Return-to-Office Reality Not Meeting Expectations: 71 Percent of Spaces Can Support 4x Actual Usage

New software platform Density Atlas unlocks workplace savings and informs return-to-office decisions

An analysis by Density, which builds technology that helps companies understand how people use workspaces, found that the vast majority of its customers’ analyzed team spaces are not being used as intended. The majority of spaces (71%) could support four times their actual usage, indicating that either the space or its usage is about to change.

“Buildings are broken. Historically, we have designed and used buildings based on observation, surveys and precedent”

The company’s analysis looked at how people used a mix of space types like large and small meeting rooms, collaborative open spaces, and phone booths during more than 500,000 working hours. Density found some surprising examples of how employees are returning to offices, such as multiple 22-person spaces that were consistently used by just one person, social spaces intended for 100+ people that were used by three, and a conference room that costs $87,000 annually yet is empty more than 80% of the time.

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To help companies understand how their spaces are actually used, Density  launched its new software platform, Density Atlas. Insights from Atlas will help companies determine if and where return-to-office initiatives are succeeding, find real estate savings, and compare the performance of their buildings to those of their peers or their industry at large.

Using data from its anonymous-by-design sensors, Density Atlas provides comprehensive insights of how physical space is used. It lets companies easily understand if employees are choosing focus space or collaborative space, which floors are the most popular (and why), and which types of spaces should be reallocated to other functions, among other insights. The end result is a more cost-effective real estate strategy, a better understanding of employee experience and a smaller carbon footprint.

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“Buildings are broken. Historically, we have designed and used buildings based on observation, surveys and precedent,” said Andrew Farah, CEO of Density. “Many companies rely on outdated, anecdotal data –– or no data at all –– to make real estate decisions, despite it being their second biggest expense after payroll. That shouldn’t be acceptable in 2022. Density Atlas delivers intuitive, contextualized insights that any decision-maker at any company can use.”

Measuring and understanding physical space requires one source of truth for any building’s “as-built” state. To achieve this highly accurate, digital representation of a space and to streamline the installation of its sensors, Atlas leverages Density Maps. Density Maps provides a digital 3D point cloud of a space, a Building Information Model (BIM), 2D CAD assets and a 360° photo tour –– all viewable through a simple web browser, and all captured using a LIDAR-based scan solution.

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