How it works
Swing space can be a spare floor in the same building, a vacant area in another building, short-term leased space or flexible coworking. Its size depends on how many people need to be out at the same time, which depends on how the project is phased.
Moving people into swing space is often called decanting. In a phased refurbishment, one floor is emptied into swing space, rebuilt and reoccupied, then the next floor follows, so a small amount of swing space can support a whole building program.
Hybrid attendance changes the math. Because not everyone is in on the same day, a team can often share a smaller swing area through desk booking, or temporarily use bookable space in another neighborhood, rather than needing one seat per person.
How to measure it
- Size swing space from peak-day attendance for the teams being moved, not total headcount.
- Track how long each group spends in swing space against the plan.
- Include swing space costs, including the extra moves, in the project budget.
Examples
- During a two-floor refurbishment, the tenant decants one floor at a time into a spare floor in the same building.
- A team whose area is closed for several weeks books desks in another neighborhood instead of moving to leased swing space.
Common mistakes
- Sizing swing space for everyone when attendance data shows a smaller peak.
- Forgetting that swing space doubles the number of moves for each person.
- Leaving closed areas bookable during the works.
How Kadence helps
Kadence Closure Management closes buildings, and on WorkOps Pro floors, neighborhoods or individual spaces, for the dates of the works, so nobody books space that is out of use. The Neighborhood Scheduler assigns a team to a different neighborhood by date, and Workplace Insights shows how much temporary space the team really needs on its busiest days.
WorkOps · Workplace occupancy · Office move checklist
Frequently asked questions
What is decanting in facilities management?
Decanting is moving people out of an area into swing space so the area can be refurbished, reconfigured or handed back. Once the work is done they move back, or on to a new location. Large projects decant in phases, one floor or zone at a time.
How much swing space do you need?
Enough for the largest group that will be out of its space at the same time, sized to their peak-day attendance rather than headcount. Phasing the project so fewer people are displaced at once reduces the amount needed.
What is the difference between swing space and flexible workspace?
Swing space is defined by its purpose: temporary space during works or a move. Flexible workspace is a type of space, such as coworking or short-term offices, that can serve as swing space or as a permanent part of a portfolio.
Can hybrid teams avoid swing space?
Often, for part of a project. If attendance data shows a team's peak fits in bookable space elsewhere in the building, the team can book desks in another neighborhood for the duration instead of moving into leased swing space.
Related terms
- Restack Reassigning teams across the floors of a building to free space, absorb growth or improve adjacency, done as a sequence of moves.
- Office relocation Moving an office or department to another building, planned around the lease date, real attendance and a clear move schedule.
- Office fit-out The work that turns shell or existing space into a usable office: walls, services, finishes, furniture and technology.
Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed