Coworking Office Spaces-Literature Study

COWORKING OFFICE SPACE

2. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE STUDY

2.1 THEORETICAL STUDY:

The review of existing literature outlines the work that has been done on spatial factors in
the workplace and their effect on interaction, satisfaction, and collaboration. These factors
include: variety and flexibility, proximity towards other coworkers, visual access,
personalization/territoriality, and auditory privacy/distraction in the workplace. In addition to
exploring existing literature on workspace physical features, this review also covers relevant
literature on organization and social interaction of groups as it relates to the physical
environment.

Uncovering the spatial factors in the physical environment that influence social interaction is
instrumental to demonstrating that cowork spaces can assist in forming new social network ties
for coworkers.

In a cowork space, individuals and groups running separate businesses come together
to share physical space, as well as beneficial office resources. This is economically efficient
for freelancers and small businesses, because they do not need to pay the total cost of renting,
furnishing, lighting, and heating or cooling a workspace, but they still get the advantages of
having a professional office.

Philosophically, coworking is embedded in the growing movement known as the sharing

economy (Kenline, n.d.; Jackson, 2013). People seek out coworking because of the many
benefits it offers – such as collaborative activity, socializing, and sharing knowledge – as well
as the more tangible economic benefits (Kenline, n.d.; Capdevila, 2013).

 Indy Hall in Philadelphia, on which several research papers were produced, was explored by
PA. Wetstein (2010) on how a shared workspace can lead to increased leadership in a
community of entrepreneurs, with Indy Hall’s management acting as a partner in the project.
Wetstein found that two types of leadership skills – individual and collaborative – were
strengthened directly by sharing a physical workspace.
 Indy Hall was also one of the primary research sites for the Humantics study (Fraser &
Witman, 2010), which examined the cognitive aspects of collaborative activity in coworking
spaces.
 In her multimedia thesis, Making Space for Others, Jackson (2013) investigated the
socioeconomic factors that initiated a major movement toward coworking, and how
coworking continues to persist even as the global economy repairs itself. Part of this
economic recovery, Jackson argues, is due to increased social capital.
 This increase is due in part to the trust that is built by the sharing economy. Jackson sees
coworking as a major aspect of this sharing economy, thus making coworking an important
influence on social capital.

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Kenline (n.d.) also sees space and the culture of coworking as intertwined. She conceives of
the spaces as “ecosystems,” bounded externally by space and internally by the people working
in the space. She calls for future research that looks more closely at which aspects of
coworking culture can be intentionally created and replicated.

Since its beginnings in the early 2000’s, coworking has seen exponential growth worldwide;
more and more people are forming the opinion that this style of work suits them
(Deskmag.com, 2015). As coworking becomes a more popular arrangement for workers around
the world, it will be increasingly important to understand how to design and build effective
cowork spaces.

The benefits for both business and social capital are potentially quite large. The physical
environment is the setting in which all of our social interactions take place – no activity exists
without the setting as its context. While Scott (1995) views space as containing possibilities for
action, Weick (1979) sees space as containing “the raw materials” (p. 47) of behavior. These
are the possibilities a space offers, both unintentionally and by design.

Some environments are more conducive to fostering social interaction than others (Davis,
1984; Hatch, 1987; Zalesny & Farace, 1987). Facilitating informal social interactions in the
workplace is known to be an important mechanism for encouraging transfer of knowledge
between workers (Whittaker, Frohlich, & Daly-Jones, 1994; Bouty, 2000) and improving their
social capital (Tsai & Ghoshal, 1998; Oh, Chung, & Labianca, 2004).

Following points are the design considerations followed:

2.1.1 Proximity
Being in close physical proximity to others with skills and knowledge to share is
beneficial to users. Physical proximity is gaining more and more attention in workplace
studies as a factor that leads to informal information exchanges between colleagues (Allen,
1970; Boud & Middleton, 2003; Bouty, 2000, 2001). Given that a large part of the appeal of
coworking is socialization and sharing ideas with other members, cowork spaces should
also take note of the power of physical proximity.

Figure 1: Proximity in human Psychology (Source: https://www.livescience.com/20801-personal-space.html)

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Allen’s influential early work on knowledge workers showed that physical layout exerted
an influence on their communication patterns. In his seminal 1970 article, Allen postulated
that not only was communication important for coordination of work, and that the physical
layout of the workspace could encourage or discourage communication.
Close physical proximity is key to encouraging interaction (Allen, 1970). Later work
demonstrated that workers were much more likely to communicate with colleagues who were
within a horizontal distance of 30 meters. Longer distances did not have a significant effect
on communication likelihood, however. The study resulted in the widely-used graph.
This study clearly demonstrated that very close physical proximity increases the chances
of communication, while further (>30 meter) distances had less of an effect. Linear
arrangements that maximized the distance between workers were least effective for promoting
communication, as were traditional office layouts that provided more powerful individuals with
window offices along the periphery of the space (Allen & Fusfeld, 1975).

Figure 2: Allen Curve

As Schein (2010) and others note, “a person’s nearness (adjacency or visual availability) to
another person can influence whether or not they initiate an interaction.” Additionally, the
nearness with which they conduct that interaction (in terms of interpersonal space) can affect
how each one perceives that interaction, as well as how it is perceived by outsiders. These issues
are also important to coworkers, who often note that being around or near other people is
appealing to them and leads to more conversations.
Vertical distance has a less straight-forward effect on communication interactions in
Allen and Fusfeld’s 1975 study on horizontal communication patterns. They speculated that
multiple flights of stairs would have an exponentially greater effect, as people became less and
less willing to exert themselves physically. Vertical distance was a major separation for
researchers. The authors theorize that one benefit of proximity for collaborative activity is the
ability to easily talk about minor matters and small topics, which is facilitated by easy access to
collaborators.

Kraut, Egido, and Galegher (1988) further examined the relationship between horizontal and
vertical proximity and collaboration between researchers. They found that close physical
proximity – led to an increase in research collaboration and co-publication.

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In every knowledge community, there are some actors who are more experienced or have
greater access to information. Allen, and many other networking researchers, note that there is
only a small percentage of any knowledge community that is both knowledgeable and
approachable – making them “gatekeepers” (Allen, 1970, p. 15).

Bagley and Shaffer (2012) attempt to ascertain whether or not physical co-location can
affect the mentor-mentee relationship, as participants in this study seem to feel it can, by
participating in a game.

“One of the main anecdotal reasons people seek out cowork spaces is to be in physical (and
thus social) proximity to others. Capdevila (2013) views cowork spaces as communities of
practice, or micro-clusters, and notes that spending a great deal of time in close proximity seems
to lead coworking members to develop practices for coordination.”

Temporary partnerships between members may offer new learning opportunities. The same
could be said of the arrival of new members to the space.

2.1.2 Openness
Open-plan offices were the norm in the late 1900’s, when workers would sit at tables in a
shared room and perform record-keeping tasks by hand. Office designs have moved from open
rooms of tables, to secretarial pools surrounded by private offices, to cubicles with private
offices. “The trend now appears to be swinging back toward open-plan offices, especially for
creative and tech-based fields (Saval, 2014).”

Figure 3: Openness depicted through a person's behavior (Source: http://www.kase.co.za/patterns/content/pattern_39.htm)

As workplace design creates more open floor plans, workers and workplace researchers can
see both benefits and drawbacks to an office that is primarily shared space. There is not yet a
strict definition of what makes an office “open,” but a high percentage of unobstructed space –
often in the center of the workplace – is a key feature. The more unobstructed, shared space,
the more open an office layout is considered (Hua, Loftness, Kraut, & Powell, 2010).

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Open-plan offices are believed to foster social interaction, because they afford more
opportunities to overhear or run into coworkers who are discussing productive or creative topics
(Irving & Ayoko, 2014). Removing obstacles and visual barriers between employees also
makes it easier for them to seek out other workers they need or want to interact with, and
makes it easier to initiate face-to-face conversation (Allen, 1970; Allen & Fusfeld, 1975;
Irving & Ayoko, 2014; Middlebrooks, Hayden, & Smith-Jackson, 2014).
Open-plan offices also meet with criticism. They are not suitable for every type of task –
especially focused work – because they increase the amount of distraction that employees feel
(Hedge, 1982; Hua, 2010a). Distractions experienced in open-plan offices include
conversations from other workers, phones ringing and phone conversations, and movement
of other workers (Irving & Ayoko, 2014; Hedge, 1982; Emberson, Lupyan, & Goldstein, 2010).

Noise in the workplace has also been shown to increase stress and decrease productivity,
which evidence contrary to the popular opinion that open-plan offices increase productivity
(Evans & Johnson, 2000). “Also, open-plan offices do not allow workers to have as much
privacy or personal space, and dealing with the increased social interaction that results from
this situation causes stress, distractions, etc. (Middlebrooks, Hayden, & Smith-Jackson, 2014).”

Figure 4: A 'Closed' and an 'Open' building sections (Source: http://architectureofrelationships.blogspot.com/2010/12/)

Given the pros and cons of open-office plans, some have asked whether or not they are
ultimately beneficial. Researchers are still attempting to answer this question, but it appears
that for some types of work and some tasks, the benefits outweigh the distractions. (Hua,
Loftness, Kraut, & Powell, 2010; Fayard & Weeks, 2007). “Morrow, McElroy, and Scheibe
(2012) found that the act of redesigning an office to include more open space can increase
feelings of collaboration and organizational commitment, so much so that the benefits outweigh
the distractions workers also experience.”

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2.1.3 Variety and Flexibility

Workplaces that seek to improve worker interaction and collaboration often achieve this by
offering the right variety of physical settings within the workplace. Current literature supports
the idea that providing a range of space types within one setting leads to user satisfaction
and increased interaction (Agneessens & Wittek, 2012; Jamieson, Fisher, Gilding, Taylor, &
Trefitt, 2000).
Schein (2010) looks at the interaction between space, time, and action. He divides time into
monochronic and polychronic, with each one requiring a different spatial support. Coworking
spaces are highly polychronic, with many different activities happening concurrently – often at
all hours of the day.

