How to Design a Conference Room

A conference room is a vital area within offices that allows staff to present and share ideas. Depending on the office, it may also have secondary functions, such as featuring guest speakers or hosting office parties. The design of the conference room will affect the way it is able to be used comfortably and efficiently.

Instructions

1

Measure the room and the furniture within it. Draw the space on graph paper using one square to represent one square foot of the room, so you have the correct dimensions.

2

Cut out the rough furniture shapes so that you can practice positioning them on the graph paper representation of the room. This will tell you how many tables or chairs you will be able to fit, alongside other conference furniture. These cut-outs should be scaled in the same way as the room with one square being equal to one square foot of the actual furniture. According to Experient, you will need a minimum of 4 feet of space between the edge of a table and a wall, and a 2-foot minimum width for each seat.

3

Choose the seating arrangement you want. Typical conference style is a rectangular table with chairs around all four sides. However, depending on your needs, you may want theater style--when all of the chairs are lined up and facing a speaker. If you have a large conference room where you will need to seat a lot of people, you may want to set up a hollow square, a rectangle or a U-shape with long, narrow tables with seating around all sides. This is preferable to having long table which doesn't allow people on the ends to interact.

4

Decide on the technology you want in the room, such as projectors, electric or plasma screens, videoconferencing systems, and audio and sound systems. Decide where you will mount or place these items for optimal use by those in the room. Be sure to position the correct outlets near them so that you won't have to stretch cords across the room.

5

Paint the room in a color conducive to an office environment, such as beige or gray. White can be too stark and distracting.

6

Install lighting fixtures that will allow an even light with minimal shadows. Track lighting with a dimmer can be ideal.

7

Set up temporary window blocking. Conference rooms that will be using visual equipment should minimize the glare from windows. Install drop-down blackout panels or vertical blinds.

8

Put in carpet and soundproofing ceiling tiles to limit echoing and reverberation.