The test fit: a decision tool before the lease
When you are comparing buildings, the agent’s brochure gives a lettable area and a theoretical occupancy. It does not tell you how many workstations, meeting rooms and phone booths fit around the cores and columns of that specific floor. A test fit does. We draw two or three layout scenarios on the plan and give the count for each: desks, rooms by size, focus spaces, reception, storage.
It is quick to read for a management team and useful in negotiation: if a floor loses fifteen desks to a deep central core, that is an argument on rent or on the choice of building. For international teams, we present plans and figures in English and in square metres, with the equivalents your head office uses.
French benchmarks we apply, and where we depart from them
The French standard NF X35-102 recommends at least 10 m² per person in an office and 15 m² per person in a noisy shared space. It is good practice rather than law, but occupational health services and many specifications refer to it. These figures cover working space; meeting rooms, circulation and support areas come on top.
With hybrid work, we size on measured peak occupancy rather than headcount. We also check distances that matter as much as area: about one metre behind a task chair, desks perpendicular to windows to limit glare, around 70 cm of table edge per person in meeting rooms. Escape routes and fire compartments are set by the building and your architect; our plans respect them.
| Block | What we measure | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Workstations | people present at peak × space per desk | sets the size of the open areas |
| Meeting rooms | number by size, from 2 to 14 seats | the most common shortage in Paris offices |
| Focus and phone spaces | around one per 8 to 12 people | keeps open areas quiet |
| Social area | one central place | where hybrid teams meet |
| Support | reception, storage, print, lockers | often forgotten in brochures |
From the scenario to the furnished plan
Once a scenario is chosen, the space plan becomes precise: every desk, table and sofa at its real size, the furniture families defined, and mood boards with materials and colours. 3D views and a virtual walk-through help teams and management decide without imagining.
The final plan is also the brief for the contractors you appoint: floor box positions, wall loads for screens, lighting zones. Soul Design does not sell building works; we hand over the information they need and keep furniture deliveries aligned with their programme.
How design work is charged
Depending on the size of the project, design studies are charged as separate fees, announced in our proposal before any work starts. A single test fit on one floor is a short assignment; a full space plan with mood boards and 3D views for several floors is a larger one. You know the scope and the deliverables before you commit.
Typical cases
Typical case
Choosing between two buildings for 80 people
- Situation
- Both floors are about 1,000 m²; one has a deep core and fewer windows.
- Our approach
- A test fit on each plan, with desk and room counts side by side, so the choice is made on what each floor delivers rather than on the lettable area.
Typical case
A floor that feels full with half the team present
- Situation
- Meeting rooms are always booked and calls are taken in corridors.
- Our approach
- We would measure use, then redraw the floor to convert surplus desks into small rooms and booths, keeping the furniture that still works.
Typical case: a representative situation, not a completed project.
What the space plan and the furniture budget depend on
The plan comes with a furniture budget by family, so you see the consequences of each scenario.
| Item | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Design studies | number of floors and scenarios, 3D views, mood boards |
| Workstations | number of desks set by the scenario, desk and chair range |
| Meeting and focus rooms | number of rooms, acoustic booths, video integration |
| Shared and client areas | size of the social area, reception, upholstery grade |
Fees and furniture are quoted separately and line by line; no figure is given before we have seen your plan.
How we work
- 01
Plan and programme
Your floor plans, headcount, attendance data and ways of working.
- 02
Site visit
Columns, façade grid, risers, access, existing furniture.
- 03
Scenarios
Two or three test fits with counts and the area of each block.
- 04
Space plan and 3D
The chosen scenario detailed, furniture families, mood boards, 3D views.
- 05
Furniture quote
Line-by-line quote and schedule, ready for ordering when you are.