Key Considerations for Renting Office Space in Singapore

When searching for office space in Singapore, first assess your specific space needs and growth plans before anything else! Consider how your business will adapt to hybrid working models, including the need for meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, and phone booths. Understanding these factors is essential as businesses increasingly embrace flexible work arrangements.  

In Singapore, office space is usually measured in square feet (sq ft), though square meters (sqm) may also be used. The conversion is roughly 1 sqm = 10.7 sq ft. If you're used to desk-based measurements, an agent telling you a space is 1,000 sq ft can mean absolute nothing to you. This guid is here to help you understand the space you'll need and streamline your decision-making process. 

To help give you a better idea of how much space you need, we've put together some key considerations: 

What’s your way of working? 

Collaboration vs. Individual Work: If your business relies heavily on collaboration, you might need more open spaces that encurage teamwork. For teams focusing on individual projects, consider private offices or quiet areas. 

Growth and Flexibility: What are your growth plans?  Will you need extra space for future hires or potential expansions? 

Full-Time vs. Remote Work: 

Hybrid Models: If some employees are remote, consider how often they’ll be in the office and plan for flexible seating or hot-desking options. 

Dedicated vs. Shared Desks: If remote work is frequent, you might need fewer dedicated desks and more meeting rooms or collaborative sitting areas. 

Type of Space for Productivity: 

Open Plan vs Private Offices: Open spaces can encourage collaboration but might not be suitable for tasks requiring concentration or privacy. Private offices or partitioned areas can offer quiet environments and isolate teams which unless necessary can alter company culture. 

Ergonomics and Comfort: Ensure the space supports ergonomic furniture and comfortable working conditions to enhance productivity. 

Shared Areas and Communal Facilities: 

Break Rooms and Kitchens: Essential for employee satisfaction and wellness. Decide how large these areas need to be based on your team size and preferences. 

Meeting Rooms, Quiet Areas, and Phone Booths: 

Meeting Rooms: Determine the size and number based on the frequency and size of meetings. Consider including video conferencing capabilities. 

Quiet Areas: For focused work, provide spaces that are isolated from noise and distractions. 

Phone Booths: Small, private spaces for phone calls and video chats can be very beneficial, especially in open-plan offices. 

How do I calculate how much office space I need? 

The size of your office is going to vary different factors, from the available amenities you need, such as meeting rooms and breakout areas, to the amount of equipment you have.(Two screens/size of desks etc. 

In terms of density, in Singapore, 55-65 sq ft per person is accepted as a good approximation for flexible office space. However, some offices will consider 35-55 sq ft per person as standard, to try to keep costs down. 

What are the guidelines for the amount of desk space needed per person? 

Use the following suggestions as a guide for how much desk space you'll need in a serviced office with shared amenities: 

What other areas and amenities do I need to factor in? 

In addition to physical desk space, you will often need to factor in communal areas, such as a reception, breakout space and a kitchen. This will need to be factored in if you are looking for a self-contained, managed or sub-leased space. However, if you are interested in a flexible office space, the private office you rent will usually come with access to shared facilities such as meeting rooms, kitchens, a reception area and breakout spaces. 

How many square feet do I need for general areas such as meeting rooms and breakout areas? 

Reception 

A small reception with one receptionist would equate to around 150 sq ft, and a large reception with three receptionists would need 350 sq ft to be sufficient. 

Meeting rooms/Executive Offices 

For an executive office/ meeting room you would need a minimum of 100 sq ft and 120 sq ft for a small meeting room fitting up to eight people. A large meeting room for up to 25 people would work out to be 350 sq ft. 

Kitchen/breakout area 

Your average kitchenette without any seating would be approximately 100 sq ft. If you want to have a little more space that incorporates a breakout area, you'll need about 200 sq ft. This would provide your employees with a space to sit down and have informal chats over coffee or lunch. 

Server room 

Your company may need a server room too. The amount of space you'll require for this will obviously depend on how many servers you have, a small server room with up to five racks would take up just 40 sq ft, and a large server room with up to 30 racks would need 120 sq ft of space. 

How much office space in total would I need for a team of ten? 

A company of ten people looking to be efficient with space would need around 1,170 sq ft. This amount of space could comfortably get you an open plan working area for ten people, with a kitchen, breakout area and a meeting room for up to eight people. If you have a private office but share communal areas with other companies, then you would only need 750 sq ft. 

If you're looking for more space for your team of ten then you might want to look for a space that is around 1,640 sq ft. This could provide you with a small reception area, kitchen and breakout area, generous open plan space, a meeting room for up to two people and a meeting room for up to eight people.

How can I maximise my space? 

Given the high cost of office space in Singapore, you need to make the most out of what you have. For example an open plan space provides a great working atmosphere that can encourage collaboration. However, it completely depends on the type of business you run. Open plan offices have less privacy and tend to be noisier, but a good way to get around this is to ensure you have meeting rooms, phone booths or designated quiet areas. 

Try and source furniture that is clever in design so it doesn’t take up space but still provides your employees with the functionality they need. This will help maximise space and also reduce clutter on desks – allowing more floor space that can help to make the office feel more spacious. 

Keep an eye out for multifunctional office innovations - this will not only help you make the most of your space but will also ensure you stay on trend. 

Things to bear in mind 

There are a few other things that you will need to take into consideration when calculating how much office space you need. One of those is that square feet is of course not always ‘square’. Some offices may have shapes that render some of the space unusable as desk areas. 

Additionally, make a note of where the windows are and if there are any areas with low ceilings. This will impact the feasibility of hosting a table.  

Another consideration is whether you'll have room to grow. You don’t want to move offices only to outgrow it in a year or two, so look at your projections and work out how many additional people you plan on hiring in the next few years. It is also worth mentioning that some offices will let you take a smaller office to start with, with a view to taking on additional space as your company grows or vice versa if you need to reduce the amount of office space. 

If you would like some impartial advice on your office requirements, or assistance with finding the right space for your business, Please get in touch and we’d be happy to help. Workthere, being part of Savills, is perfectly placed to provide impartial advice on finding the right office space for your business.