Meeting Room Layout
A meeting room layout starts from the table. Choose the table, allow room around it to pull chairs out and walk past, and you have the size of the room.
Example: a table for six
Furniture in this layout
- 1 × Meeting table, 6 people: 1.80 m × 0.90 m (5′ 11″ × 2′ 11″)
- 6 × Visitor chair: 0.55 m × 0.55 m (1′ 10″ × 1′ 10″)
Room sizes are measured between wall center lines, the way the editor measures rooms. Open the layout to move, resize or add anything.
Sizing a room from its table
A common way to size a meeting room is to add a clear zone around the table: about 1.2 m (4′) between the table edge and the wall lets people sit, push their chairs back and walk behind someone who is seated.
The example uses the office library's 1.8 × 0.9 m (5′ 11″ × 2′ 11″) meeting table for six, with three visitor chairs on each long side, as the Meeting room for 6 preset places them. With 1.2 m (3′ 11″) clear on every side, the room comes to 4.4 × 3.5 m (14′ 5″ × 11′ 6″) between wall center lines, or 15.4 m² (166 sq ft).
What to check in a meeting room plan
Width at the table
Around 600 mm (2′) of table edge per person is a common allowance for a seat.
The door swing
Make sure the door does not open into a chair. Flip its swing or move it along the wall in the editor.
A screen wall
Leave one short wall free for a screen. The library's TV stand marks where a screen console goes.
Daylight and glare
A window behind the screen makes it hard to read; a window to the side is easier.
Meeting tables and the room each one needs
| Table in the office library | Chairs | Recommended clear area inside the walls | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting room for 4 | round, 1.1 m (3′ 7″) across | 4 | 3.5 × 3.5 m (11′ 6″ × 11′ 6″) |
| Meeting room for 6 | 1.8 × 0.9 m (5′ 11″ × 2′ 11″) | 3 per side | 4.2 × 3.3 m (13′ 9″ × 10′ 10″) |
| Meeting room for 8 | 2.4 × 1.0 m (7′ 10″ × 3′ 3″) | 3 per side, 1 at each end | 4.8 × 3.4 m (15′ 9″ × 11′ 2″) |
| Meeting room for 10 | 3.0 × 1.1 m (9′ 10″ × 3′ 7″) | 4 per side, 1 at each end | 5.4 × 3.5 m (17′ 9″ × 11′ 6″) |
| Meeting room for 12 | 3.6 × 1.2 m (11′ 10″ × 3′ 11″) | 5 per side, 1 at each end | 6.0 × 3.6 m (19′ 8″ × 11′ 10″) |
Furnishing a room from a preset
The rows above are the editor's meeting room presets. Each recommended area is the table plus 1.2 m (3′ 11″) on every side, measured to the inside face of the walls; add half a wall thickness on each side to compare it with the room size the editor shows, which runs to wall center lines.
Select a room and pick a preset: the table and chairs go in as one step, and the editor says when the room is smaller than recommended, or picks a smaller table when the furniture would cross the walls. One undo removes the lot.
Drawing a meeting room
Place the table
Use a meeting room preset, or add a meeting table from the office library and type your table's width and depth in the properties panel.
Add the chairs
Presets bring their chairs. Otherwise place one visitor chair, duplicate it along the table and rotate the end chairs by 90° with the rotate button.
Draw the walls around it
Draw the room about 1.2 m (4′) clear of the table, or measure from an existing room to see what fits.
Check the room
Add the door and measure from the chair backs to the walls and to the door swing.
When this layout helps
Turning an office into a meeting room
Draw the existing room, put the table in it and see how many chairs fit with space behind them.
Choosing a table for an existing room
Enter the room and the table you have in mind to see whether they fit before you buy.
Adding a meeting room to an open floor
Give up part of the open workspace for a closed room and check what the desks lose.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a conference table in the furniture library?
Yes. The office library has a round table for 4 and rectangular meeting tables for 6, 8, 10 and 12 people. Change the width and depth of any of them to the size of your own conference table in the properties panel.
What size is a meeting room for six people?
The example seats six at the library's 1.8 × 0.9 m (5′ 11″ × 2′ 11″) meeting table in a 4.4 × 3.5 m (14′ 5″ × 11′ 6″) room, measured between wall center lines as the editor does. The table sizes in the comparison show how the room grows with the table.
Are these sizes a standard?
No. They are common rules of thumb for comfortable use. Building and accessibility regulations where you are may set their own requirements, for example more space for a wheelchair user to reach the table.
What happens if my room is smaller than the preset?
The editor still furnishes it when the furniture fits inside the walls, and tells you the room is smaller than recommended so you can check the clearances. If the table would cross a wall, it uses a smaller meeting preset or adds nothing and says so.