KC BESPOKE COLLECTION · OFFICE LAYOUT GUIDE
Modular Office Layouts UK: Floor Plans, Sizes, Kitchens and WCs
Compare modular office layouts around your working day—not just the size of the building. Start with reception, privacy and services, then turn your priorities into a room schedule.
Same footprintTwo different working arrangementsExternal ≠ usableArea definitions kept separateBrief before buildRecord rooms, people and services
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How do you choose a modular office layout?
A modular office layout should start with how the building will be used: workstations, visitors, private meetings, storage, kitchen and WC requirements. Choose the footprint after preparing the room schedule, then coordinate circulation, openings, structure and services. External module dimensions alone do not establish usable workspace or suitable occupancy.
The modular office floor plans in this guide are furnished concepts from the KC Bespoke Collection. They help business owners, facilities managers and project teams compare arrangements; approved project drawings establish the actual room dimensions, access routes and fit-out.
What should modular office layouts include?
Start with the activities that must happen at the same time. A team may need only a few permanent desks but still receive visitors, hold confidential meetings and take breaks together. Those overlapping activities can matter more than the headline number of employees.
| Briefing topic | What to confirm | Layout consequence |
|---|---|---|
| People and workstations | Normal and peak attendance, working hours, desk sharing and equipment. | Draw the furniture and usable circulation, not just a desk count. |
| Arrival and visitors | Reception, waiting, deliveries and the route to appointments. | Keep the visitor route clear without interrupting focused work. |
| Private conversations | Management, consultation, calls and meeting requirements. | Identify where enclosure, privacy and acoustic performance matter. |
| Staff facilities | Kitchenette, drinking water, rest space and toilets, including any shared facilities. | Plan service connections and routes alongside work areas. |
| Storage and support | Files, coats, printers, cleaning equipment, IT and plant. | Provide a location for support functions rather than leaving them in corridors. |
| Future changes | Growth, relocation or a different working pattern. | Discuss future options before fixing openings and service positions. |
Mark each space as essential, desirable or not required. This prevents an attractive initial sketch from absorbing the area needed for less visible but necessary functions.
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 2, 26 and 34. Source notes.
Compare modular office layouts: same footprint, different day.
OP-01 and SR-01 use the same 6.30 × 6.30 m external footprint: 39.69 m². OP-01 combines shared desk space with an informal meeting area. SR-01 divides the concept into reception, an office and a meeting room. The difference is how the rooms support the working day, not the gross external area.
Both images are furnished concepts, not scale drawings. Doors, access openings, partitions, glazing, circulation and services require coordinated project drawings. Neither illustration establishes approved occupancy or an unobstructed clear span.
When to start with OP-01
Consider OP-01 as a discussion point when shared working and informal conversations are central to the brief. Its open arrangement keeps those activities together. However, a business that regularly handles confidential appointments should also consider whether a separate room is necessary.
When to start with SR-01
SR-01 gives a reception-led arrangement more definition. It is useful for discussing how visitors reach an appointment while office work continues nearby. Before selecting it, test the door positions, waiting space and the actual route between rooms; do not infer those details from the illustration.
| Decision | OP-01 | SR-01 |
|---|---|---|
| Main working arrangement | Shared office and informal meeting area. | Reception with a separate office and meeting room. |
| Privacy question | Can calls and meetings share an open environment? | Which rooms need visual and acoustic privacy? |
| Visitor route | How will arriving visitors pass desk and meeting areas? | How will reception control access to the other rooms? |
| Services to add to the brief | Check kitchen, WC and storage needs separately. | Check kitchen, WC and storage needs separately. |
| Drawing status | Illustrative furnished concept. | Illustrative furnished concept. |
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 20–21. Source notes.
Modular office sizes: external footprint is only the start
The R13 Bespoke system starts with 3.15 m-wide bays in three module lengths: 6.30 m, 9.45 m and 12.60 m. Joined modules of the same length connect along their long sides. The examples below use the catalogue’s dimensions and rounded external areas.
| Arrangement | External length × width | Gross external area |
|---|---|---|
| One 6.30 m bay | 6.30 × 3.15 m | 19.85 m² |
| One 9.45 m bay | 9.45 × 3.15 m | 29.77 m² |
| One 12.60 m bay | 12.60 × 3.15 m | 39.69 m² |
| Two 6.30 m bays · OP-01 / SR-01 | 6.30 × 6.30 m | 39.69 m² |
| Two 9.45 m bays | 9.45 × 6.30 m | 59.54 m² |
| Two 12.60 m bays | 12.60 × 6.30 m | 79.38 m² |
The same area can have a different shape
A 12.60 × 3.15 m single bay and a 6.30 × 6.30 m two-bay arrangement both have a 39.69 m² external footprint. That does not make their furniture layouts, routes or structural arrangements interchangeable. Compare the shape against the room schedule rather than treating area alone as the answer.
Keep the area labels on every drawing
External footprint measures the building’s outside length and width. Internal dimensions depend on the wall build-up. Room dimensions also depend on partitions. Circulation, WC, kitchenette, storage and service space still sit within the building; they are not all available for desks.
