Draw the room you have
Start with a simple sketch and give it a date. Record the room’s width and depth in a consistent unit, then mark the part of the room you intend to use. A roughly rectangular room can be a helpful starting point, but its overall dimensions do not describe every projection, recess or change in usable space.
Add the features that stay in place: doors, windows, built-in storage, radiators and existing equipment. Show which way doors and drawers move. Label a measurement as provisional if it has not been checked. A clear unknown on the drawing is more useful than a precise-looking number whose source you cannot remember.
Measure the complete furniture outline
Use the full outside width and depth of the proposed desk, including any part that projects beyond the main top. Check whether a product drawing describes the assembled item or its packaging. Keep the original specification with the sketch so that a later change of model does not silently leave the old dimensions in your plan.
Think about how the workstation will be used. A chair, a cupboard door or an adjustable surface has more than one position. Record those questions on the drawing rather than treating a stationary desk rectangle as the entire workspace. OSHA’s desk guidance considers the surface, equipment placement and the space beneath it together.
Use area arithmetic for scale
The desk calculator compares the room and desk rectangles you enter. For example, a room measuring 400 by 500 centimeters has an area of 20 square meters. A desk measuring 140 by 70 centimeters occupies a rectangular footprint of 0.98 square meters. These figures describe areas; they do not describe an arrangement of people and furniture.
An area quotient cannot show routes through the room, the way furniture operates or the requirements that apply to a workplace. Use the comparison to notice scale and measurements worth reviewing, then return to the drawing. It is not a count of approved workstations or evidence that a layout meets access, occupancy or other requirements.
Keep the next checks beside the plan
Make a short list of what needs confirmation before ordering or moving anything. That might include the delivery route, a product dimension, an existing fixture or the advice required from the person responsible for the space. The CCOHS discussion of office space emphasizes the work and surrounding conditions as well as dimensions.
Save the drawing and specification together, then update them when the proposal changes. If an arrangement affects access, building use or individual requirements, obtain the relevant location-specific review. Werkplaces provides a way to organize the planning question; the responsible people assess the actual room and the work it must support.