Size Matters: Conference rooms are getting smaller and more modular

Typical Sizes of Meeting Spaces in Square Footage and Participant Range

When planning and designing meeting spaces, it's common to categorize them into small, medium, and large sizes. Below is a detailed breakdown of these sizes based on recent trends and data:

1. Small Meeting Rooms

• Square Footage: Typically, small meeting rooms range from 50 to 150 square feet.
• Number of Participants: These rooms are designed to accommodate 2 to 4 participants.
• Use Cases: Small meeting rooms are ideal for one-on-one meetings, small team huddles, or private phone calls. They are often referred to as "huddle rooms" or "phone booths" and are prevalent in modern office designs due to their high utilization and flexibility (Inspiring Workspaces by BOS) (Meetings).

2. Medium Meeting Rooms

• Square Footage: Medium meeting rooms generally range from 150 to 300 square feet.
• Number of Participants: These spaces are suited for 5 to 10 participants.
• Use Cases: These rooms are typically used for small team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and small client presentations. They often feature a mix of seating arrangements, such as round tables for collaboration or classroom-style setups for presentations (UC Today) (DGI Communications).

3. Large Meeting Rooms

• Square Footage: Large meeting rooms usually range from 300 to 700 square feet.
• Number of Participants: They are designed for 10 to 20 participants, although some configurations can accommodate up to 30 or more.
• Use Cases: These rooms are ideal for larger team meetings, board meetings, and training sessions. They are often equipped with advanced technology for video conferencing and presentations, and may include flexible furniture to support different meeting formats (DGI Communications) (Meetings).

Detailed Breakdown

Small Meeting Rooms

• Typical Size: 50 to 150 sq ft.
• Ideal for: 1-4 people.
• Design Features: Minimalist design, equipped with a small table and a few chairs, sometimes with a wall-mounted screen for video conferencing. Common in open-plan offices to provide quiet spaces for focus or private discussions.
• Example: A 100 sq ft room with a round table and four chairs, equipped with a video conferencing screen and soundproofing for privacy.

Medium Meeting Rooms

• Typical Size: 150 to 300 sq ft.
• Ideal for: 5-10 people.
• Design Features: Configured with a larger table or modular seating, a screen or projector, and adequate space for movement. Often features a combination of seated and standing options to support various meeting formats.
• Example: A 250 sq ft room with a rectangular table that seats 8, along with a projector for presentations and writable walls for brainstorming sessions.

Large Meeting Rooms

• Typical Size: 300 to 700 sq ft.
• Ideal for: 10-20+ people.
• Design Features: Large tables or configurable seating arrangements, advanced AV equipment, and often features like retractable walls to adjust the size of the space as needed.
• Example: A 500 sq ft room configured in a U-shape for 15 participants, equipped with multiple screens for presentations, a high-quality audio system, and flexible furniture to support both formal and informal meetings.

Research and Data

1. Meeting Room Utilization:
   • Research indicates that smaller meeting rooms (for up to 4 people) are used approximately 76% of the time, reflecting a higher demand for such spaces. This trend is pushing companies to invest more in small meeting rooms due to their flexibility and efficiency (Inspiring Workspaces by BOS) (Meetings).
2. Space Allocation:
   • According to a report from Gensler, the average size of meeting rooms has been adjusted downward, with a significant increase in the number of small and medium-sized rooms to support agile and collaborative work environments (DGI Communications) (Meetings).
3. Trends in Office Design:
   • Recent trends highlight a shift towards more versatile meeting spaces that can be easily reconfigured. This is particularly true for large meeting rooms, which are now often designed to be modular, allowing them to be divided into smaller spaces as needed (UC Today) (DGI Communications).
4. Cost Efficiency:
   • The cost per square foot for maintaining large, underutilized meeting rooms is significant, prompting companies to optimize their meeting space allocation to better match actual usage patterns. Smaller rooms, which are more frequently used, offer a better return on investment (DGI Communications) (Meetings).

Conclusion

Meeting rooms are increasingly being designed to reflect the changing nature of work, with a focus on flexibility, efficiency, and the needs of a hybrid workforce. Small and medium-sized rooms are becoming more prevalent due to their high utilization rates and adaptability to different types of meetings. For businesses looking to redesign their office space, investing in a higher number of smaller, well-equipped meeting rooms can provide significant benefits in terms of both cost and productivity.

For further insights, you can explore detailed reports from UC Today, BOS, and DGI Communications.