Ask for external dimensions, internal room dimensions and the area basis used for the quotation. Do not calculate net usable area by applying an arbitrary percentage to the catalogue footprint. Structural posts or beams may also remain at module joins.
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 5–7. Source notes.
How much office space do you need for your team?
When comparing modular office layouts, give KC both normal attendance and peak attendance, including visitors. Then identify which rooms fill at the same time. Meeting-room seats are not automatically additional daily workstations, and furniture shown in a concept is not evidence of safe occupancy.
For workplaces in Great Britain, HSE explains that suitable room space depends on the layout and the area occupied by furniture, fittings and equipment, as well as room size. That is why a simple people-per-square-metre calculation cannot replace a furnished layout review. Read HSE’s workplace-space guidance.
Consider a business whose staff mainly work off site but return for a daily briefing. Its peak shared-space requirement differs from a business using the same number of desks all day. Include the actual pattern in your enquiry rather than asking for a generic “six-person office”.
Review access, escape arrangements and services with the appointed project team. The room schedule is a briefing tool, not an occupancy certificate.
Planning a modular office with a toilet and kitchen
A modular office with toilet and kitchen facilities needs more than space for cabinets and a sanitary symbol. Identify whether you need a staff tea point, washing-up space, meal-break facilities or something more demanding, then coordinate water, hot water, drainage, ventilation and maintenance access.
A compact concept, not an automatic fit
R13 includes a single-bay concept with a separate WC and tea point beside the office area. Use it to discuss the balance between workspace and facilities. The illustration does not confirm that your furniture, users or site connections fit the same arrangement.
Accessible facilities need a separate check
An accessibility label on a concept does not establish suitable clearances or transfer space. Door swing, fixtures, storage access and the approach all need review. R13 explicitly makes this distinction for its larger-WC concept.
For relevant building work in England, Approved Document M, Volume 2 provides guidance for buildings other than dwellings. Confirm the requirements for the project’s UK nation and intended use.
Choose the kitchenette around its real use
The catalogue presents nominal 1.6 m, 2.4 m and 3.0 m IKEA METOD arrangements. These are kitchen-unit formats, not complete room dimensions: allow separately for users, circulation, appliance doors and service access. The quotation establishes appliance models, finishes and inclusions.
A kitchenette is not a commercial catering kitchen. Describe the intended food preparation and equipment rather than relying on an attractive cabinet illustration. Also confirm commercial-use warranty terms rather than assuming that domestic guarantee wording applies.
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 22, 26–27. Source notes.
Partitions, reception and glazed office layouts
In reception-led modular office layouts, the desk should work with the entrance, waiting space and the route to the room visitors need. Ask what a customer sees on arrival and whether they can reach a meeting without crossing private work areas. This is particularly useful when comparing OP-01 with SR-01.
Balance visibility with privacy
Glazed partitions can be part of a reception or meeting-room brief, but transparency does not establish acoustic privacy. State whether people need confidentiality for calls, HR discussions or client appointments. The designer can then coordinate partitions, doors, glazing and service penetrations against that requirement.
Place openings around workstations
Record where screens face, where staff sit and which views are useful. Consider glare and solar gain alongside daylight. Window and door positions should follow the room arrangement and the site approach rather than being selected independently from an exterior elevation.
The catalogue asks buyers to confirm glazing schedules, manifestation, access openings, site levels, fire strategy and supporting structure. A full-height glazed frontage is therefore a coordinated specification decision, not just a visual upgrade.
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 19–21. Source notes.
Coordinate heating, cooling, fresh air and power
Room partitions change how people and services occupy the building. Before approving a layout, identify the actual equipment and occupied hours in each space. A meeting room used by visitors, a printer area and a staff kitchenette can have different service demands from the main office.
Do not confuse cooling with fresh air
R13 states that heating and cooling do not replace a ventilation strategy. Agree occupied-room fresh air and WC or kitchenette extraction alongside the equipment selection. HSE also recommends considering floor plans when identifying poorly ventilated work areas. See HSE’s ventilation assessment guidance.
Locate the connections before the fit-out
Mark socket positions, data routes, lighting controls, the consumer unit and equipment locations. Include incoming power and water, drainage, external plant and maintenance access. Where your business has specialist IT or printing equipment, provide its requirements rather than leaving the designer to assume a standard desk load.
The R13 performance package and final project specification determine the fabric and equipment scope. This layout guide does not assign an EPC outcome, cooling capacity or ventilation rate to an illustration.
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 8 and 26. Source notes.
Can a portable cabin office layout change later?
Flexible modular office layouts start with a clear brief. Tell KC whether you expect more staff, a different mix of rooms, an extension or a move to another site. The frame, openings, partitions and services need to be considered together; a modular construction method does not make every later alteration simple.
R13 treats relocation or growth as a new engineering and site review, including the original frame, lifting method, connections, transport and foundations. Likewise, removing a partition should not be assumed safe without checking whether it affects structure, fire separation or services.
