Make at least 70 percent of all meeting rooms really small - for 12 people or less. Locate them in the most public parts of the building, evenly scattered among the workplaces. 

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Edward Hall has established the upper range for full casual voice at about 8 feet; a person with 20/20 vision can see details of facial expression up to 12 feet; two people whose heads are 8 to 9 feet apart, can pass an object if they both stretch; clear vision (that is, macular vision) includes 12 degrees horizontally and 3 degrees vertically - which includes one face but not two, at distances up to about 10 feet. (See Edward Hall, The Silent Language, New York: Doubleday, 1966, pp. 118-19.)

Thus a small group discussion will function best if the members of the group are arranged in a rough circle, with a maximum diameter of about 8 feet. At this diameter, the circumference of the circle will be 25 feet. Since people require about 27 inches each for their seats, there can be no more than about 12 people round the circle.