CHAPTER 4. SPACE ALLOCATION ALLOWANCES

4-1. General. This Chapter sets forth the general and special

space conditioning requirements and space allocation

allowances. To reduce the cost of Government operations, the

Department shall reduce its space holdings to achieve a goal

of an average utilization rate of 135 square feet per person

housed in general purpose office type space. The average

utilization rate of 135 square feet per person includes the

layout factor which is the circulation required to gain

access to and around work stations. Not included in the 135

square feet is building circulation which is required to gain

access to building facilities, e.g., stairwells, restrooms,

wire closets, elevators, etc. So that sufficient space is

available for work stations and essential support facilities,

such as conference space, it is mandatory that record

holdings, directives, support documents, and personal files

be monitored constantly so that excess and/or obsolete

documents are not maintained in an office. To maintain an

efficient environment, no work station shall be allocated

more units of furniture than required to function effectively

and efficiently. Auxiliary units of furniture shall be

disposed of in order to achieve the most effective and

efficient space utilization for essential mission

accomplishment. At no time shall reserve furniture units

exceed the amount required to equip five percent of the total

authorized PFT office staff. Space currently designed will

be utilized to the extent possible to satisfy housing

requirements; however, space alterations will be accomplished

as needed to existing space when cost effective to achieve

the overall objective of attaining an average utilization

rate of 135 square feet per person in general purpose office

type space. Space shall not be provided as part of a

contract to house contractor personnel without receiving

prior approval from the Assistant Secretary for

Administration.

4-2. General Space Conditioning. The open planning concept shall

be employed in Department offices. GSA shall fund the

finishings stated below as part of initial space alterations

except when the ceiling-high partitions ratio 1:40 is

exceeded. In that instance, the finishings will become

reimbursable to GSA unless they are provided as building

standard items. The erection of core area enclosing fire

corridor partitioning shall not be computed against the

ceiling-high partitioning ratio.

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(4-2.) a. Carpeting. Floors shall be carpeted except where HUD has

requested that vinyl tile be provided in areas such as

storage, central files, computer center, etc. The

carpeting used shall meet or exceed Government

specifications for fire resistance, flame spread, and

smoke products.

b\. Window Treatment. Window covering shall be building

standard.

c\. Acoustical Treatment. Ceilings in office areas shall be

covered with a Government approved asbestos free

acoustical material and special treatment afforded areas

containing noise-producing equipment.

d\. Free-standing Acoustic Screens. Free-standing acoustic

screens (area dividers) shall be furnished at the rate of

one linear foot for each 30 occupiable square feet of

office space. Area dividers, curved or straight, shall

not exceed 60\" in height and 72\" in length.

e\. Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC). HVAC

shall be provided capable of maintaining an acceptable

operating environment within the temperature range

outlined in Federal Property Management Regulation

101-20.116-3, Cooling and Heating Energy Conservation

Policies and Procedures.

f\. Lighting. Adequate lighting shall be provided to

maintain acceptable levels of illumination throughout the

assigned space areas as outlined in Federal Property

Management Regulation 101-20.116-2, Lighting Conservation

Policies and Procedures.

4-3. Space Allowances - Headquarters.

a\. Space allowances representing the amount of square

footage to be provided those Headquarters positions

entitled to private offices (ceiling-high) are indicated

below. The suites of Presidential appointees to include

the Secretary, Under Secretary, Assistant Secretaries,

Inspector General, General Counsel, and President,

Government National Mortgage Association, are established

within the HUD Headquarters Building and are unaffected.

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(4-3.) Square

Position Footage

Deputy Under Secretary 300

Deputy Assistant Secretary 300

(located outside of suite)

Office Director or equivalent 200

Deputy Office Director or equivalent 150

Division Director or equivalent 150

Supervisory Attorney Advisor 150

Trial Attorney/Attorney Advisor 150\*

Personnel Staffing/Classification Specialist 150

Employee Relations Specialist 150

Labor Relations Specialist 150

Equal Employment Specialist (Drafter of equal

employment opportunity decisions only) 150

\*(Two Trial Attorneys/Attorney Advisors per 225

square foot office.)

NOTE: An interview room of 150 square feet is authorized

for use by the Equal Opportunity Investigators.

b\. Supervisory positions not indicated above shall be housed

in the open area using free-standing acoustic screens

(area dividers).

c\. Remaining positions shall be housed in the open area and

free standing acoustic screens (area dividers) shall be

used to (1) partition large areas, (2) provide a limited

degree of visual privacy, (3) reduce noise levels, and

\(4\) increase employee morale and efficiency on the job.

