# 49 SF Minimum Office Area?



## hbriburn (Dec 11, 2019)

I have a client who is insisting that offices "by code" must be a minimum of 49 SF. I'm not finding that requirement. Does anyone have any idea from where this information may be coming?

BTW, we're no proposing offices that small, but I also want to take this requirement out of the conversation if I can...


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## classicT (Dec 11, 2019)

*1208.1 Minimum Room Widths*
_Habitable spaces_, other than a kitchen, shall be not less than 7 feet (2134 mm) in any plan dimension. Kitchens shall have a clear passageway of not less than 3 feet (914 mm) between counter fronts and appliances or counter fronts and walls.


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## RLGA (Dec 11, 2019)

I think he/she is confusing _occupiable space_ with _habitable space_. Habitable space is required to have a 7-foot minimum dimension in any direction, which works out to a 7' by 7' space; hence, 49 sq. ft. However, habitable space by definition only includes spaces used by occupants for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking -- not working.

Occupiable space, on the other hand, includes spaces where occupants "are engaged in labor"; thus, an office. Occupiable space does not have minimum dimension requirements. However, personally, I would not want to work in a 49 sq. ft. office.


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## classicT (Dec 11, 2019)

*HABITABLE SPACE.* A space in a building for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage or utility spaces and similar areas are not considered habitable spaces.


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## linnrg (Dec 11, 2019)

Is your client someone who may be referencing some Military design standards.  I think they had spatial patterns based upon ranks


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## hbriburn (Dec 11, 2019)

i suspect it's a client with a little bit of knowledge on habitable space 7'-0" min dimension requirement.

thanks all


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## cda (Dec 11, 2019)

???

*1004.8 Concentrated business use areas*

The occupant load factor for concentrated business use shall be applied to telephone call centers, trading floors, electronic data processing centers and similar business use areas with a higher density of occupants than would normally be expected in a typical business occupancy environment. Where approved by the building official, the occupant load for concentrated business use areas shall be the actual occupant load, but not less than one occupant per 50 square feet (4.65 m2) of gross occupiable floor space.


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## RLGA (Dec 11, 2019)

Occupant load factors in Chapter 10 are not minimum areas assigned per occupant for office space, etc.--it is a gross area factor, which means it includes just about everything: walls, restrooms, corridors, stairways, etc. Thus, with the concentrated business use factor, people are getting less than 50/49 sq. ft. of actual work area space. These are typically not hard-walled offices, but actually cubicles. The actual space (i.e., hard-walled room) will be much larger than 49 sq. ft.


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## classicT (Dec 11, 2019)

cda said:


> ???
> 
> *1004.8 Concentrated business use areas*
> 
> The occupant load factor for concentrated business use shall be applied to telephone call centers, trading floors, electronic data processing centers and similar business use areas with a higher density of occupants than would normally be expected in a typical business occupancy environment. Where approved by the building official, the occupant load for concentrated business use areas shall be the actual occupant load, but not less than one occupant per 50 square feet (4.65 m2) of gross occupiable floor space.


Why? Why would you post this?

This has no bearing at all.


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## cda (Dec 11, 2019)

Thought it might apply??


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## linnrg (Dec 11, 2019)

For Information:
The Military has the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC)  and The one for Administrative facilities says:

1 6 May 2008 Change 2, 21 May 2014 2-10.4.1 Minimize the number of different workstation and offices sizes. This will ease the planning process and provide greater flexibility in the final design. Also use workstation sizes with a common dimension to facilitate grouping stations of different sizes. Two appropriate workstation sizes that can accommodate just about any office function are 8 x 8 ft. (2.4 x 2.4 m) and 8 x 10 ft. (2.4 x 3.0 m). Individual workstations should not be less than 6 x 8 ft. (1.8 x 2.4 m) and workstations in team work areas should not be less than 6 x 6 ft. (1.8 x 1.8 m)


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## ICE (Dec 11, 2019)

For more information:
49 square feet is 7,056 square inches.

49 people can make it out with one exit .... fifty will die trying.

49 eggs is one too many.

49 year old women are mostly fibbers.

49 yards is not a dash.

49 plastic straws is a manatee’s meal.


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## ADAguy (Dec 16, 2019)

Yes, and workstations are not offices. They typically do not have full height walls or doors. If they did air circulation would be an issue as well as exiting if grouped together in a large room.


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