As offices evolve to support hybrid teams, real-time collaboration, and flexible work styles, one question keeps coming up in workplace planning: What’s the right balance between small huddle rooms and large conference rooms?
Gone are the days when a few oversized boardrooms could meet every need. Today’s offices require a thoughtful blend of space sizes, tech configurations, and use cases. The key is not just to build more meeting rooms—but to build the right types of rooms for how your teams work.
Huddle Rooms: Small Space, Big Value
Huddle rooms are compact, 2–4-person meeting spaces designed for quick, impromptu meetings, video calls, or small-group work. In a hybrid workplace, they’re incredibly efficient.
- Perfect for 1:1s, brainstorming, or focus work
- Lower cost per room for A/V installation
- Require minimal space in floor plans
- High utilization rate—teams don’t need to “book a boardroom” for a quick call
When outfitted with a display, webcam, microphone, and a basic control interface, huddle rooms offer excellent ROI—and they’re easier to scale across floors or departments.
Large Conference Rooms: Still Essential—But Purposeful
Large conference rooms are still necessary for executive meetings, client presentations, team-wide strategy sessions, or when multiple departments need to collaborate. But the key is to design them intentionally.
- Accommodate 8+ participants with spacious layouts
- Ideal for presentations, training sessions, and external meetings
- Can be equipped with advanced automation, beamforming microphones, and multi-camera systems
- Often serve as flagship rooms—so polished execution matters
Because of their size and complexity, these rooms are costlier to build and maintain—but when designed properly, they deliver high-impact experiences that reflect your brand and professionalism.
Finding the Right Balance
Every office is different, but here are a few guiding principles:
- Team Size Matters: If your company has lots of small teams or departments, lean heavier on huddle rooms.
- Hybrid Workflows: Remote collaboration drives demand for small, private, tech-equipped spaces.
- Client & Executive Use: Retain at least one large, flagship conference room for high-visibility meetings.
- Booking Data: Track how often your current rooms are used—and for how many people. Many companies discover that their largest rooms are underutilized.
A common sweet spot? One large conference room per 50–75 employees, and multiple huddle or midsize rooms spread throughout the floor.
GMI Automation Can Help You Design Smarter Meeting Spaces
Whether you’re designing an office at Bell Works, ON3 Campus, or building out a headquarters of your own, GMI Automation can help you plan the right mix of huddle rooms and conference rooms for your space, your team, and your technology needs.
We specialize in designing, installing, and automating high-performance meeting rooms of all sizes—with intuitive controls, enterprise-grade video conferencing systems, and seamless integration with your network and scheduling tools.
Let’s talk about your office layout. Contact GMI Automation for a consultation and discover the smartest way to power collaboration in every corner of your workspace.