For a leased or hired unit, establish which alterations the owner permits. For a purchased building, ask which drawings and care information should be retained to support a future review. These questions belong in the procurement discussion, not only in the move plan.
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 30–33. Source notes.
What makes a modular office layout cost more?
For bespoke modular office design, compare quotations for the same room schedule and specification. A larger number of enclosed rooms can change doors, partitions, finishes and service distribution. Kitchens, WCs, glazing and accessible facilities also need their scope identified; they cannot be priced responsibly from gross external area alone.
| Design decision | Scope to clarify | Question for the quotation |
|---|---|---|
| Room separation | Partitions, doors, glazing and privacy requirements. | Which materials and performance are included? |
| Kitchen and WC | Fittings, hot water, extraction and connection interfaces. | Who supplies and connects each part? |
| Openings and façade | Entrance, window positions and external finish. | Does the selected elevation match the room plan? |
| Site access and services | Foundations, ramps, drainage, transport and cranage. | Which works are included, excluded or provided by others? |
| Future changes | Structure, connections and service strategy. | What assumptions support future expansion or relocation? |
For budget research, use the Modular Office Cost UK guide, then ask for a quotation against the actual plan. This page does not attach a price, lead time or included furniture package to OP-01 or SR-01.
The catalogue’s sequence is brief, concept, coordinated details, agreement before manufacture, delivery and handover. The programme depends on approved drawings and specification, the factory schedule, transport planning and site readiness.
Planning and Building Regulations are separate checks; factory manufacture does not remove either where applicable. GOV.UK explains the distinction. Confirm the project’s jurisdiction and appointed responsibilities before committing to manufacture.
KC Bespoke Collection R13, pp. 30–32. Source notes.
Prepare your modular office room schedule
Record what the rooms must do before asking for a fixed size. Use the downloadable schedule with your team, or prepare a text brief below. Leaving an item “to discuss” is more useful than inventing an internal dimension.
This tool drafts requirements only. It does not calculate safe occupancy, internal area, compliance, structural suitability or a price. It does not save your entries or send them automatically to KC.
The drafting controls activate when the page script loads. The article, blank schedule and enquiry link remain available without the tool.
Your office layout brief
Check the wording before sharing. A draft email does not send the enquiry.
Brief fields developed from the catalogue’s quotation brief (p. 34), with room-by-room prompts added for this guide.
Modular office floor plans: frequently asked questions
What are the most useful modular office layouts to compare?
Compare layouts around the work: shared office, reception-led office, enclosed meeting space and office with kitchenette or WC. The R13 examples provide starting concepts, not a universal selection or an approved capacity schedule.
What is the difference between OP-01 and SR-01?
Both use a 6.30 × 6.30 m external footprint of 39.69 m². OP-01 shows shared desk space and an informal meeting area. SR-01 shows reception on the left, with an office and meeting room on the right. Neither is a scale construction drawing.
Are the catalogue floor plans ready to build?
No. The catalogue identifies them as furnished concepts or illustrations. Final doors, windows, partitions, circulation, services and structural details need coordinated project drawings and approval before manufacture.
Can a modular office include a toilet and kitchen?
Yes, these facilities can form part of the agreed layout. R13 includes an office with a separate WC and kitchenette concept. Confirm the actual fittings, accessibility, water, hot water, drainage, ventilation and supplied scope; a kitchenette is not a commercial catering kitchen.
Does 39.69 m² mean 39.69 m² of usable office space?
No. For OP-01 and SR-01, 39.69 m² is the gross external footprint. Internal and usable room areas depend on wall and partition build-ups, structure, circulation and supporting facilities.
How many people can work in a modular office?
That cannot be determined from external area or illustrated chairs alone. Start with the work pattern, furniture, equipment, visitors and services, then review the furnished layout and relevant occupancy and access requirements.
Can the layout include a glazed meeting room?
A glazed meeting room can be considered in the project brief. Confirm the structure, safety glazing, visibility, glare, door positions, ventilation and required acoustic privacy. The complete specification matters more than the appearance of the partition.
What should I send KC to request a layout and quotation?
Send the building use, normal and peak attendance, room schedule, site location, available footprint, services, accessibility requirements, finish preferences, budget direction and required date. Include sketches, site photographs and any concept reference you prefer.
Catalogue references and further guidance
Catalogue basis: The KC Bespoke Collection, R13, 38-page proof supplied by KC. This guide uses pp. 5–7, 19–22, 26–27 and 30–35. Layout dimensions and labels follow that source; the comparison questions and room-schedule tool are briefing guidance.
Request the KC Bespoke Collection for the full selection guide. The quotations and approved project documents establish the final supplied building.
- HSE: room dimensions and working space — Great Britain workplace context.
- HSE: assessing ventilation — consider each occupied work area.
- GOV.UK: Approved Document M — access guidance, including non-dwellings in England.
- GOV.UK: Building Regulations approval — distinct from planning permission.
Source check: 21 September 2026. This guide is not a site-specific design or approval. Confirm the applicable requirements with the appointed project team.