4-4. Space Allowances - Regional Office.

a\. Space allowances representing the amount of square

footage to be provided those Regional positions entitled

to private offices (ceiling-high) are indicated below:

Square

Position Footage

Regional Administrator - Regional 300

Housing Commissioner

Deputy Regional Administrator 225

Special/Executive Assistant 150

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(4-4.) Labor Relations Officer 150

Public Affairs Officer 150

Regional Economist 150

Regional Counsel 200

Associate Regional Counsel 150

Senior Attorney 150

Attorney Advisor/General Attorney 150\*

Office Director or equivalent 200

Deputy Office Director or equivalent 150

Division Director or equivalent 150

Regional Environmental Clearance

Officer 150

Regional Contracting Officer 150

Regional Inspector General for Audit 200

Assistant Regional Inspector General

for Audit 150

Area Audit Supervisor 150

Regional Inspector General for

Investigation 200

Supervisory Investigator 150

\*(Two Attorney Advisors/General Attorneys per

225 square foot office).

b\. Supervisory positions not indicated above shall be housed

in the open area using free-standing acoustic screens

(area dividers).

c\. Remaining positions shall be housed in the open area and

free standing acoustic screens (area dividers) shall be

used to (1) partition large areas, (2) provide a limited

degree of visual privacy, (3) reduce noise levels, and

\(4\) increase employee morale and efficiency on the job.

4-5. Space Allowances - Field Offices.

a\. Space allowances representing the amount of square

footage to be provided those Field Office positions

entitled to private offices (ceiling-high) are indicated

below:

Square

Positions Footage

Manager 225

Deputy Manager 150

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(4-5.) Special Assistant 150

Division Director or equivalent 150

Chief Counsel 150

Director of Labor Relations 150

Chief Economist 150

Attorney Advisor 150\*

Supervisory Investigator 150

Supervisory Auditor 150

\*(Two Attorney Advisors per 225 square foot

office.)

b\. Supervisory positions not indicated above shall be housed

in the open area using free-standing acoustic screens

(area dividers).

c\. Remaining positions shall be housed in the open area and

free-standing acoustic screens (area dividers) shall be

used to (1) partition large areas, (2) provide a limited

degree of visual privacy, (3) reduce noise levels, and

\(4\) increase employee morale and efficiency on the job.

4-6. Location in the Building. Offices in the Field may be

situated on any floor of an office building at or above

ground level preferably near the passenger elevators. As

part of the SF-81, Request for Space, (Appendix 1), the

Director, Administrative Services Division (ASD), shall

provide the General Services Administration (GSA) with the

organizational adjacencies necessary on a floor to maintain

functional processing continuity between organizational

components.

4-7. Special Purpose (SP) Requirements - Offices in the Field.

When requesting new or replacement space, the ASD shall

provide to GSA as part of the transmittal package

accompanying the SF-81, Request for Space, the special

purpose requirements, as appropriate, described below.

a\. Training Room. The training room shall be located on the

core and classified as SP-5, conference and training.

GSA shall provide supplemental heating, ventilating, and

air-conditioning, carpeting, acoustically treated

ceilings to provide a minimum sound transmission class of

40 (STC 40) and sound condition perimeter walls to

provide a minimum STC of 40.

b\. Main Reception Area. The entrance for the main reception

area for an office in the Field may consist of aluminum

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(4-7.) framed glass double doors, or a glass single door with

glass side panels. The glass used must meet fire and

safety codes. The HUD seal and 2-1/2\" lettering,

preferably black, identifying the office are to be

affixed to the glass. This item shall be provided on a

reimbursable basis.

c\. Special Electrical Service. Special electrical outlets

(220 volt, 30 ampere dedicated line), if required, shall

be provided as part of initial space alterations on a

ratio of one such outlet up to 10,000 square feet of

occupiable area. Requirements beyond this will be

reimbursable by HUD.

d\. First-aid Room. A first-aid room of 150-200 square feet

is required where public health service facilities are

not available. The room shall be equipped with a

stainless steel sink with hot and cold water. GSA shall

fund the cost and the space shall be classified SP-1,

laboratory and clinic. The room shall be furnished with

a first-aid kit, cot, small table, chair, blankets,

sheets, pillow, and pillowcase. This room is used for

administering first-aid due to occupational injuries, for

immunizations and the conducting of tests by visiting

medical personnel, and for medically prescribed rest and

recuperation periods.