Spaces in which polychronic activity takes place require multiple, flexible areas that users can
easily adapt to their current needs. This is consistent with current literature on interaction spaces,
such as Peter Jamieson’s work on highly flexible rooms in university settings (Jamieson, 2003).
It is acknowledged that flexibility is good, and that members need some access to different
types of spaces. One of the challenges of welcoming a new member to a cowork space -
especially if it is the member’s first experience with coworking - is that they may not know
how to use the variety and flexibility to their advantage (Fraser & Witman, 2010). Some may
even feel that they shouldn’t alter the space (Jackson, 2013).

Gaining a better understanding of how to support new members and train them to use a
cowork space would benefit owners and operators.

Figure 5: Spatial flexibility example (Source: Urbantalks – Housing Tactics – Diego Ramirez - Louvering)

2.1.4 Auditory Privacy and Distractions

Traditional companies and cowork spaces alike value openness in the floor plan, as it leads to
easier communication and more informal interaction between workers.

Privacy in the workplace is an especially important issue when the space is more
physically open. Cowork spaces house companies and individuals with different business
interests, so privacy can be important for conducting transactions away from other
members.

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Two types of privacy come into play in an open floor plan: visual and acoustic. With the
recent rise in popularity of open-plan offices, so, too, has there been an increase in evidence that
open-plan offices have drawbacks. Kim and de Dear’s (2013) recent work suggests that there are
important tradeoffs between communication and performance in open-plan settings. However,
research suggests that workers in more open layouts are willing to accept the tradeoffs of
decreased visual and acoustic privacy, as long as they are psychologically prepared for the
setting and see benefits to the layout (Lee Y., 2010).

One of the main sources of acoustic disturbances in workplaces is phone calls, both in
terms of ringing and in terms of conversations (Banbury & Berry, 2005). Emberson et al
(2010) term these fragmentary conversations “halfalogues,” and theorize that they are more
distracting. Not knowing when the speaker is going to continue causes the most distraction,
as do other forms of intermittent and unpredictable noise, such as airplanes and traffic sounds
(Crook & Langdon, 1974; Eberhardt, Stråle, & Berlin, 1987).

Tasks that require focused attention are more difficult when there is intermittent
background noise. (Jahncke, Hygge, Halin, Green, & Dimberg, 2011). An additional challenge
in cowork spaces is that each member or member company has its own needs for communication
at varying times throughout the day. To deal with these challenges, cowork spaces have tried
various interventions – typically policies, not design features – such as asking members to limit
phone time while in the space (WeWork, 2015).

Figure 6: Bar chart depicting responce to distractions

(Source: The effect of auditory and visual distracters on the useful field of view: implications
for the driving task. - Semantic Scholar)-The group mean number of errors at central position in
the presence and absence of visual and auditory distractions (absent, just listening, responding)

2.1.5 Personalization and Territoriality

Brown (2009) views personal expression (or identity-oriented marking) as one aspect of
territoriality. Any space that a person uses on a regular basis can begin to take on territorial
aspects for that person. Users may set physical boundaries around the space (control-
oriented marking) by leaving clothing or moving furniture.

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They may also engaged in identity-oriented marking by personalizing a space with items,
photographs, or preferred mugs (Brown, 2009). These items serve not only to mark territory,
but also to express the user’s personality; this becomes increasingly important when users
feel less individualized in the workplace (Zeisel, 2006). Workers also use territorial marker
items as shared points of contact, to spark conversations or bridge social gaps (Irving &
Ayoko, 2014).
Altman’s (1975) work on territoriality and self-regulation indicates that people need at
least some measure of territoriality to feel in control of both their space and themselves.
Recent studies suggest that gender may play a role in how and why people personalize a space,
with women tending to engage in more identity-oriented marking and men engaging in more
control-oriented marking (Dinç, 2009; Wells, 2000). Personalization is also an expression of
how a person views their relationship with the larger group. One factor that may emerge
more frequently at coworking sites than traditional offices is personalization as an
expression of collective identity (Hartjes-Gosselink, 2009).
Many traditional workplaces are changing their office layouts to hot-desking or just in-time
style, in an attempt to increase collaboration and informal interaction between coworkers
(Millward, Haslam, & Postmes, 2007; Bennett, Owers, Pitt, & Tucker, 2010).

Attempts to increase collaboration by decreasing territoriality should be made with caution,

as users may react negatively to loss of territory. Territorial behavior and personalization of
a workstation may set boundaries around a user, which leads others to view them as
unapproachable and limits opportunities for collaboration (Brown, 2009).

Figure 7: Personalization criteria in real life (Source: https://www.l-2-design.com/territoriality/)

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Personalization and territoriality have been well-researched in traditional workplaces, but

there is less work on how personalization is used to mark territory in offices that are ostensibly
non-territorial. Cowork spaces offer this interesting tension between territoriality and
personal expression. Members can choose their cowork space, as well as their own working
hours, attire, and break times. But cowork spaces often do not offer as much territory or
personal expression as an assigned desk in a traditional office. Members must take most of
their belongings with them, or put them in storage, at the end of the day, leaving them with
fewer opportunities to make their mark (Hartjes Gosselink, 2009; Pitt & Bennett, 2008).

2.1.6 Social Capital

Community participation is acknowledged as one major building block of social capital
(Onyx & Bullen, 2000). Physical co-location and organizational coordination both have the
potential to increase social capital between individuals. As individuals come into repeated
contact with one another and work towards common goals, network ties strengthen. These
stronger, persistent ties facilitate future coordination in times of community need or crisis
(Pretty, 2003; Pelling & High, 2005). Social capital has been linked to effective management
of a community’s environmental resources, as well as health outcomes, economic benefits, and
resilience to disaster (Kawachi, Kim, Coutts, & Subramanian, 2004; Hawkins & Maurer, 2010).

Most theorists categorize social capital into three types: bonding, bridging, and linking.
Bonding refers to ties between people with similar experiences and backgrounds.
Bridging refers to ties between people or groups with different traits, skills, and/or
experiences. Linking refers to vertical power associations between actors at different levels of
the same community. In terms of building resilience, bridging ties are the most robust and
beneficial to both individuals and their communities (Kawachi, Kim, Coutts, & Subramanian,
2004; Putnam, 1995)

McPherson (2004) conceives of a person’s possible social network connections as falling

into a multidimensional unit, which he terms Blau space. Just as an increase in physical
distance can decrease the likelihood of social interaction between two people, so does an
increase in Blau space – as calculated by the number of characteristics, or nodes, that the
people have in common.
Nodes can include age, gender, and workplace – in this case, cowork space. Neutens et
al (2013) extend this concept by viewing Blau space and personal nodes as representing
potential connections, and they theorize that even the potential for new network ties can build
social capital, given the correct preconditions.
Following Allen and Fusfeld’s (1975) work, research found strong links between-

 Spatial closeness,
 Collaboration,
 Information sharing, and
 Social network ties in a variety of settings (Sailer, 2007; Wineman, Kabo, & Davis,
2009; Conti & Doreian, 2010).

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Cowork spaces, anecdotally, are hotbeds of collaboration for exactly these reasons: they
allow workers with a variety of skills and experiences to develop these new close network
ties through spatial and visual proximity. When these ties form, they increase the social
capital of individuals, as well as the community as a whole.

Because they are spaces in which a wide variety of individuals come together to share
workspace and resources, cowork spaces offer high potential for forming all three types of ties
needed for a strong network of social capital (Capdevila, 2013).

Members who might never otherwise meet come together in the space and, through the
combined effect of working in close physical proximity and sharing similar goals and values
(regarding membership in the space, at minimum), form a new node in the social network of
the community. This, in turn, increases their points of contact within Blau space and
increases the potential activity in their network for both themselves and their associated
network ties.

2.1.7 Space allocation

Key understanding required – 1
Steps for the study:

 Nature of work. If most of the work day is spent on field assignments, meetings, site visits and
consultations, a smaller office space may be satisfactory. However, for office workers who
perform their job at their workstation most of the time, a small space may create discomfort due
to feelings of confinement.
Some job functions that, for example, include frequent meetings in their office space or require
the use of multiple sources of material for consultation, research, writing, etc. or require
multiple pieces of equipment (e.g., multiple computer monitors) may be assigned more work
space.
 Cultural aspects influence our perception of sufficient space. For North Americans including
Canadians, as well as northern Europeans "adequate" personal space is an important factor. For
people from other cultures often associated with dense population, much less space could be
considered "adequate", or in other words, enough. This can be a significant issue in a multi-
cultural society such as Canada.
 A corporate climate. Our perception of a designated personal space is a matter of comparison.
Employees generally accept the fact that those at higher levels in management positions may
have larger offices. However, regardless of how large an individual's space actually is - if it is
not as big as what our peers have - then, it is too small.
 Individual perception. The amount of space available can have profound psychological
meaning. It is natural for people to strive to occupy more space, for "more" space may signify
importance, respect and more authority or power. In the workplace the amount of our personal
space is often linked with our status within the organization.
 Anthropometry (body dimensions). Actual office space requirements depend on the size and
shape of employees simply because an office has to accommodate them, enable them to move
safely and unhindered in the workspace, and allow them to complete their jobs.

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2.1.8 Types of office spaces

Work spaces in an office are typically used for conventional office activities such as reading,
writing and computer work. There are nine generic types of work space, each supporting
different activities.

 Open office: An open work space for more than ten people, suitable for activities which
demand frequent communication or routine activities which need relatively little concentration.
 Team space: A semi-enclosed work space for two to eight people; suitable for teamwork which
demands frequent internal communication and a medium level of concentration
 Cubicle: A semi-enclosed work space for one person, suitable for activities which demand
medium concentration and medium interaction.

Figure 8: Symbols depicting 'open office', 'team space' and 'cubicle'

 Private office: An enclosed work space for one person, suitable for activities which are
confidential, demand a lot of concentration or include many small meetings
 Shared office: An enclosed work space for two or three people, suitable for semi-concentrated
work and collaborative work in small groups
 Team room: An enclosed work space for four to ten people; suitable for teamwork which may
be confidential and demands frequent internal communication

Figure 9: Symbols Depicting 'Private Office', 'Shared Office' And 'Team Room'

 Study booth: An enclosed work space for one person; suitable for short-term activities which
demand concentration or confidentiality
 Work lounge: A lounge-like work space for two to six people; suitable for short-term activities
which demand collaboration and/or allow impromptu interaction

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 Touch down: An open work space for one person; suitable for short-term activities which
require little concentration and low interaction

Figure 10: Symbols Depicting 'Study Booth', 'Work Lounge' And 'Touch Down'

Meeting spaces in an office typically use interactive processes, be it quick conversations or

intensive brainstorms. There are six generic types of meeting space, each supporting different
activities.

