Your team has grown from three people to seven, the new floor is booked, and the desks you bought one at a time no longer line up. This is usually the point to stop adding single desks and plan office workstations instead: desks that share frames, screens and cable paths, set out for a known number of people.
This guide covers layouts, screens, frames, cables and floor space, with examples from our office workstations range.
Office workstations versus desks: what changes?
A desk stands alone on its own frame. A workstation is a system: desks join into a run, neighbouring tops share legs and rails, and screens and cable management attach to the same frame. That makes a row of workstations tidier than a row of separate desks, and easier to extend when the team grows.
Even a one-person workstation is built to grow. The Axis Straight Workstation (from $261) is a single-sided desk on a 50×50mm square-leg frame, with ten worktop sizes from W1200mm x D600mm to W2100mm x D900mm. Its modular frame lets you add desks to a run later, and it has a 140KG weight rating and a 10-Year Warranty. There are more single desks in the 1-person workstations range.
Layouts from one to eight people
Workstations are sold by the number of people they seat, from one-person desks to double-sided runs of eight or more.
For two people, the Agile Fixed Rectangle 2-Person Double-sided Desk Workstation (from $789) seats a pair facing each other on a fixed-height H-frame. It is rated to 160KG and comes in 15 worktop sizes, including scalloped tops. For four, the Eternity 4 Person Double Sided Workstation with Screens (from $1,488) seats four users across two facing sides. Its overall sizes are 2400mm, 3000mm or 3600mm wide by 1530mm deep.
For five or six people, the 5 and 6 person workstations range covers single-sided, double-sided, 120-degree and screen-hung versions. At eight, the Deluxe Rapid Infinity 8 Person Double Sided With Screens (from $2,874) is a back-to-back run with matching dividing screens between facing users. Its stated sizes are 4800mm, 6000mm and 7200mm long by 1530mm deep.
| Workstation | People | Layout | Stated sizes | Screens | Frame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Straight Workstation | 1 | Single-sided, extends into a run | W1200mm x D600mm to W2100mm x D900mm | None listed | 50×50mm square legs |
| Agile Fixed Rectangle 2-Person | 2 | Double-sided | W1200mm to W1800mm, D600mm to D800mm | Compatible screen systems listed | H-frame in 90x60mm steel tubing |
| Eternity 4 Person with Screens | 4 | Double-sided | 2400mm, 3000mm or 3600mm W x 1530mm D | 500mm high pinnable fabric | 45 degree Eternity leg |
| Axis 6-Person 120 Degree | 6 | 120-degree | 1200x1200x600mm or 1200x1200x750mm | Works with Axis screens | 50x50mm square legs |
| SHUSH30 6 Person Screen Hung Tops | 6 | Double-sided | 1200mm, 1500mm or 1800mm W x 750mm D per user | 1200mm or 1500mm high, 30mm slimline | Tops hang from screens, legs optional |
| Deluxe Rapid Infinity 8 Person | 8 | Double-sided | 4800mm, 6000mm or 7200mm W x 1530mm D | Matching dividing screens | 60mm x 30mm profile end legs |
Single-sided or double-sided, straight or 120-degree
Single-sided runs suit narrow rooms and window lines, and nobody sits facing a colleague. Double-sided runs share a central frame, so they use less floor space per person and keep cables to one central path. The trade-off is that people face each other, so screens matter more.
A 120-degree layout sets desks at an angle around shared junctions, forming pods or a zigzag run instead of a straight line. The Axis 6-Person 120 Degree Workstation (from $2,960) seats six people in a single fixed frame, in 1200x1200x600mm or 1200x1200x750mm sizes. It has a 715mm worktop height, 80mm of height adjustment in each foot and a 140KG weight rating. For when a pod works better than a straight row, see our guide to 120-degree cluster workstations.
Screens between and around desks
Screens mark out each person's space, cut visual distraction across a double-sided run and, when the fabric is pinnable, hold notes and plans. Lower screens keep a team talking, while taller screens give more privacy.