e\. Secure Room. A secure room of 150 square feet is

required and shall be classified as SP-3, structurally

changed. Perimeter walls to be from structural floor to

structural ceiling or with 10 gauge wire mesh from false

ceiling to structural ceiling. The door to the secure

room shall be solid core with hinge pins to the inside of

the room and be equipped with a push-button combination

lock comparable to UNICAN Series 1000 Access Control Lock

available from Simplex Security Systems, Inc., Front and

Main Streets, Collinsville, Connecticut 06022. Secured

storage is in accordance with HUD Handbook 1911.1 REV-3,

Handling and Protecting Cash and Other Negotiable

Instruments.

f\. Rest Break Area. The Randolph-Shepard Act, as amended,

requires that qualified blind persons be authorized to

operate vending facilities on any Government-occupied

facility. The requirements of the Act apply if the

building population contains 100 or more Federal

employees or the space action involves at least 15,000

square feet. If similar facilities are not conveniently

available

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(4-7.) as part of the overall facility, a rest break area will

be provided by HUD within the assigned space. The

utilities required by vending machines are consummated as

a separate provision of the lease contract by GSA.

Therefore, the installation of any vending machines must

be coordinated with the contracting officer (GSA) so that

no conflicts occur. If vending machines are installed,

the space shall be classified SP-2, food service.

g\. Bulk Storage. A limited amount of bulk storage space

shall be provided for the storage of back up quantities

of forms, issuances, directives and personal property

required to equip 5 percent of the total authorized PFT

office staff. The space shall be provided in a secured

area of the basement of the assigned building and shall

be conditioned to produce reduced heating, air

conditioning, and lighting. If practicable, this space

shall be accessible to a freight elevator and loading

dock. If a space offer cannot provide basement storage

space, the bulk storage required shall be satisfied on an

upper floor. Because the space will not require the same

conditioning and services as general purpose office

space, it shall be classified ST-1, general storage, if

located in the basement, or SP-6, light industrial, if

located on an upper floor.

h\. Floor Loading. The ASD shall advise GSA in the space

request of requirements that may present floor loading

problems (e.g., installation of lektriever files, storage

of forms/issuances, large concentration of files, etc.).

In those instances, GSA will obtain certification that

the designed floor will accommodate the requirements, or

that the floor can be structurally reinforced to meet the

requirements. If structural reinforcement is necessary,

GSA will fund the cost and the space shall be classified

SP-3, structurally changed.

i\. Forms, Issuances, Directives and Expendable Supplies. A

limited amount of space shall be provided for accessible

shelf storage of forms, issuances, directives and

expendable supplies that must be readily accessible for

issuance to the public and for use by the office

employees. The location of this space shall be

contiguous to space occupied by the office staff.

Because of the weight and volume of the required storage

units to accommodate these items, additional floor

loading

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(4-7.) capacity is frequently required. If the floor loading

capacity is strengthened, the occupied space shall be

classified SP-3, structurally changed. If the floor

loading capacity is sufficient, because the assigned

space does not require the same services and utilities as

general purpose office space, it shall be classified

SP-6, light industrial.

j\. Computer Center. A computer center, if required, shall

include the following requirements, as appropriate. The

ASD shall verify the requirements on an individual basis

with the Director, Management Information Division (MID).

The items listed shall be provided as part of initial

space alterations and the space shall be classified SP-4,

ADP.

\(1\) Wall and ceiling surfaces shall be finished to

produce a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.65

or better.

\(2\) Walls, doors and door frames shall be one-hour fire

rated and labeled.

\(3\) The door(s) to the computer center shall be

equipped with a push-button combination lock,

comparable to UNICAN Series 1000 Access Control

Lock, available from Simplex Security Systems,

Inc., Front and Main Streets, Collinsville,

Connecticut 06022.

\(4\) Smoke and fire detectors that comply with National

Fire Protection standards shall be provided. Smoke

and fire detectors producing an audible sound shall

be located inside and immediately outside the

computer center. Red lights shall also be

installed that are tied into the smoke and fire

detectors which will begin blinking when the smoke

and fire detectors sound off. They shall be

located one foot below the ceiling and mounted on

the wall where they are visible throughout the

room. One shall also be located above the computer

center door outside the computer center.