 Small meeting room: An enclosed meeting space for two to four persons, suitable for both
formal and informal interaction
 Large meeting room: An enclosed meeting space for five to twelve people, suitable for formal
interaction
 Small meeting space: An open or semi-open meeting space for two to four persons; suitable
for short, informal interaction

Figure 11: Symbols Depicting 'Small’ and 'Large meeting rooms’; 'Small Meeting Space’

 Large meeting space: An open or semi-open meeting space for five to twelve people; suitable
for short, informal interaction
 Brainstorm room: An enclosed meeting space for five to twelve people; suitable for brain-
storming sessions and workshops
 Meeting point: An open meeting point for two to four persons; suitable for informal meetings

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Figure 12: Symbols Depicting 'Large Meeting Space', 'Brainstorm Room' and 'Meeting Point'

Support spaces in an office are typically used for secondary activities such as filing documents or
taking a break. There are twelve generic types of support space, each supporting different activities.

 Filing space: An open or enclosed support space for the storage of frequently used files
 Storage space: An open/enclosed support space for storage of commonly used office supplies
 Print and copy area: An open or enclosed support space for printing, scanning and copying

Figure 13: Symbols Depicting 'Filing Space', 'Storage Space' And 'Print and Copy Area'

Figure 14: Symbols Depicting 'Mail Area', 'Pantry Area' and 'Break Area'

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 Mail area: An open/semi-open support space where employees pick up/deliver personal mails
 Pantry area: An open/enclosed support space where people get coffee, tea as well as soft
drinks and snacks
 Break area: A semi-open/enclosed support space where employees take break from their work

Figure 15: Symbols Depicting 'Locker Area', 'Smoking Room' and 'Library'

 Locker area: An open or semi-open support space where employees can store their belongings
 Smoking room: An enclosed support space where employees can smoke a cigarette
 Library: A semi-open or enclosed support space for reading of books, journals and magazines

Figure 16: Symbols Depicting 'Games Room', 'Waiting Area' and 'Circulation Space'

 Games room: An enclosed support space where employees can play games (e.g. computer
games, pool, darts)
 Lactation room: as of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a requirement for
companies in the United States.
 Waiting area: An open or semi-open support space where visitors can be received and can
wait for their appointment
 Circulation space: Support space required for circulation on office floors, linking major spaces

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2.2 STANDARDS:
2.2.1 Standard space allocation:

The standard space allocation in leased office space is average of 215 rentable square feet per
person. (GA and BOMA Standard Methods for Measuring Floor Area in Office Buildings).

Table 1: Standard space allocation per person (in RSF/person)

Average workstation size (ratio of 10% private offices and 90% open space 80
cubicles)
Support space: reception, conference, meeting, equipment, copy, etc. 40
Special areas (see Table 2) As needed (to 19)
Total Program Space 139

Internal office circulation (40% of Total Program Space) 56

Common areas: building lobbies, utility rooms, stairs, elevators, etc. 20
Total Space Allocation per person 215
Additional space also known as Special Area Allowance may be required to meet program
needs. When requesting additional space, agencies should categorize their needs using the list
below. Each category must be fully justified.

Table 2: Average space allocations for special occasions

Class and testing rooms Actual space required

Laboratories Actual space required
Libraries Actual space required
Public auditoriums Actual space required
Oversized reception areas Actual space required
Other* Actual space required
*Other includes elements such as: interview rooms, lunch/break rooms, mail room, telecom room
and central file rooms.
Rentable square footage = (40% internal circulation) + (10% non-assignable external
Common areas) + Estimate

For the purpose of estimating the. To meet the Space Allocation standard, the total ‘Rentable
square footage’ should come to approximately 215 square feet per person. However, the allocation
of amount of working space for offices, and for workplaces in general, is complex and difficult to
find standards that would apply to all kinds of work situations. This fact is why existing standards
and guidelines similar to the ones mentioned here specify only the general requirements, if any.

Table 3: Minimum requirement ranges for all users

Application Minimum Requirement

ranges*

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Two people can meet in an office with a table or desk 60”-72” x 90”- 152-183cm x
between them – such as a supervisor and an employee 126” 228-320 cm
A worker has a primary desk, and a second surface such as a 60”-72” x 60”- 152-183cm x
credenza or a filling cabinet. 84” 152-213 cm
Executive office: 3-4 people can meet around a desk 105”-130” x 267-330cm x
96”-123” 244-313cm
A basic workstation such as a call center 42”-52” x 60”- 107-132cm x
72” 152-183cm

Note: All sizes are from Panero, Julius and Zelnic, Martin. Human Dimensions & Interior Space,
New York: Whitney Library of Design, 1979. (Although this is an old reference, no recent
information was found that would change these recommended values.)

The CSA Standard "Z412-17 Office Ergonomics – An application standard for workplace
ergonomics" provides general recommendations, including that each office worker should have
sufficient space to carry out his or her tasks safely and comfortably.

The amount of space needed for any one individual is determined by considering:

 Reach – being able to place equipment and work materials according to importance and
frequency of use
 working height – placed according to visual or task activities
 sequence of use – how items are used within the workspace
 movement within the area
 communication needs
 safety
 access for maintenance

Other items to be considered, include:

 various tasks performed

 overall size of the work surface
 Other furniture required, such as visitor's chair, filing cabinets, etc.
 storage needs
 how the furniture will be arranged and put together

The "Government of Canada Workplace 2.0 Fit-up Standards" as published by Public Works
and Government Services Canada (2012, and updated in 2017) created 4 worker profiles and
corresponding work space based on the amount of time spent at the workstation:

 Leadership Worker: 10 m² – maximum of 18.5 m². Leadership workers can be allocated an

enclosed office but it is not mandatory and it is an allowance not an entitlement. Examples:
Director, Director General or higher.

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 Fixed Worker: maximum of 4.5 m². Employees who are at their desk more than 60% of the
day. Examples: policy analyst, administrative assistant, call/contact centre operator, translator.
 Flexible Worker: maximum of 3.0 m². Employees who are at their desk approximately 40% of
the day. Examples: account executive, auditor, analyst, administrator, manager, knowledge
worker, inspector, translator.
 Free Address Worker: maximum of 1.5 m². The nature of the employees’ work does not
require them to have an individual dedicated workstation in the office. They generally work off
site, and will only drop in for short amounts of time on a periodic basis to meet with colleagues,
or to discuss projects. Examples: client service specialists, consultants, remote workers,
inspector, regional employees, full-time teleworkers. It should be noted that the free address
workstations are not assigned to any specific employee.

The workstations may vary in size up to the maximum, and the actual dimensions and
configuration will vary depending on the site, functional requirements, and availability of space.

The height of the panels recommended for workspace separation is a maximum of 1.37 m
(54") stating that lower panels allow for increased light distribution and airflow and provide seated
privacy. The Fit-up standards also state that "the reduced amount of space used for individual
workstations provides clients with the flexibility to create collaborative, teaming and open meeting
spaces".
Key understanding required – 2:
Workstation sizes and the ratio of enclosed offices to open workstations have the
strongest correlation to space allocation rate efficiency. We have consistently found that the
companies with smaller workstation standards and lower ratios of offices to workstations have
the lowest space allocation rates.

More “We” space and less “Me” space. There is a correlation between the proportion of
space that is dedicated to individually assigned spaces and spaces for collaboration. Companies
and organizations in the Technology, Law Enforcement, and A/E sectors are reducing the
amount of spaces for individuals in exchange for more spaces that promote employee interaction
and collaboration.

Of all the case studies included in this report, Public Sector organizations have higher
space standards than Private Sector companies in terms of average space allocation rate,
office size, and workstation size. However, Public Sector organizations have explored higher
levels of mobility.
The average space savings is estimated by dividing the total USF by number of seats versus
headcount assigned to a site. Organizations are leveraging underutilized workstations and/or
offices to increase workspace utilization, reduce real estate waste, and create more energetic
office environments.

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Table 4: Ratios and USF per person

S.No Name of sector Average seat Per every __personnel

1) Public sector organizations 1 Per every 1.23 personnel
2) Private sector organizations 1 Per every 1.01 personnel

Estimated average space allocation rate for workplace 35 USF per person
mobility programs

Figure 17: Legend for Space Allocation Rate Graph

Figure 18: Average office size and Space Allocation Rate graph

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2.2.2 Anthropometric data

Figure 19: Work Station 1

Table 5: Description for Figure 19

Feet and Inches Meters Description

30” x 60” 0.75 x 1.52 Primary work surface
18” x 42” 0.45 x 1.07 Secondary work surface
Number of items Names
1 Guest chair
3 to 4 File drawers
0 to 2 Shelves
Total 5.20sq.m (56sq.ft.)

Task Profile: Typewriter the primary tool for processing paper.

 Continued flow of material is processed as it arrives at the workspace and is passed on to
either another function or to group storage.
 Storage for permanent files and reference material minimal.
 Reference material access may be frequent. Tasks may require concentration. Limited
conferencing required at the workspace.
 Need to see and hear coworkers or sub-ordinates of secondary priority.

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Figure 20: Workstation – 2

Figure 21: Workstation – 3

Table 6: Description for Figure: 20 and Figure: 21

Feet and Inches Meters Description

30” x 60” 0.75 x 1.52 Primary work surface
18” x 42” 0.45 x 1.07 Secondary work surface
Number of items Names
No Secondary work surface for Figure:14
No Shelves for both
2 Guest chairs
3 to 4 File drawers
Total 6.03sq.m (65sq.ft.)

Task Profile: Same as Workstation-1+ conferencing requirements at individual workstation.

