the awkward movement instead of immediately deciding to buy smaller furniture. The answer might be a different orientation, a relocated cupboard or a change to where shared equipment sits. Return those observations to the designer so the next layout addresses a specific problem.

• Test the furniture in use, not only empty.
• Photograph the difficulty and mark its location on the plan.

Check what the next person changes

Finally, ask the designer to show one realistic growth scenario. An additional workstation also brings belongings, equipment and demand on shared facilities. Mark what would move, what would be lost and what needs a further check before calling the plan expandable.

A useful small workplace should still feel considered. Jonty's published Aro Digital feedback describes appreciating the care taken through the design process. That attention belongs in ordinary details too, including whether someone can reach a cupboard comfortably.

If you are considering a small workplace, bring a plan and a list of the furniture and equipment you want to keep. We can discuss what deserves testing before you commit to the layout.