3.2 Space Planning
The access flooring of ADP areas shall be level with
adjacent related spaces and must always be level with the
landings of elevators that serve the ADP facility. Ramps
shall only be used where it is impossible to adjust the level
Ceiling Height. The general office space should have a
of the structural floor. Where ADP areas occupy 33
ceiling height that provides long-term flexibility for future
percent or more of a floor, the entire floor, including
floor plan changes. In historic buildings, however, original
internal corridors, shall be designed with raised access
ceilings in significant spaces should remain exposed to
flooring to accommodate ADP facility expansion. The
view. New suspended ceilings in standard office space
floor levels of access flooring should be constant
within historic buildings should maintain the original
throughout the floor. Designers shall consider the need
ceiling height to the greatest extent possible, maintaining
for access floor systems in ADP areas to carry larger loads
full clearance at windows and grouping systems, as
due to special equipment like UPS systems.
necessary, to minimize the reduction of ceiling height.
In office space containing vaulted ceilings, oversized
Training and Major Conference Rooms. Individual
windows, or similar features, consideration should be
training and conference rooms may be located within the
given to thoughtfully designed, exposed system solutions
building to best suit the tenant. If such spaces are grouped
that maintain full ceiling clearance and allow ornamental
to form a large training or conference facility, they should
surfaces to remain exposed to view.
be located near the ground floor to avoid excessive
The clear ceiling height for office spaces is a minimum
loading of vertical transportation and to provide
of 2700 mm (9 feet) for spaces that are larger than 14 m2
immediate egress for large groups of people.
(150 square feet). The clear ceiling height of individual
Rooms designed for video teleconferencing or training
office rooms not exceeding an occupiable 14 m2 (150
should have a minimum clear ceiling height of 3000 mm
square feet) is a minimum of 2700 mm (9 feet). The clear
(10 feet).
ceiling height of private toilets and small closets, which
are ancillary to other office spaces is a minimum of 2300
Public Spaces
mm (8 feet).
Public spaces are those accessible to the general public.
Enclosed offices should have the same ceiling height as
They include entrances, lobbies, stairways, public elevator
adjacent open office spaces to allow future reconfiguration
and escalator lobbies, and the permanent corridors at each
flexibility.
floor level. In historic buildings, new materials should be
Automated Data Processing (ADP) Areas. ADP spaces
commensurate in quality with original finishes and
require access flooring over a plenum space, even if
compatible in form, detail, and scale with original design.
access floors are not used elsewhere in the building. ADP
Entrances and Vestibules. The main entrance to a Federal
areas are almost exclusively associated with main frame
building must be conveniently located for vehicular and
computer equipment. See Chapter 7, Fire Protection &
pedestrian traffic. All public entrances shall be accessible
Life Safety, for additional essential electronic facilities
to physically challenged individuals. Vestibules must be
requirements.
provided at each main lobby entrance and must include
63
ARCHITECTURAL
AND
INTERIOR
DESIGN
3.2
Space Planning
Revised March 2005 PBS-P100
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