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Figure 22: Workstation – 4

Task Profile: Processing paper on work surface with quick turnaround.
 Continued flow of material is processed as it arrives at the workspace and is passed on to
either another function or to group storage.
 Storage for permanent files and reference material minimal.
 Reference material accessed infrequently. Telephone tasks may require concentration

Figure 23: Cabinets arrangement

Task Profile: Typewriter the primary tool for processing paper.
 Continued flow of material is processed as it arrives at the workspace and is passed on to
either another function or to group storage.
 Storage for permanent files and reference material minimal.
 Reference material access may be frequent. Tasks may require concentration.
Table 7: Description for Figure: 22 and Figure: 23

Feet and Inches Meters Description

30” x 60” 0.75 x 1.52 Primary work surface
18” x 42” 0.45 x 1.07 Secondary work surface
Number of items Names
No Secondary work surface for Figure:16
No Guest chairs
3 to 4 File drawers
0 to 2 Shelves
Total 3.80sq.m (41sq.ft.)

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in Cm
A 90-126 228.6-320.0
B 30-36 76.2-91.4
C 30-48 76.2-121.9
D 6-12 15.2-30.5
E 60-72 152.4-182.9
F 30-42 76.2-106.7
G 14-18 35.6-45.7
H 16-20 40.6-50.8
I 18-22 45.7-55.9
J 18-24 45.7-61.0
K 6-24 15.2-61.0
L 60-84 152.4-213.4
M 24-30 61.0-76.2
N 29-30 73.7-76.2
O 15-18 38.1-45.7

Figure 24: Basic workstation with Visitor Seating Table 8: Measurements for Figure 24

in Cm
A 26-27 66.0-66.6
B 14-20 35.6-50.8
C 7.5 min. 19.1 min.
D 29-30 73.7-76.2
E 7 min. 17.8 min.
F 18-24 45.7-61.0
G 46-58 116.8-147.3
H 30-36 76.2-91.4
I 42-50 106.7-127.0
J 18-22 45.7-55.9
K 60-72 152.4-182.9
L 76-94 193.0-238.8
M 94-118 238.8-299.7

Figure 25: Basic 'U'-Shaped Workstation Table 9: Measurements for Figure 25

Floating or free standing workstations tend to utilize more floor area than workstations placed
against a wall or sharing the same wall panel. Clustering of workstations will ultimately result in the
use of less floor area, but at the expenses of major ergonomic consideration.

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Figure 26: Furniture Arrangement and Circulation for 1 or 2 people

Figure 27: Furniture Arrangement and Circulation for 4 persons

Figure 28: Furniture Arrangement and Circulation for 2 Seats

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Figure 29: Furniture Arrangement and Circulation for 2 Seats

Depending upon function, the sizes of the individual and multiple workstations vary dramatically.
Size of workstation, length and depth of return, chair size, and circulation patterns all influence the
gross square footage requirements.

Figure 30: Furniture Arrangement and Circulation for 8 Seats

Figure 31: Furniture Arrangement and Circulation for 4 Seats

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Figure 32: Furniture Arrangement and Circulation for 2 Seats

Figure 33: Furniture Arrangement for 6 Seats and Executive/Manager’s Cabin

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2.2.2.1 Executive workstations

Table 10: Description for Figure 28

in Cm in Cm
A 30-39 76.2-99.1 K 6-16 15.2-40.6
B 66-84 167.6-213.4 L 20-26 50.8-66.0
C 21-28 53.3-71.1 M 12-15 30.5-38.1
D 24-28 61.0-71.1 N 117-148 297.2-375.9
E 23-29 58.4-73.7 O 45-61 114.3-154.9
F 42 min. 106.7 min. P 30-45 76.2-114.3
G 105-130 266.7-330.2 Q 12-18 30.5-45.7
H 30-45 76.2-114.3 R 29-30 73.7-76.2
I 33-43 83.8-109.2 S 22-32 55.9-81.3
J 10-14 25.4-35.6

Figure 34: Executive Desk/Visitor Seating

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Figure 35: Private Office, Circular Executive Desk Circulation

Figure 36: Circular Lounge Group Seating

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Figure 37: Private Office-a

Figure 38: Private Office-b

Figure 39: Private Office-c

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Figure 40: Private Office-d

The private offices illustrated in these figures reflect middle to senior management functional,
as well as status and requirements. Each office layout should be carefully reviewed with the client
to ensure that all programmatic functions have been met. Offices of this size do not easily
accommodate an independent conference function.

Figure 41: Spacious Private Office room

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Figure 42: Sitting and Working Posture or Angles on Computers or Laptops

Figure 43: Top view for a person working on a Computer, Shown angles and in case of two monitor
usage at once
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Figure 44: Elevation of adjustable desk for working on a counter or to sit and work

2.2.2.2 Conference room

Figure 45: Plan, Ergonomics factor plan and Elevation of a furniture unit
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Figure 46: Square Conference Table

Figure 47: Circular Conference Table

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Figure 48: Round and Square Table Sizes for Desk or Conference purpose

Figure 49: Variation in Conference/Meeting Room Furniture Arrangements

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2.2.2.3 Reception

Figure 50: Receptionist's Workstation/Counter Height

Figure 51: Receptionist’s Workstation/Desk Heights

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2.2.2.4 Waiting areas

Figure 52: Seating Arrangements for Waiting Halls

2.2.2.5 Workstations
 Workstation layouts are suggested only. Actual configurations should take program needs
into consideration.
 Workstation panels are shown at nominal 3” thickness. Exact panel thickness should be
confirmed by designer/architect prior to space planning.
 In order to optimize the daylighting and ventilation, the height of the workstation partitions
should be limited. It is recommended to utilize panel heights of 3’6” (42”) to a maximum of
5’4” (64”). Use of taller “Open Frame” and glazed panels can be effective for daylighting
but may restrict ventilation.
 It is recommended to utilize electronic files to reduce the amount of paper files stored at
individual workstations.
 Usable square footage is measured as the actual open space with the panels.
 Minimum 42” clear aisles should be maintained.
 When feasible, perimeter aisles should be provided. Especially along exterior window walls.


2.2.2.6 Options
Filing: File cabinets (standard or lateral), suggested configurations as measured by the total
linear inches (i.e., cabinet width x number of drawers).

Storage: Overhead (desk or panel mounted) units may include under cabinet task lighting.
Measured by total linear inches.

Work surface: Total linear width of individual surfaces, measured at centerline. Optional increased
work surfaces shown as dashed lines.
Extra seating: As required.
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2.2.2.7 Pantry/ Kitchens/eateries with seating spaces

Source for all following images: T.S.S. Architectural Design Data (unless otherwise mentioned)

Figure 53: Heights for Working in the Kitchen

Table 11: Description for Figure 53, 54 and 55

in Cm in Cm
A 48min. 121.9 min. J 96 – 101.5 243.8 – 257.8
B 40 101.6 K 18.5 – 21 61 – 69.9
C 15 38.1 min. L 24 – 26 61 – 66
D 21-30 53.3 – 76.2 M 30 76.2
E 1-3 2.5 – 7.6 N 60min. 152.4 min.
F 15min. 38.1 min. O 35 – 36.25 88.9 – 92.1
G 19.5 – 46 49.5 – 116.8 P 24 min. 61 min.
H 12min. 30.5 min. Q 35 max. 88.9 max.
I 17.5 max. 44.5 max.

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Figure 54: Top View for Working in the Kitchen with Each Cabinet Depths

Figure 55: Range Center Section

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Figure 56: Kitchen Layout - 1

Figure 57: U-Shaped Plans, if dishwasher is desired, it should be located at sink center

Figure 58: Corridor kitchen layout plan

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Figure 59: Broken U-shaped plans

Figure 60: Minimum counter frontage for combined work centers

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Figure 61: Triangle Rule for Kitchen Planning

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2.2.2.8 Restrooms

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Table 12: Toilet fixtures number (Source: NBC)

S.No. Type of Men Women

Building
1) Public buildings, No. of No. of Urinals may be No. of No. of 1 for ea.
offices, business persons fixtures provided in persons fixtures 75
mercantile, each sex used toilet rooms in persons
storage; 1-15 1 lieu of water
warehouses, 16-35 2 closets but for 1-20 1
factories and 36-55 3 not more than 21-40 2
institutional 56-80 4 ½ of the 42-60 3
employees 81-110 5 required 61-90 4
111-150 6 number of 91-125 5
1 fixture for ea. water closets 1 fixture for the
additional 40 when more personal use of
persons than 35 kitchen
persons employees
S.No. Type of room Men Women
1) Kitchens for public 1 lavoratory for the 1 machine or a 3 compartment sink
or employees dining personal use of kitchen for effective washing of all culinary,
employees dishes and glasses before re-use

Figure 62: Handicapped washrooms

Typical back to back male/female washroom stalls using partition mounted units to accommodate a
handicapped stall and one standard stall. If room permits, grab bars should be placed on all three
sides, resulting in a ‘U’-shaped configuration. Most codes require toilet stall doors to open
outwards.

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2.2.3 Examples of workstations

 Circulation: All pathways connecting programmatic spaces, including offices, workstations,
support spaces, entry and elevator lobbies, and egress locations.
 Desk-sharing: The practice of leveraging individual workspaces by reducing the total
number of seats per assigned headcount.
 There are many different desk-sharing strategies, such as free address, hoteling, and shared-
owned settings.
 Free-address: The practice of providing temporary seating to employees on a first-come,
first-served basis. Free address work settings do not need to be reserved through a formal
reservation system.

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 Head count (HC): The total number of employees, including full-time, part-time, interns,
and contractors, that work at a designated office location.
 Hoteling: The practice of providing temporary seating to employees on an as-needed basis
through a formal reservation system.
 Mobility ratio: The proportion of seats per headcount assigned to a specific facility location.

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 Mobility v/s Telework: Mobility refers to an employee’s ability to work freely inside and
outside the office. Mobility also encompasses all remote work that is functionally required
for a job. Telework is a sub-set of Mobility in which an employee works specifically at
home or at a satellite work location near the employee’s home.

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 Net square feet (NSF): The total area of workspaces (office and workstations), dedicated
support (conference, supply, etc.) and shared support (entry lobby, shared floor support,
break rooms, etc.). Does not include primary or secondary circulation, building core, and
common building support spaces. The NSF measures the area contained within the outline
of each identified program space. Example: the Net Area (NSF) of an 8’ x 8’ workstation is
64 NSF.

