CoreNet: Office space per worker shrinks to 150 sf, Building Design & Construction, August 6, 2013

The average amount of space per office worker globally has dropped to 150 square feet or less, from 225 square feet in 2010, according to a recent global survey conducted by CoreNet Global, a leading association of corporate real estate managers at large companies throughout the world. The study is part of CoreNet Global's ongoing advocacy of quality working environments and work experiences, and the group's call to action to measure quality of life per square foot.

At the same time, companies in the survey indicated that employment levels will increase in the second half of 2013—triggering a "property paradox," in which more workers are using less individual space.

The survey underscores how today's increasing mix of workers in the office and teleworking, assigned to team and individual projects, along with the rapid emergence of space-on-demand, co-working and other 'third places,' is combining to enable the balance of less space per office worker while more jobs are added. . . .

Click here to read the full survey results summary.

There is nothing new in this to Reston 2020.  We have communicated this multi-year trend, local as well as global, to Chairman Bulova multiple times but, on the advice of C/DPZ Fred Selden, the County will continue to use 300 GSF as its development planning assumption.  If the County should be so lucky as to have demand for office space exceed even its rosy expectations, we could see up to twice as many office workers in Reston as the proposed plan assumes.  The impact on the jobs:housing balance would be huge and traffic gridlock would double--and we're already expecting four minute wait times at key intersections during rush hour.