The 30-300-3000 rule: what it means and why it matters for office design
Ever heard about the 30-300-3000 rule? Designing an office that truly supports productivity starts with understanding the costs involved, and how these costs impact your employees’ performance. The 30-300-3000 rule offers a straightforward way to break down office-related expenses, helping organizations make better decisions about their spaces.
This principle estimates that for every square meter of office space, an organization spends approximately:
$30 per year on energy costs (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.),
$300 per year on rent or property expenses,
$3000 per year on employee costs (salaries, benefits, and other related expenses).
While these numbers can vary depending on location and market conditions, the rule serves as a useful baseline for understanding operational costs and prioritizing resources. Most importantly, it highlights that the largest expense—employee costs—should be the primary focus. Productivity is directly tied to the well-being, comfort, and mindset of the people using the space.
Why the rule matters
The 30-300-3000 rule isn’t just a way to organize costs into neat categories. It’s a framework for understanding how decisions about office design influence the most significant cost driver: employee productivity.
For example:
Improvements in energy efficiency might reduce $30 per square meter to $25, but that’s a relatively small savings.
A design flaw that lowers productivity by just 5% could result in an annual loss of $150 per square meter in employee costs—a much more impactful figure.
This explains why productivity-focused design should be the main priority in any office space decision. It’s not about cutting square meters or squeezing more desks into a smaller space; it’s about making sure employees have the environment they need to perform their best.
The true cost of underused rooms: a closer look at office space efficiency
Let’s take a simple example. A 20-square-meter meeting room costs $300 per square meter annually in rent, which adds up to $6,000 per year for that one room. If it’s only in use 40% of the time, $3,600 of that cost is essentially wasted on an empty room. And that’s just the cost of one meeting room per year.
Now consider this across an entire office, where occupancy data shows that, on average, rooms are only in use 36% of the time. The numbers reveal how much money could be saved or reinvested by redesigning spaces to better match actual usage patterns.
Productivity is about people
Productivity doesn’t come from policies or technology alone. It’s the outcome of how employees feel when they use the space and how effectively the environment supports their work. Comfort, focus, collaboration, and overall well-being all play a role in understanding how productive people can be.
When you focus on productivity, you focus on people. Well-designed offices reduce friction, making it easier for employees to do their jobs effectively. That means investing in quality, not just quantity—providing spaces that support different types of work, from individual focus to group collaboration.
Using the rule to guide decisions
While every organization’s situation will differ, the 30-300-3000 rule offers a practical way to estimate the true costs of an office and understand how changes will impact operations. It separates the line items—rent, utilities, and salaries—while ensuring the focus remains on what matters most: the people working in the space.
Of course, the details will vary based on the business and location, but this framework provides a baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of design decisions. It also highlights how focusing on employee productivity—through comfort, well-being, and purpose-built spaces—yields the best long-term results.
In the end, the true value of an office isn’t just measured in dollars per square meter. It’s about creating an environment that helps employees thrive and makes every square meter count.
Want to see how the 30-300-3000 rule applies to your office space?