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 Space allocation rate: The total usable area of an organization divided by the total number of
personnel (includes all full-time and part-time employees, interns, and any contractors that
occupy space. Personnel excludes contractors that service the space, such as janitors and
security guards).
 Space allocation ratio: Proportion of space, measured in Net Square Feet (NSF), dedicated
to offices, workstations, collaboration space, general support, social support, and mission
specific spaces.
 Usable square feet (USF): Area of a floor occupied by a tenant area which is where a tenant
normally houses personnel and/or furniture.
 Utilization rate: The average usage of a space, often measured as a percentage of the total
period that the space is available for use, such as the organization’s business hours. This
term is often misconstrued as “Space Allocation Rate.”

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Area statements:

S.No Requirements Area Statements

1) Typical President' s office or 200 to 400 sq. ft. (3 to 5 windows in length)

Chairman of the Board

2) Typical Vice-President' s Office 150 to 250 sq. ft. (3 to 4 windows in length)

3) Typical Executive' s Office 90 to 150 sq. ft. (2 widows in length)

4) Open Space Workstations Benches or cubicles 60 to 110 sq. ft. per person

5) Work Group Areas 80 to 100 sq. ft. per person

6) Quiet Room (also, Health care – Allow 1-100 sq. ft. quiet room for every 10 open
rest areas) space or work group workstations

7) Conference Rooms 15 sq. ft. per person: theatre style

25 to 30 sq. ft. per person: conference seating

8) Mail Room 8 to 9 ft. wide with 30" counters on either side.

Length depends upon amount of usage

9) Reception Area 125 to 200 sq. ft. Receptionist and 2 - 4 people

200 to 300 sq. ft. Receptionist and 6 - 8 people

10) File Room 7 sq. ft. per file with a 3' to 4' aisle width

11) Library Allow 12" for bookshelf width

175 to 450 sq. ft. with seating for 4 - 6

12) Lunch Rooms 15 sq. ft. per person, not including kitchen.
Kitchen should be 1/3 seating area

13) ADA Restroom within the space 55 sq. ft. for a single-seat and 30 sq. ft. for
each additional seat
OSHA Quantity Standards

14) Corridors within the space 20% to 30% of the total usable area

15) Coat Closets 1 lineal ft. for 4 coats

16) Pantry/ Kitchen 3m x 2m = 6sq.m minimum

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17) Lounge areas 2m x 3m = 6sq.m minimum

18) Parking (Angles 30,45 or 90 degrees), 3m x 2.5m for two

wheelers; 4m x 5m for four wheelers

19) Watchman cabin 2m x 1.5m minimum

20) Staff rooms 20sq.m + restroom, 15sq.m without restroom

min.

21) Service rooms HVAC room, Power-backup, Electrical room,etc.

22) Drinking Fountains 1 unit per 75 employees

23) Suggested Column Spacing 28' to 30' per bay

24) Suggested Window Mullion 4'6" to 5'. This determines office width
Spacing

2.2.4 Norms, Bye-laws and G.O.s

(I) Revised Master Plan 2015 - G.O. No UDD 540 BEM AA SE 2004

Zonal Regulations
1) Page 12: Table-2: Permissible Land uses in Commercial Category

C1 Offices/ clinics belonging to “Professional services" category and

self-owned not exceeding 50 sq.m

C3 Commercial and corporate offices

PSP Sub offices of utilities up to 50 sq.m

2) Page 18: Table-7: Space standards for various buildings/uses (2 way road)?

Common to all permissible zones Min. road width Minimum. Size of plot in sq.m

Office buildings (C3 and above) 12m 300

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3) Page 20: - Table-9: All around setbacks for buildings above 11.5 m height

Height of the bldg. (m) Front, rear and side setbacks (Min. in m)

Above 11.5m up to 15m 5.00

Above 15 m up to 18.0 m 6.00

Above 18.0 up to 21.0 m 7.00

Above 21 up to 24 m 8.00

4) Page 20-21: FAR or Floor Area Ratio (Total B U.)

Up to 360 sq.m Above 360 sq.m up to 4000 sq.m

Ring .1 As per existing FAR 0.25 additional FAR over the existing

Ring .2 As per existing FAR

Ring .3 As per existing FAR and Norms

5) Page 21: Ground coverage: The total area covered by building immediately above the plinth
level. Swimming pool, sump tank, pump house and electric substation, utilities are not included.
6) Page 24: Elevator (Lift) has to be provided for buildings with more than G+3 floors

7) Page 25: Rain water harvesting: Provision of Rain Water Harvesting is mandatory for all plots
which are more than 240 sq.m in extent.

8) Page 32: Commercial (Business): This zone comprises of areas in between MG Road, Brigade
Road, Residency Road, Madras Bank Road and St Marks Road and also areas between the traffic
island of Mayo hall, Magrath Road and Residency Road, Manipal Centre between MG Road and
Ulsoor Road. Some pockets in the III Ring have been demarcated as Commercial (Business) zone,
with the objective of supporting formation of secondary centers.
9) Page 32: Permissible land uses: Main land use category: C3
Other land uses permissible (as main land use): R, I-3, T3, U4
10) Page 32: Table-14: FAR and Ground Coverage in Commercial (Business) up to 12000 sq.m

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Road width (m) FAR Coverage

Less than 9 1.50 55 %

Above 9 and up to 12 1.75 50 %

Above 12 and up to 18 2.25 50%

11) Page 33: Commercial axes: The major and minor roads which have commercial activities
along them are recognized as commercial axes and are included within the zone. As these are part
of the residential zone through which they pass and the regulations applicable shall be that of the
main zone in which they are located with an exception to the permissible land uses of commercial
axes.

Permissible land use category: If the plot size is more than 240 sq.m and faces a road
width 15.0 m and above, C3, T2 and I-2 uses in addition to uses allowable in the respective
zone are permissible.

12) Page 38: Public Utilities (PU): These include energy, water, telecommunication, sub stations,
gas and gas lines, transformers, and microwave towers and solid waste management facilities such
as land fill sites.

Notes:

a. The buffer created for accommodating the utilities such as Power, Water Pipeline, Oil
pipelines, and High Voltage lines, gas lines and any other utilities. Each “buffer” is dictated by
technical standards specified by the competent authority.
b. The regulations for the above will be decided by the Authority.

c. In case of new developments, these shall remain as non-buildable areas and remain as
reservations and marked for the purpose intended. They may be considered for calculation of open
spaces within the schemes while approving building/development and layout plans.
d. For electrical networks, KPTCL standards are followed.

13) Page 46: Regulations for Non-Residential Development Plan and Flatted Factories:

a. 10% of the total area shall be reserved for Parks and Open Spaces, which shall be
maintained by the owner to the satisfaction of the Authority.
b. Parking area requirements shall be as applicable vide Table no: 23. An additional 5% of
the plot area shall be reserved for surface parking.
c. FAR is calculated based on entire sitial area excluding the area reserved for Park and
Open Spaces.

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14) Page 48: Table-23: Parking requirements

Type of use One car parking of 2.5m x 5.5m each shall be

provided for every

Office buildings (Gov./Semi-Govt.& Pvt) 50 sq.m of floor area

Additional parking for part area shall be provided when the part area exceeds 50%
of the prescribed limits/standards.

15) Page 49: Parking provision on multi-level or on any number of floors:

i) Access Ramps, elevators, escalators to the upper floors or terrace floor shall not
be provided in the setback area and ramps to be within the plinth area of the building and
shall be exempt from FAR calculation.

ii) Car Parking shall not be provided in the setback areas. If provided, a minimum of
3.0 m shall be left free from the building in case of G+3 buildings and a minimum of 6.0 m
in case of buildings which are G+4 or more

16) Page 51: Safety Measures against Earthquake: Buildings with ground plus four floors and
above or buildings with a height of 15 m and above shall be designed and constructed adopting the
norms prescribed in the National Building Code and in the “Criteria for earthquake resistant
design of structures” bearing No. IS 1893-2002, published by BIS.

17) Page 52: Table-24: Width and number of exits for various occupancies: Stair or corridor

Type of Occupancy Min. width in m Multiplier Exit Multiplier

Business and Industrial 1.5 0.067 0.067

No deductions shall be made in the gross area of the corridors, closets or other subdivisions; all
space serving the particular assembly occupancy shall be reckoned - NBC

18) Page 56: Appendix-1: Table-26: Building lines specified for various roads
Indiranagar 100 ft. road - 3.0 m from the edge of road
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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(II) Karnataka Municipalities Model Building Bye-Laws 2017

Government Order No. UDD 14 TTP 2017 (P-4) 2017, Bengaluru, Dated 30.10.2017

Model Building Bye-Laws

1) Page 6: Floor Area Ratio = Total floor area of all the floors / Plot Area
[Page 20-23: General Building requirements and services]
2) Plinth:

a) The height of the plinth shall be not less than 450mm from the surrounding ground level
b) Every interior courtyard shall be raised at least 150 mm above the determining ground level
and shall be satisfactorily drained.

3) Habitable rooms:

a) The clear height of all rooms for human habitation shall not be less than 2.75 m
b) Minimum clear headway under any beam shall not be less than 2.4m
c) In the case of air-conditioned rooms, a height of not less than 2.4m measured from the
surface of the floor to the lowest point of air-conditioning duct or the false ceiling shall be
provided.
d) The area shall not be less than 9.5Sqm, where there is only 1 room with a min. width of
2.4m.
e) For 2 rooms, one of these shall not be less than 9.5Sq.m and the other not less than 7.5Sq.m,
with a minimum width of 2.1m.

4) Kitchen:

a) Height shall not be less than 2.75 m, except for the portion to accommodate floor trap of the
upper floor.
b) The area of a kitchen where separate dining area is provided shall be not less than 5.0Sq.m
with a minimum width of 1.8m.
c) Where there is a separate store, the area of the kitchen may be reduced to 4.5Sq.m.
d) Including dining area also, shall have a floor area of not less than 7.5 Sq.m with a minimum
width of 2.1m.
e) Means for the washing of kitchen utensils which shall lead directly or through a sink to a
grated and trapped connection to the waste pipe
f) An impermeable floor, a flue, if necessary.

5) Bathrooms and Water Closets:

a) Height shall not be less than 2.1m from lowest point of the ceiling.
b) At least one of its walls shall face a shaft or open space
c) Not be directly over or under any room other than another water-closet, washing place, bath
or terrace, unless it has a water-tight floor.
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d) Be enclosed by walls or partitions and the surface of every such wall or partition shall be
finished with a smooth impervious material to a height of not less than 1 m above the floor
of such a room.
e) Impervious floor covering, sloping towards the drain with a suitable grade and not towards
verandah or any other room.
f) Have a window or ventilator, opening to a shaft or open space, of area not less than 0.3Sq.m
with side not less than 0.3m.
g) No such room shall open directly into any kitchen or cooking space by a door or window.

