Practical, step-by-step guides for the busy FM
January 2001
Systems of Space Measurement
Note from FMLink: This article was revised on January 24, 2001.
The accurate measurement of facility space is a central concern of both landlords and tenants. There are six major systems ofspace measurement used in the United States, each one created by a different organization:
- Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) – new standard
- Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) – old standard
- The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)
- Washington, DC, Area Realtors (WDCAR)
- General Services Administration (GSA)
- International Facility Management Association(IFMA)
Some of these systems are landlord-oriented, meaning that they are designed from the viewpoint of a property ownerrenting space to building tenants in the commercial real estate market. Tenant-oriented systems, on the other hand, are designedfrom the viewpoint of in-house corporate facilities managers, who must be sensitive to the needs and desires of thecorporation’s internal clientele, its end users, and the corporate culture in which they operate.
In this column, we will look at the chief features of three systems, two of them from BOMA, which are representative of landlord-oriented systems, and the IFMA system, which is more tenant-oriented.
The New BOMA System
The most recent development in this field has been the promulgation of a major revision by BOMA to its long-standing measurement standard. GSA now uses the new BOMA standard to classify all new space assignments, including lease actions.
As with the old standard, HVAC convectors, columns, and interior building projections are included in measurements; tenants must absorb this in their rent bills and space planning procedures. In addition, usable area exclusive to one tenant is still measured from the office (tenant) side of walls separating tenant space from public corridors.
Unlike the old standard, the new standard defines floor usable area to include building-wide common areas on that floor. Such areas are prorated to all building tenants on all floors. Areas such as public toilets and electrical and janitorial closets are considered floor common areas.
The 1996 standard represents a major departure from the previous one in the following areas:
- It measures space on a building-wide basis, rather than floor by floor.
- Most areas that were formerly amortized or absorbed in the base building cost, and therefore covered in the base rent, are now measured and prorated to all tenants.
- The new standard is much more explicit in naming many of the new building features designed to support all tenants in a building.
- Calculations are more complex, but the results provide a more rational approach to real contemporary situations.
- Several new definitions have been introduced. Familiar terms like rentable and usable have been revised to reflect required changes in how they are calculated.
- The definition of rentable area includes office, store, portions of building common areas, and floor common areas prorated to each tenant. Building rentable area almost always remains constant for the life of the building. Usable area changes over the life of the building as tenant space changes.
- Basement storage and loading dock areas within the building line are considered part of rentable area; parking areas are not.
The Old BOMA System
The old BOMA system is tailored to the needs of a commercial office building lessor. It is by far the oldest and most widely used system. It is mentioned here because it is still widely used. Of the six space measurement systems first mentioned, the old BOMA standard is the most generic, has the simplest set of definitions, and is the easiest to administer, as long as its categories are specific enough for the intended application. Its major features include the following:
- Space is measured floor by floor, rather than for the building as a whole.
- Rentable space is constant for the life of the building; usable area changes over the life of thebuilding.
- Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning convectors are included in measurements, and tenants must absorb thisin their rent bills and space-planning procedures.
- Amenities shared by several tenants, such as fitness centers, conference centers, lounges, and vending areas,are not considered rentable. Landlords are expected to factor the costs of such facilities into their basic rental rates. Basementstorage and parking areas are not included as part of rentable area.
- Except for mechanical penthouses, there is little definition for the allocation of space for central building supportoperations, such as HVAC, electrical, telephone switch, and UPS systems for the entire building. Common practice is toexclude them all from rentable area, but the standard is not definitive.
- Main lobbies and atrium areas are considered rentable. Since core factors tend to be very high on such floors,BOMA suggests renting usable area in this case.
- Usable area exclusive to one tenant is measured from the office (tenant) side of walls separating tenant spaceand public corridors. Usable space excludes such support areas as public toilets, mechanical rooms, and electrical and janitorialclosets.
The IFMA System
The IFMA system is based on and complements the BOMA system. Its primary difference is its detail of measurementcategories of particular interest to the tenant and to space planners laying out actual furniture and equipment. Its presentationhas the clearest logic and structure, and the most detail, of the five systems. Some salient characteristics include:
- Rentable area is the same as BOMA but is stated more explicitly.
- IFMA excludes central mechanical, electrical, telephone and custodial spaces, as well as penthouses, fromrentable area, as does BOMA.
- IFMA’s usable area matches the BOMA definition but is broken down into assignable area and secondarycirculation.
- IFMA assignable space is further subdivided into net assignable area (actual “footprint area on the floor”) andinterior walls, columns, and building projections, which are not deducted from rentable, usable, or occupiable space in anyother system.
This installment of FM Check List is adapted from BOMI Institute’s Fundamentals of Facilities Management, a course in the Institute’s Facilities Management Administrator (FMA) program.