The Eternity 4 Person includes 500mm high, 30mm thick pinnable fabric privacy screens. The SHUSH30 Double Sided Workstation, 6 Person, Screen Hung Tops (from $3,232) goes further. Six desks sit on opposite sides of slimline 30mm screens, with 1200mm screens for easier communication or 1500mm screens for privacy. Its tops hang from the screens, so they can be used with no legs or with a choice of leg frame.
Frames, shared legs, cable trays and power
Where neighbouring desks share legs, look at where those legs land, because a leg in the wrong place takes knee room. The Deluxe Rapid Infinity 8 Person uses recessed intermediate legs for full leg access along the run, plus 60mm x 30mm profile end legs and a double support rail. The Eternity 4 Person sits on a 45 degree Eternity leg with a dual cross bar. Axis frames use 50x50mm square legs with 80mm of height adjustment in each foot.
Cables need a planned path from the wall, floor or ceiling to every desk. The Eternity, SHUSH30 and Deluxe Rapid Infinity tops all have a scalloped edge for cable access. The Agile 2-Person offers an optional integrated cable tray with mounting brackets and power/data plates, and its softwiring upgrade requires installation by a qualified electrician. On the SHUSH30, ceiling to workstation power poles and umbilicals are sold separately, so allow for them if power comes from the ceiling.
Counting people and planning floor space in an Australian office
Start with the number of people in the office on your busiest day, not the total headcount. Hybrid rosters are common in Australian offices, so the two numbers can differ a lot. Then add the hires you expect over the life of the lease, because extending a modular run is easier than re-planning a floor.
Next, mark each workstation's overall footprint on the floor with masking tape, using the stated sizes from the product page. Add room for chairs to roll back on every working side, and keep walkways clear of bags, bins and cable runs. Leave space at doors, storage and the kitchen, then walk the taped plan with a chair in hand.
The workstations in this guide arrive flat-packed and are delivered to the ground-floor entrance, so check the lift size and book any goods lift with building management. Every workstation in this guide lists delivery to metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide on its product page. The Deluxe Rapid Infinity page also lists an AFRDI certificate in its downloads. AFRDI, the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute, is an independent body that tests and certifies furniture for Australia and New Zealand.
Office workstations — frequently asked questions
How much floor space does an 8 person workstation need?
It needs its own footprint plus room for chairs on both long sides and a clear path around each end. For example, the Deluxe Rapid Infinity 8 Person covers 4800mm, 6000mm or 7200mm by 1530mm before any chairs.
Are screens included with office workstations?
Some include screens and some do not, so read the title and description. In this guide, the Eternity 4 Person, SHUSH30 and Deluxe Rapid Infinity 8 Person include screens, while the Agile 2-Person lists compatible screen systems and the Axis 120 Degree works with Axis screens.
What height are office workstations?
Where a height is stated, the workstations in this guide sit at 715mm or 730mm. The Axis and Agile worktops are 715mm high, while the Eternity 4 Person and Deluxe Rapid Infinity 8 Person tops are 730mm high.
Can I add more desks to a workstation later?
Yes, if the range is modular. The Axis Straight and Axis 120 Degree workstations use infinite width frames, and SHUSH30 is a component based system for runs of any length or back to back pods. Staying in one range keeps frames, screens and finishes matching as the team grows.
Shop the range
Browse the full office workstations range by team size, or start with the six workstations in this guide.
- Axis Straight Workstation (from $261): one person now, with a modular frame that extends into a run later
- Agile Fixed Rectangle 2-Person Double-sided Desk Workstation (from $789): two people facing each other, with an optional integrated cable tray
- Eternity 4 Person Double Sided Workstation with Screens - White (from $1,488): small teams wanting pinnable fabric privacy screens included in the price
- Deluxe Rapid Infinity 8 Person Double Sided - With Screens (Profile Legs) (from $2,874): larger teams needing one long double-sided run with dividing screens
- Axis 6-Person 120 Degree Workstation (from $2,960): six people who would rather sit in an angled layout than a straight row
- SHUSH30 Double Sided Workstation - 6 Person - Screen Hung Tops - White (from $3,232): teams wanting taller screens, at 1200mm or 1500mm high
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