6) Loft:

a) The minimum head-room of loft shall be 2.2m height.

b) A loft in a habitable room shall not cover more than 25 percent of the area of the floor on
which it is constructed.
c) It shall not interfere with the ventilation of the room under any circumstances.

7) Store room:

a) The height of a store room shall be not less than 2.1m.

8) Basement:

a) Every basement shall be in every part at least 2.4 m in height from the floor to the underside
of the roof slab/beam joists and at any part shall not exceed 4.5m in height.
b) Adequate ventilation shall be provided for the basement, including mechanical ventilation in
the form of blowers, exhaust fans, air-conditioning systems, etc. if required.
c) Maximum height at the top of the roof slab of the basement floor shall not be more than
1.2m above the average surrounding ground level.
d) Surface drainage does/should not enter the basement.
e) The walls and floors of the basement shall be watertight.
f) The access to the basement shall be separate from the main and alternative staircase
providing access and exit from higher floors.
g) Where the staircase is continuous in the case of buildings served by more than one
staircase, the same shall be of enclosed type serving as a fire separation from the basement
floor and higher floors.

9) Chimneys:

a) They shall be built at least 0.9 m above flat roofs, provided the top of the chimneys is not
below the top of the adjacent parapet wall. In the case of sloping roofs, the chimney top
shall not be less than 0.6 m above the ridge of the roof in which the chimney penetrates.

10) Parapet:
a) Parapet walls and handrails provided on the edges of roof terraces, balcony, verandah, etc.
shall not be less than 1.0 m and not more than 1.2 m in height from the finished floor level.

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11) Boundary wall:

a) Maximum height of the compound wall shall be 1.5 m above the Centre line of the front
street.
b) Compound wall up to 2.4 m height may be permitted if the top 0.9 m is of open type
construction.

12) Roofs:

a) Effectively drain water by means of sufficient rain-water pipes.

b) Rain-water pipes shall be affixed to the outside of the external walls of the building or in
recesses or chases cut or formed in such external walls.
c) Part 9 ‘Plumbing Services, Section 1 Water Supply, Drainage and Sanitation (Including
Solid Waste Management)’ of NBC, 2016.

13) Page 24: Table-5.2: Staircase

a) Min. width : 1.5m

b) Min. thread: 300mm
c) Min. riser: 150mm limited to 12 per flight
d) Min. head room under landing stairs: 2m
e) Min. clear head room : 2.1m

14) Page 24: Table-5.3: Occupancy Load

a) Business and industrial: O L. per 100 sq.m of carpet area (in persons) 10.0

15) Page 24: Entrance or exits:

a) At least one primary entrance to each building shall be usable by individuals in wheelchairs
and shall be indicated by a sign.
b) At least one entrance usable by individuals in wheelchairs shall be on a level that would
make the elevators accessible.
c) Exits shall be so located so that the travel distance on the floor shall not exceed 30 meters
for business.
d) For fully sprinkler installed building, the travel distance may be increased by 50 percent of
the above values.
e) The travel distance to an exit from the dead end of the corridor, if applicable, shall not
exceed half the distance as stated above.
f) Table-5.4: Number of occupants per exit width
Group of occupancy Stairway Ramp Doors

Business 50 60 75

g) Min. width for passageway/corridors: 1.50m

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16) Page 25: Ramps:

a) )Ramps may also be provided in the setbacks to function as fire drive cum ramp for
basements, which can be sloped considering unhindered movement of fire engine and in no
case the gradient shall be steeper than 1 in 10 for Plains.
b) Structural design/safety aspects as per latest BIS Codes and NBC 2016 shall be complied
with.
c) Ramps shall lead directly to outside open space at ground level or courtyards or safe place.

17) Doorways:
a) Every doorway shall open into an enclosed stairway, a horizontal exit, on a corridor or
passageway providing continuous and protected means of egress.
b) No exit doorways shall be less than 1m in width.
c) Exit doors shall open outwards, that is away from the room but shall not obstruct the travel
along any exit.
d) No door when opened shall reduce the required width of stairway or landing to less than
0.90m Overhead or sliding door shall not be installed.
Note: In the case of buildings where there is a central corridor, the doors of rooms shall
open inwards to permit smooth flow of traffic in the corridor

e) Exit door shall not open immediately upon a flight of stairs.

f) A landing equal to at least, the width of the door shall be provided in the stairway at each
doorway.
g) Level of landings shall be the same as that of the floor, which it serves.
h) Exit doorways shall be open-able from the side, which they serve without the use of a key.
i) Revolving doors shall not to be provided as means of fire exit.
j) Mirrors shall not be placed in exit ways or exit doors to avoid confusion regarding the
direction of exit.

18) Page 25: Provision of exterior open spaces and height limitation around the building:

a) In case of High rise the driveway in exterior open spaces around a building shall be of green
or hard surface.
19) Page 26: Interior Open Space for Light and Ventilation:

a) The whole or part of one side of one or more rooms intended for human habitation and not
abutting on either the front, rear or side open spaces shall abut on an interior open space
whose minimum width in all directions shall be 3m in case of buildings not more than 15m
in height, and in case of high-rise buildings it shall have mandatory mechanical ventilation
in addition.

20) Page 26: Lighting and ventilation of rooms:

a) Rooms shall have, for the admission of light and air, one or more openings, such as
windows and ventilators, opening directly to the external air or into an open verandah.

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b) Functional Requirements of Buildings : SP 41 (1987): Handbook on Functional

Requirements of Buildings (Other than Industrial Buildings) [CED 12: Functional
Requirements in Buildings]
c) Lighting loads of various spaces: as per Clause 2, Part 4 of SP 41(1987)
d) Thermal comfort levels and design requirement of various spaces: Part 2 of SP 41 (1987)
e) The minimum aggregate area of openings: shall be not less than one-sixth of the floor area
Note: No portion of a room shall be assumed to be lighted, if it is more than 7.5m away
from the opening assumed for lighting that portion.
The area of openings shall be increased by 25% in the case of a kitchen.

All habitable rooms shall have light / air through openings not more than
2.40m in width.

For buildings with higher heights, the minimum dimensions of the internal courtyard
shall be as given in these Bye-Laws.
Refer to part-VII building services Section-1 lighting and Ventilation of NBC

f) Table-5.5: Size of Ventilation Shaft

Height of Building (m) Size of ventilation shaft (Sq.m) Min. size of shaft (m)

Up to 18.0 (from 12.0) 4.0 1.5

Up to 24.0 5.4 1.8

g) For fully air-conditioned buildings the ventilation shaft need not be insisted upon, however
the shaft is not mandatory in case of buildings where ventilation is mechanized.

21) Page 27: Building services:

a) Part7 Building Services, section–2 electrical installation, section–3 air conditioning and
heating, section-5 installation of lifts and escalators of National Building Code of India.
b) Part-9: Plumbing Services, Section-l Water supply, Drainage and sanitation (including
Solid Waste Management) and Section-2 Gas supply of NBC, 2016.

22) Page 27: Norms for differently-abled within segregated toilets:

a) One special W.C. in a set of toilet shall be provided for the use of differently abled persons,
with essential provision of wash basin near the entrance.
b) Minimum clear opening of the door shall be 900mm and the door shall swing out.
c) Suitable arrangement of vertical/horizontal handrails with 50mm clearance from wall shall
be made in the toilet.
d) The W.C. seat shall be 500mm from the floor.

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23) Page 27: Water requirement and facilities:

a) Water requirement for the facility may be worked out and enough storage for ½ day
operation is to be kept in storage.
b) If municipal water supply is reliable, the toilet blocks may have underground sump that can
store half a day requirement and overhead tanks for another half.
c) If not, toilet block may have its own water source and pump with or without underground
sump.
d) Alternatively, a hand tube well can be used for storing water in an elevated (not overhead)
tank.
e) To minimize the wastage of water, self-closing water taps should be used.
f) Traps should be of a 20mm water seal. (Use of 50mm water seal traps will require more
water for flushing.)
g) If toilet is to be linked to city sewer, a master trap has to be provided at the sewer connection
for waste water line (excluding soil line).

h) Page 28: Table-5.6: Consumption per day

Type of Building Domestic Per day Flushing Per Day Total Consumption
liter liter Per Day liter

Offices (including 25 per head 20 per head 45 per head

canteen)

Food court 25 per head 10 per head 35 per head

i) For Calculating water demand for visitors, consumption of 15 liter per head per day may be
taken.
j) Consideration should be given for seasonal average peak requirements.

k) Page 29: Table-5.7: Storage capacities (Ref. NBC 2016 Part 9, Section 1, Clause 4.4.10)
Sl. No. Description Storage Capacity

1) In case only OHT is provided, 33.33 to 50 percent of one day’s req.

2) In case only UGT is provided, 50 to 150 percent of one day’s req.

3) In case combined storage is provided,

a) For UGT 66.6 percent of one day’s requirement
33.3 percent of one day’s requirement
b) For OHT

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l) Page 29-30: Table-5.8: Sanitation Requirements for Office Building:

Sl. No. Fixtures Public Toilets Staff Toilets

Males Females Males Females

Executive Rooms and Conference Halls in Office Buildings

1) Toilet suite comprising Unit could be common for For individual office
one WC, one wash basin male / female or separate rooms
(with optional shower depending on the number
stall if building is used of user of each facility.
round the clock at user’s
option) Pantry optional
as per user requirement.

2) Water closets See note 1 per 25 1 per 15

3) Ablution tap with each 1 in each water closet

water closet

4) Urinals See note - Nil up to 6 -

1 for 7-20
2 for 21-45
3 for 46-70
4 for 71-100
From 101 to
200, add @3%
For over 200,
Add @ 2.5%

5) Wash basins See note 1 per 25 1 per 25

6) Drinking water fountain See note 1 per 100 1 per

100

7) Cleaner’s sink 1 per floor

NOTE: Staff and public toilet utilities are generally common in office buildings. Where
public toilets are to be provided independently, similar requirements as that of staff toilet
may be provided.

