Glossary
Activity classification
It records what a space was used for, not only whether it was taken.
Activity classification records what a space was being used for at the moment it was observed: focused individual work, a two-person conversation, a formal meeting, a call. Within Occupancy this is done with observation studies. It makes an occupancy figure usable for a space programme, because two buildings at the same occupancy can need different rooms.
Also called Activity profile, Use-type classification
How it is calculated
Share of activity a = observations of a ÷ all observations of occupied workplaces × 100
- Observations of a
- Occupied workplaces recorded against one activity category.
- All observations
- Every occupied workplace observed in the period, across all categories.
Expressed as A percentage share per category, summing to 100 across the period.
This is a Workplaced definition, not a universal industry norm. Counted object: observations of occupied workplaces per category. Capacity: not applicable, the share is taken against all observations. Period: the measurement period. Within Occupancy, observation studies record the activities. The categories have to be fixed before measurement and kept identical across buildings, or the shares cannot be compared. Categories invented during a study describe the observer, not the building.
Illustrative worked example: one floor over a measured week
- Focused individual work
- 38%
- Calls and video calls
- 24%
- Two- and three-person conversation
- 21%
- Formal meetings
- 17%
Nearly half of the observed use is talking, in a floor laid out almost entirely for silent desk work.
Occupancy on this floor is unremarkable. The activity profile is what says the next fit-out needs enclosure rather than more desks.
Where it goes wrong
Measuring occupancy without it
An occupancy figure says how full the floor is. It cannot say what to build, and a space programme based on occupancy alone reproduces the layout that is already failing.
Letting the categories drift
Two observers with different category definitions produce two incomparable studies of the same building. The definitions are part of the method, not a detail of it.
Reading a single week as a season
Activity mixes shift with the work cycle. A week in a reporting period and a week outside it are different buildings.
Where this measurement decides something
- How much office space do we need?
Sizing a building on this figure.
- Consolidate or renew the lease?
Taking it to a board.
- Occupancy
How it is measured in practice.
Related terms
- Occupancy
Whether the space was taken.
- Enablement
Whether the space supported the activity it was taken for.
- Utilisation
The same space measured over a period.
Comparing two suppliers' occupancy figures?
Describe in a message how each supplier defines its occupancy figure, and we will tell you what each one is counting.