\(5\) Portable fire extinguishers that are rated Class

\"A:B:C\" fires shall be mounted in the computer

center and readily accessible. There shall be a

portable fire extinguisher within 50 feet of any

computer equipment. It is recommended that 10

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(4-7.) pound carbon dioxide or halon 1301 portable fire

extinguishers be installed.

\(6\) The center shall be equipped with a compact

self-contained air conditioning unit capable of

maintaining a room temperature of 60 to 75 degrees

Fahrenheit with relative humidity of 40 to 70

percent on a 24-hour basis. The unit may be floor

or ceiling plenum mounted. The ASD shall advise

GSA of the estimated BTU output. The control for

the air conditioning unit shall be located in the

computer center. The power supply should be

controlled through the emergency shutdown control

described in item (7) below.

\(7\) A separate dedicated electrical panel to control

equipment within the computer center is required.

An emergency shutdown control switch shall be

installed to provide manual control over the

computer equipment power panel and air

conditioning. The shutdown control switch must be

located near the main exit, clearly marked and

visible from any point within the computer center.

The power panel must be independent of other loads

via a wye-connected three (3) phase isolation

transformer with electrostatic shield. Other loads

such as air conditioning, convenience outlets,

lighting or office equipment must be supplied from

another power source. An isolation transformer is

a requirement of the HTN II equipment contract.

The HTN II equipment contractor stresses that a

high-intensity single-point grounding system must

be installed in accordance with the National Fire

Protection Association (NFPA 70 or equivalent) and

local codes. The requirements for the

high-intensity single-point system are as follows:

\(a\) When providing female receptacles, the

equipment ground must be enclosed with the

circuit conductors (phase and neutral wires).

\(b\) The size of the grounding conductor must be

the same as the circuit conductor supplying

the equipment.

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(4-7.) (c) All grounding conductors must be securely

bonded to building electrode conductor at a

common point.

\(d\) In centers without raised flooring, the

distribution of circuits for computer

equipment shall be in conduit along the base

molding.

\(8\) Low voltage computer cable (4-wire plus ground)

connecting remote work stations to the HTN II

minicomputer is required. The cable is referred to

as \"HTN II Cable.\" The number of cables required

shall be verified by the MID and provided GSA by

the ASD. The \"HTN II Cable\" must be procured from

Honeywell Information Systems, Inc., FSO

Parts/Supply Sales, 7900 Westpark Drive, Suite

LL-4, McLean, Virginia 22102.

\(9\) The units of HTN II equipment, telephone and

electrical requirements, and the types of Hubbell

receptacles required for installation in the

computer center shall be verified by the MID and

provided GSA by the ASD.

\(10\) Standard raised computer type flooring will be

required in those computer centers exceeding 400

square feet.

k\. Word Processing Center. A word processing center, if

required, may be located immediately adjacent to the

computer center in order to use the special climatic

conditions.

4-8. Conference and Interview Rooms - Offices in the Field.

Conference and/or interview rooms for Offices in the Field

shall be placed on the core or immediately adjacent to a main

circulating corridor to minimize disruption to personnel to

the extent feasible. The space shall be designed so that it

is available for multiple use. The total amount of

conference space shall not exceed 5 percent of the general

purpose office type space requirements. Each office, based

on functional requirements, shall determine the size and

location of the conference and/or interview rooms.

4-9. Support Facilities - Offices in the Field. Administrative

support facilities (e.g., forms, issuances and expendable

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(4-9.) supplies; mail and reproduction; bulk storage; rest break

area; first-aid room, secure room; main reception; computer

center; word processing center; library; and conference

space) shall be provided for Offices in the Field as

appropriate. Each office, depending on size and functional

requirements, shall determine the types of administrative

support space and the amount of square footage required.

Space for accommodating administrative support facilities

shall be held to an absolute minimum.

4-10. Work Station Allowances. Refer to Appendix 2 for work

station allowances for positions in the Department.

a\. Files. File units shall not be assigned to individual

work stations unless there are duties peculiar to the

position which make it mandatory, i.e., security

material, confidential material, etc.

b\. Bookcases. Bookcases/bookcase sections should not be

assigned to individual work stations. They should be

used for housing reference material and be shared by the

overall organizational unit.

c\. Tables. Tables shall not be provided to create a double

work station. It is recognized that certain positions,

i.e, assignment clerks, construction analysts,

architects, etc., have need for additional work surfaces.

In those instances, tables shall be assigned and shared

by work stations within the organization.

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