Planning an office layout project? Need to review the standards for workspace design? Space, lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, safety, hygiene: many factors must be considered to design offices that comply with current standards and recommendations.
Specializing in design furniture and professional space layout since 1975, Jbonet reveals the essential rules you need to know to successfully start your office layout project.
Designing Corporate Offices: The Challenges
While legislation imposes measures regarding workplace safety and hygiene, these are not the only elements that should motivate a company to optimize its office layout.
Indeed, beyond compliance with the Labor Code, professional premises represent an essential lever for improving employee well-being, increasing company performance, and projecting a positive image. This is why numerous certifications exist to attest to the consideration of these elements within companies.
Whether it is a renovation or construction project, the layout of individual offices or an open-space, premises in Paris or in the south of France, the challenges remain the same. There is no question of neglecting the design of these workspaces!
6 Office Layout Standards You Must Know
The rules regarding office layout are established by both the Labor Code and AFNOR standards (NF X35-102). While the rules set by the Labor Code constitute a legal obligation, AFNOR standards (French Association for Standardization) are only recommendations with no mandatory character. They are nonetheless very useful for providing an optimal work environment for your employees and improving their productivity.
Overview of the regulatory framework provided by the Labor Code and AFNOR for designing corporate offices or carrying out renovation work in these workspaces.
1. Fire Safety Measures in Corporate Offices
The law provides precise layout standards for offices regarding fire safety. Indeed, your employees must be able to evacuate the premises as quickly as possible. To this end, an evacuation plan and assembly plan must be established within your premises. Furthermore, various equipment is required inside this workspace:
- at least one fire extinguisher per floor;
- a visible and clear emergency exit for companies with fewer than 20 employees;
- emergency exits or additional evacuation means for companies with more than 20 employees;
- an alarm system;
- posted safety instructions;
- a smoke extraction system for floor areas exceeding 300 m2.
In addition, regular inspection of fire safety devices and implementation of evacuation drills are required.
2. Workspace Dimensions
On this point, the Labor Code provides recommendations but does not impose any minimum area in m2. Here are these recommendations that apply to both individual offices and open-spaces:
- The height and area of professional premises must allow employees to perform their work without risk.
- The workspace layout must prioritize the physical and mental health as well as the safety of employees.
- Each workstation must offer sufficient freedom of movement, taking office furniture into account.
AFNOR provides clarifications to these recommendations, particularly by setting a number of square meters per person for each type of workspace:
- 10 m2 for individual offices;
- 11 m2 for shared offices;
- 15 m2 for noisy open-spaces.
Good to know: the individual office is a partitioned professional space conducive to concentration, but does not promote collaborative work. Conversely, the shared office and open-space are professional spaces favorable to good communication within the company, but can lead to concentration and productivity problems without appropriate layout. It is up to you to choose the ideal workspace for your company and select suitable furniture to limit disturbances (for example, acoustic partitions in an open-space).
3. Lighting Standards for Office Layout
Good lighting within company premises helps prevent visual fatigue among your employees. It is recommended to prioritize natural light and use artificial lighting as a supplement. Expressed in lux (unit of light intensity), the lighting level varies according to the work performed and the type of professional premises. Thus, 120 lux is considered the strict minimum for workspaces, but it is advisable to aim for 500 lux for a meeting room or screen work.
Note: the Labor Code specifies that emergency lighting must take over in case of power failure to allow evacuation of the premises.
4. Workstation Ergonomics
Choosing ergonomic furniture is among the new recommendations advocated for designing company premises. The sit-stand desk and office chair that adapts to the employee’s morphology are particularly recommended to prevent pain and injuries related to office work. Note also that the National Institute for Research and Safety recommends a desk of 120 cm in length, 80 cm in width, and 72 cm in height to ensure good workstation ergonomics.
Finally, choose quality furniture subject to rigorous inspections. Specializing in office furniture sales, Jbonet exclusively focuses on high-end brands such as Bene.
Note: beyond furniture selection, the shape of the room designed as an office is also important. Imagine an individual office of 20 m2 that would be 2m by 10m! The configuration of this workspace would not be ergonomic at all.
5. Accessibility for People with Reduced Mobility in Professional Premises
Office layout standards also exist to facilitate circulation for employees with disabilities. If your company’s workforce is between 20 and 200 employees, you must design at least one level for disabled personnel. If your company has more than 200 employees, these accessibility modifications must concern all main workspaces.
6. Air Quality in Corporate Offices
Corporate offices are among premises with non-specific pollution, meaning spaces where air pollution is only due to human presence. For this type of layout project, the law requires the presence of natural ventilation to ensure employees have healthy air within the company’s offices.
Who to Contact for Office Layout in Nice?
You now know the main office layout standards. Note, however, that the points listed above are not intended to be exhaustive and may be supplemented by legal texts relating to the design and layout of workplaces. Furthermore, to ensure your workspace is designed in compliance with current standards, contact an office layout professional.
Looking for an expert in Nice or the surrounding area for your office layout or renovation project? Contact Jbonet to benefit from personalized support from our team specialized in office layout. From furniture selection to the design of your premises, quality will be guaranteed at every stage of your project, in terms of design, comfort, and safety.