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24) Page 45-49: Chapter-7: Provisions for structural safety

a) Structural design and safety

b) Provision for natural hazard prone areas
c) General structural safety
d) Earthquake protection
e) Protection from landslide hazard
f) SDBR - Structural design basis report
g) Seismic strengthening / retrofitting
h) Buildings with soft storey
i) Review of structural design
j) Proof for checking requirements for structural design
k) Constructional safety
l) Maintenance of buildings
m) Alternative Materials, Methods of Design and Construction and Tests

25) Page 50-53: Chapter-9: Provision for differently-abled, elderly persons and children

a) Applicability
b) Guidelines and provisions
c) Types of buildings to adopt barrier free guidelines as notified by the state government
d) Buildings to be designed for Ambulant Disabled people.
e) Buildings to be designed for Non-Ambulant Disabled people.
f) Buildings to be designed for Non-Ambulant people (using small wheelchairs).
g) Site development
h) Access path / walkway
i) Parking
j) Building requirements
i) Approach to plinth level
ii) Ramped approach
iii) Stepped approach
iv) Exit / entrance door
v) Entrance landing
vi) Corridor connecting the entrance / exit for the differently abled
vii) Stairways
viii) Lifts
ix) Toilets
x) Provision for WCs in buildings with lift
xi) Toilet Details: For Toilets Designed for Ambulant Disabled
xii) Toilets Designed for Non-Ambulant Disabled Small Wheelchair
xiii) Toilets Designed for Non-Ambulant Disabled Using Large Wheelchair
k) Designing for children
l) Drinking water
m) Refuge
n) Proper signage

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26) Page 53-55: Chapter-10: Rainwater harvesting

a) Rainwater harvesting principle

b) Rainwater harvesting techniques
c) Harvesting provisions in various building categories
d) Groundwater recharge
e) Enforcement and monitoring

27) Page 55-58: Chapter-11: Green buildings and sustainability provisions

a) Provision for applicability for various plot size of residential or non-residential usage
b) Provisions for sanction of new buildings
c) Provision for site level greening
d) Water reuse and recycling
e) Roof top solar energy installations
f) Installation of Solar Assisted Water Heating System in Building
g) Sustainable Solid Waste Management
h) Sustainability of Building Materials
i) Sustainable Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Management
j) Various Guidelines for Green Rating System

28) Page 58-70: Chapter-12: Fire protection and fire safety requirements - NBC
a) Scope
b) Fire Resistance of Types of Constructions / Building Components
c) Means of access
d) Provisions of Exterior Open Spaces around the building
e) Exit Requirement
f) Fire Escapes or External Stairs
g) Ramps
h) Provision of lifts
i) Basement
j) Service ducts / refuge chute
k) Staircase and corridor lights
l) Air-conditioning
m) Alternate source of electric supply
n) Safety measures in electric substation
o) Fire protection requirements
p) Static water storage tank
q) Automatic sprinklers
r) Fixed Carbon dioxide /Foam/DCO water spray extinguishing system
s) Fire alarm system
t) Control room
u) Material used for construction of building
v) Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG
w) Housekeeping
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x) Smoking Restrictions
y) Fire prevention
z) Occupancy restrictions
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URDPFI – January 2015

Chapters – 5: Urban Planning Approach - important
6: Sustainability guidelines – green & energy
7: Simplified planning techniques – surveys
8: Infrastructure planning – important measurements, infra details
9: Simplified development promotion regulations – land use, means of access
(Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation Guidelines)
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1) Parking Ratio
Total rentable square footage of a property divided by the number of parking spaces; typically
expressed as a ratio of spaces per 1,000 square feet. As an example calculation, a 40,000 square foot
office building with 180 parking spaces has a parking ratio of 4.5 spaces per 1,000sf. Different
property types or tenant uses may require different parking ratios.

2) Solar panel canopies for parking

Solar canopies offer a set of advantages and benefits over conventional photovoltaic energy
installations. The main difference is that they are shelters that are installed into the ground, so you
do not need to have separate rooftop space available. As a result, solar canopies can be installed on
buildable surfaces, such as car parks or open areas.

Generally, canopies are installed in car parks as shelters over vehicles that also provide a
powerful source of solar photovoltaic energy. Taking advantage of areas of an installation where
other structures cannot be built is a way to reduce energy expenditure and dependency on the
electrical network.

As an additional feature, along with generating photovoltaic energy, the canopies can be
supplemented with an advanced charging system for electric vehicles. There are two models of
electric vehicle charging units: the first are charging boxes built into the structure (RVE-WB-CP1);
the second are external charge posts that can be freely located (RVE2-P). The entire system is
supported by powerful management software that enables you to carry out the electric energy
management of the installation and vehicle charging.

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Advantages:
› Shelters for vehicles.
› Generation of photovoltaic energy.
› Electric vehicle charging.
› Reduction of energy costs.
› Reduction of CO2 emissions associated with generating energy.

› Monitoring and supervision of the electricity consumption of the installation and the PV
generation

Requirements:

Service areas are an example of places that need more electric vehicle charging points, as
the current cars that run on electricity have a low fuel range. Solar canopies solve this problem in
that they are not only shelters for vehicles, but also include a charging system that uses renewable
energy, and they are preferred by users of electric vehicles.

In car parks at businesses and shopping centers, canopies bring great benefits to the
installation. They are an ideal solution for large employee car parks that can be found at many
companies, or for customers who park temporarily, providing shelter for vehicles and not taking up
additional space in the installation.

Modularity and scalability:

Solar canopies are flexible to meet customer needs. The different features and functionalities
can be combined to create a canopy that best suits the installation. The modularity of the structures
also allows them to be fully adapted to any type of installation, of any size. There are multiple
topologies to choose from with 2 or 3 parking spaces.

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Landscape details:
3) Tree

4) Plants:
The following criteria shall be considered in planting design:

 Plant Material
 Soil conditions
 Availability and quality of water
 Availability of sunlight
 Quality of air
 Maintenance
 Functional Aspects of Design with Plants
 Planting for Shelter and Soil Conservation
 Air Pollution Control by Plants
(a) Evergreen trees for:
(i) Places requiring shade throughout the year,

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(ii) Strong visual screening

(iii) Part of windbreak or shelter planting, and
(iv) Areas where leaf lifter is to be discouraged.
(b) Deciduous trees for:
(i) Greater visual variety,
(ii) Partial visual barrier,
(iii) Areas where under-planting is to be encouraged (for example grass),

5) Soil Conditions:
Physical as well as chemical properties of the available soil are important. These may or
may not be amenable to change; they would therefore affect the choice of plant material
considerably. Physical properties include consideration of light (for example sandy) and heavy (for
example clayey) soils, and their structure. Chemical properties pertain to the presence or absence of
nutrients and salts; soil, alkalinity or acidity.

6) Availability and Quality of Water:

The water requirement may be derived by data of humidity and rainfall of plants natural
habitat. The water table of the area where the plantation is to be done has a crucial bearing on the
design with plants as well as a financial implication for reduced maintenance if planted
appropriately.

7) Availability of Sunlight:
The growth rate of plants are directly related to sunlight availability; such as plants that
require: (a) Full sunlight,
(b) Partial sunlight,

(c) Predominantly shade, and

(d) Complete shade.

8) Quality of Air:
Growth may be affected by chemical pollutants such as sulphur dioxide or physical
pollution such as dust. Certain plants have the ability to withstand pollution, such plants are
imperative for industrial areas, roads, highways, etc.

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9) Maintenance:
The success of a designed landscape depends upon the growth of vegetation over an
extended period of time; therefore maintenance of landscape is also a design component.

10) Functional Aspects of Design with Plants:

(a) Improve existing environmental conditions with respect to soil, drainage, microclimate,
air pollution;
(b) Create a designed physical environment through the organization of open space; and

(c) Interpret and express the contemporary understanding of the man-nature relationship,
that is, design with plants on an ecological rather than horticulture basis.

11) Species suitable for wind breaks are (For design):

(a) For Dry and Arid Regions
(i) Acacia auriculiformis (Australian Blackwood)
(ii) Ailanthus excelsa (Maharukh)
(iii) Albizia lebbeck (Siris)
(iv) Azadirachta indica (Neem)
(v) Casuarina equisetifolia (Beef- wood)
(vi) Dalbergia sissoo (Sheesham)
(vii) Eugenia Jambolana (Jamun)
(viii) Grevillea robusta (Silver oak)
(ix) Peltophorum ferrugineum (Cooper pod)
(x) Tamarindus indica (Imli)
(xi) Pongamia glabra (Indian beech)
(xii) Tamarix articulate (Tamarisk)

12) Air pollution control by plants:

Effect of Plants: Plant leaves function as efficient gas exchange systems. Their internal
structure allows rapid diffusion of water-soluble gases. These characteristics allow the plant to
respire and photosynthesize, and they can also remove pollution from the air. Some of the beneficial
results of plantations may be:
(a) They are good absorbers of sulphur dioxide.
(b) Parks with trees have an SO2 level lower than city streets.
(c) Roadside hedges can reduce traffic generated air borne lead, on leeward side.

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(d) Heavy roadside planting in form of shelterbelts can result in-reduction in airborne lead.

(e) Complete dust interception can be achieved by a 30m belt of trees. Even a single row of
trees may bring about 25% reduction in airborne particulate.

13) Reduced Noise Pollution:

Noise pollution is an often overlooked problem. Excessive or unwanted sound has negative
physical and psychological effects. Noise can come from many sources, especially roads and
highways. Trees can play an important role in deadening unwanted noise. Sound waves are
absorbed by a tree’s leaves, branches, and twigs. Studies suggest that belts of trees 100’ wide and
45’ long can cut highway noise to half.

14) Shelter:
The shade of trees is welcomed by man and beast alike, providing essential shelter in the
hottest climates. Trees are often used as windbreaks to shelter sensitive crops.

