Space Planning and Workplace Design Flashcards

Space utilization studies typically use which technology to capture real-time occupancy data?

Answer: IoT occupancy sensors and badge access data

IoT occupancy sensors (PIR, ultrasonic, CO2-based) combined with badge/Wi-Fi access data provide continuous, scalable utilization measurement across large portfolios.

What does a 'churn rate' measure in the context of workplace facility management?

Answer: The percentage of the workforce that moves, adds, or changes workstations in a year

Churn rate tracks how often the FM team must relocate employees or reconfigure workspaces, directly impacting move management costs and planning resources.

Which space planning tool is used to show the flow and adjacency relationships between departments before finalizing a floor plan?

Answer: Bubble diagram

Bubble diagrams use circles proportional to space requirements and connecting lines to illustrate desired departmental adjacencies during early programming.

Under ASHRAE 62.1, minimum ventilation rates for office spaces are based primarily on which two factors?

Answer: Occupant density and floor area

ASHRAE 62.1 calculates minimum outdoor air requirements using a people component (cfm per person × occupant density) plus an area component (cfm per square foot).

A facility manager is asked to calculate the seats-to-headcount ratio for a 500-person company using 400 workstations. What is the ratio?

Answer: 0.8:1

Dividing 400 seats by 500 employees yields a 0.8:1 ratio, meaning there are 20% fewer seats than staff — typical in hybrid environments with assumed absence.

Which document captures all space programming requirements—room types, areas, adjacencies, and special conditions—before design begins?

Answer: Architectural program

An architectural program (or facility program) documents all functional requirements and constraints that the design must satisfy, serving as the brief for architects and planners.