15) Aesthetic Value:

Trees provide a variety of aesthetic values and accentuate the architectural design of
buildings. For all their values to which a price tag can be attached, trees have one more
contribution to make: their beauty and variety of form. Some species are tall and thin, others flat-
topped and spreading, leaves come in every shape and size, flowers and fruits are frequently
decorative. These qualities make trees ideal for beautifying gardens, cities, and even industrial
estates.
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WATER SUPPLY (NBC’16)

1) Page: 622: Water Supply Requirements for Buildings:
The total quantity of water per day is estimated based on the proposed occupancy and
activities catered. Designer has to identify all the possible sources for augmenting the shortfall in
water supply. The analysis of available water is done to decide the treatment for consumption and
treatment process depends on the quality of water and the purpose for which it is used. Projection
of population for each building shall be made on the basis of its usage. Population for each type of
building shall be estimated on the basis of information obtained from the users. Alternatively,
population may be worked on the following basis, for different type of buildings:

Occupancy Population Requirement

Offices 1 person per 10 m2 of floor area (see Note 1)

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NOTES: (1) Wherever there are multiple work shifts, the number of users within a 24 h period may
be considered as per actuals.
(2) Population of 5 to 15 percent, depending on the usage of building, shall be considered
for visitors and floating population likely to use the buildings facilities.

2) Page: 623: Table 1: Water Requirements for Buildings Other than Residences (Clause 4.1.2)

Sl Type of Building Domestic Per Day Flushing Per Day Total Consumption Per
No. (liter) (liter) Day (liter)

(1) Offices (including 25 per head 20 per head 45 per head

canteen)

NOTES: (1) For calculating water demand for visitors, consumption of 15 liter per head per day
may be taken. (2) The water demand includes requirement of patients, attendants, visitors and staff.
Additional water demand for kitchen, laundry and clinical water shall be computed as per actual
requirements. (3) Consideration should be given for seasonal average peak requirements.

3) Page: 624: (Clause 4.1.4) Water Supply for Fire Fighting Purposes

4.1.4.1: The Authority shall make provision to meet the water supply requirements for
firefighting in the city/ area, depending on the population density and types of occupancy. See also
Part 4 ‘Fire and Life Safety’ of the Code.

4.1.4.2: Provision shall be made by the owner of the building for water supply
requirements for firefighting purposes within the building, depending upon the height and
occupancy of the building, in conformity with the requirements laid down in Part 4 ‘Fire and Life
Safety’ of the Code.

4.1.4.3: The requirements regarding water supply in storage tanks, capacity of fire
pumps, arrangements of wet riser-cum-down comer and wet riser installations for buildings,
depending upon the occupancy use and other factors.
4) Page: 624: (Clause 4.1.5) Water Supply for Other Purposes

4.1.5.1: Water supply in many buildings is also required for many other applications
other than domestic use, which shall be identified in the initial stages of planning so as to provide
the requisite water quantity, storage capacity and pressure as required for each application. In such
instances information about the water use and the quality required may be obtained from the users.
Some typical uses other than domestic use and firefighting purposes are air conditioning, swimming
pools and water bodies, and gardening. Treated water from sewage treatment plant, with suitable
tertiary treatment, should be used for flushing purpose (with dual piping system), gardening
purpose, cooling tower make up, and/or for other non-potable usage.
4.1.5.2: The water demand for landscaping purposes is generally taken as 6 to 8
liter/m2/day for lawns. For shrubs and trees the above value can be reduced considerably.

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5) Page: 624: (Clause 4.2) Water sources and quality

4.2.3: For purposes other than drinking water if supplied separately, shall be absolutely safe
from bacteriological contamination so as to ensure that there is no danger to the health of the users
due to such contaminants.

For purposes other than drinking, where there is an overall risk of legionella growth, it is
advisable that for cold water supplies, the temperature does not exceed 20°C and a minimum
temperature of 55°C for hot water supplies be maintained at all points of network so as to ensure
that it is absolutely safe from bacteriological contamination and there is no danger to the health of
the users due to such contaminants.

6) Page 625: (Clause 4.3) Estimate of demand load

In making assessment of water supply requirements of large complexes, the future occupant
load shall be kept in view. The following methods may be used for estimating future requirements:
a) Demographic method of population projection,
b) Arithmetic progression method,
c) Geometrical progression method,
d) Method of varying increment or incremental increase,
e) Logistic method,
f) Graphical projection method, or
g) Graphical comparison method.
7) Page 625: (Clause 4.4)
8) Water pipe sizes

Blue MDPE is used underground. It should be installed at a depth of between 750mm and
1350mm to avoid any affect from frost. If you are planning to run water pipe above ground, such as
across a field or in an outbuilding, you should use Black MDPE.
Our stock sizes for water pipe are 20mm to 63mm, in a variety of coil sizes, although our biggest
sellers are 20mm x 25m blue MDPE pipe and 25mm x 50m MDPE. For those looking for larger
diameters 90mm MDPE water pipe is also available to order.
Our wide range of MDPE fittings allows for interconnection between sizes and materials.

SANITATION
1) Inspection Chamber
There are two general sizes of inspection chamber, and whilst they vary between
manufacturers the larger ones are around 450mm in diameter and the smaller ones, usually referred
to as mini access chambers, and are approximately 320mm in diameter.

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You should use an inspection chamber whenever a branch pipe joins a main drainage run.
You should also use one whenever any drainage pipe changes direction horizontally by more than
30°, or when there is a straight run of more than 22m.

Inspection chambers are sectional, made up of three separate parts –a base, side risers and a
cover. The base is a moulded section that accepts 110mm pipe into the inlets and outlet (or
160mm). The risers sit on top of the base and the joint is sealed using an integral rubber seal that
compresses when the riser is pushed on the base. Subsequent risers can be added to build up the
height, using the same sealing method with the rubber seal. Finally the cover and frame sits on top
of the last riser at ground level.

Two sizes, the larger ones are around 450mm in diameter and the smaller ones, usually
referred to as mini access chambers, are approximately 320mm in diameter. With these mini
chambers you can only use them to a depth of 600mm – any deeper and you wouldn’t be able to
bend a drain rod into the pipe to clear any potential blockages.
The 450mm chambers are generally used to a depth of 1.2m, but you can go down as far as
3m provided you use a restricted access cover. This is a small plastic section that reduces the
chamber opening to 350mm, small enough to prevent a child from falling inside.

2) Ground guard
Ground Guard is a polyethylene ground reinforcement system that provides a durable and
safe surface for grass reinforcement, ground stabilisation and gravel retention. It is suitable for use
in both pedestrian and vehicle access areas.

3) Flexible land drain pipes

The most popular method of removing surplus water from boggy areas is to install coiled
land drain. When correctly installed, flexible land drain is a super-efficient way of collecting
rainwater from the surrounding soil and transporting it to a harmless run-off area such as a stream,
storm water drain or a specially constructed soak away.

The most common size that we sell is 110mm diameter, which is available in coil sizes of
25m, 50m and 100m. Other diameters are also available from stock – our range goes from 60mm
right up to 150mm, which can carry enormous amounts of water.

4) Drainage pipes
110mm – pipe, single socket, bend double socket, junction double sockets, bend plain ended
pipe, adjustable bend double socket, access bend, junction triple socket, etc.

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5) Subfloor ventilation
Air Bricks, Sleeves, Weep Vents and Underfloor vents are cleverly designed to adapt to a
number of different situations whilst still being simple to install, introducing a free air flow and
eliminating the conditions that cause the formation of mould and dangerous gases.

6) Gutters
Range from 2m to 4m in length with various shapes, materials and 3cm thickness or less.
7) Page 624: (Clause 4.2.4): Waste Water Reclamation

Treated sewage or other waste water of the community may be utilized for non-domestic
purposes such as water for flushing, landscape irrigation, cooling towers of HVAC system, in
fountains and recreational lakes where swimming is not allowed, and for certain industrial purposes
after its necessary treatment to suit the nature of the use. This supply system shall be allowed in
residences only if proper provision is made to avoid any cross-connection of this treated waste
water with domestic water supply system. During use of treated waste water, it is recommended to
have dual piping system to avoid cross-contamination.

8) Treatment of waste water and usage of recycled water

Waste water is generated by residential and other establishments like institutional, business,
mercantile and industrial. It includes household waste liquid from toilets, baths, showers, kitchens
and sinks that is disposed of via sewers. Waste water treatment is the process of removing
contaminants from wastewater, including household sewage and runoff (effluents). It includes
physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove contaminants. Treatment of waste water and
usage of recycled waste water may be done to make it usable for appropriate applications. The
objective is to produce an environmentally safe fluid waste stream (or treated effluent) and a solid
waste (or treated sludge) suitable for disposal or reuse.

Waste water treatment generally involves the following three stages:

a) Primary treatment: It consists of temporarily holding the wastewater for settlement

of heavy solids at the bottom while oil, grease and lighter solids float to the surface.
b) Secondary treatment: It removes dissolved and suspended biological matter.

c) Tertiary treatment: It is more intensive treatment done in order to allow rejection

into a highly sensitive or fragile ecosystem. The tertiary treatment is generally followed by
disinfection.
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Electrical and HVAC

The Importance of Ventilation

Room Ventilation
For health and hygiene reasons, the rooms in which we live and work must be ventilated. Our
lungs need air that is free from dense smoke, steam, carbon dioxide, toxic fumes, and other pollutants,
and our sense of smell requires that air does not carry unpleasant odors. In addition, polluted air can
damage the contents of rooms such as furniture, carpets and paint.

People also pollute the air in rooms via: their body: sweat, physiological necessities, breath
(production of carbon dioxides), etc. their personal and domestic activities: smoking, cooking, etc.
their work activities: production and handling of toxic substances, such as paint; use of ammonia,
etc. All pollution produced in these ways remains in the rooms in which people and their families
live. The only solution is to expel polluted air and replace it with clean air.

Opening windows and doors is often seen as a simple way to let air in to circulate through
rooms, but also means that wind, rain, cold or hot air can enter also. By installing an extractor fan,
the air is changed gradually, with polluted air gently removed from the room without occupants being
affected by external weather conditions. When air is stagnant in a room, the only effective means of
ventilating the room is to use an extractor fan.

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Mechanical Ventilation Systems

These are used to extract vitiated or polluted air from a building and to supply replacement
fresh or conditioned air. The necessary fans and conditioning equipment are generally located in
separate plant rooms, often in a basement or on the roof. The distribution of the air involves
ductwork which may be very large, extend throughout the building, penetrate compartment walls
and/or floors and have openings in every space through which it passes. Without suitable fire
precautions, therefore, ventilation ductwork can provide a route by which fire, smoke and toxic
gases are enabled to spread rapidly through a building.
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Air Conditioning calculations:

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