Bigger Isn’t Always Better: Why Square Metres Are the Wrong Obsession. Usually.

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At some point in most projects, someone asks the question

"How big can we make it?"

Usually followed by a number. Then another number. Then a comparison with something else. Square metres have a habit of taking over the conversation, because they feel concrete. You can measure them, list them, and put them neatly in a box on a drawing.

It’s understandable. Bigger feels like progress.

But it’s also where things can quickly start to unravel.

Now, to be clear, square metres aren’t meaningless. On some projects — particularly commercial ones — they really matter. Floor area can affect viability, efficiency, rental value, staffing levels, even how a business operates day to day. In those cases, space isn’t just a design choice, it’s part of the spreadsheet.

The problem isn’t caring about size.

It’s caring about only size.

We see plenty of buildings that are technically large but don’t feel generous at all. Awkward layouts. Long stretches of space that don’t really do anything. Rooms that look impressive on a plan but are oddly difficult to use once furniture and people arrive.

On paper, they’re big.

In reality, they’re just… bulky.

It’s surprisingly easy to add square metres without adding quality. Extra circulation that exists purely to connect other spaces. Area added because it feels safer to say yes than to ask whether it’s actually needed.

The numbers go up, but the building doesn’t get better.

More space almost always means more cost, too — not just to build, but to heat, cool, light, clean and maintain. On commercial schemes, inefficient space can quietly drag down performance. On residential projects, it often leads to homes that are harder to live in comfortably, despite their size.

This is usually where the focus needs to shift.

What makes a space feel good isn’t the headline floor area. It’s light. Proportion. How rooms connect. Whether you instinctively know where to go next. Whether spaces can adapt without everything needing to be reworked.

None of those things show up neatly in a square metre total, but they’re the things people notice every single day.

On commercial projects, this becomes even more obvious. A smaller, well-planned building that works properly will often outperform a larger one that doesn’t. Less wasted space. Clearer circulation. Easier operation. Better long-term flexibility. Size only helps if it’s doing something useful.

The same applies to high-end homes. Bigger rooms aren’t automatically better rooms. Generosity often comes from ceiling height, daylight, views and flow, not from stretching dimensions until they look impressive on a drawing.

This isn’t an argument for building small. It’s an argument for building with intent.

Some projects genuinely benefit from scale. Others benefit from restraint. Most benefit from someone being willing to ask, “Is this actually improving things?” rather than “Can we make it bigger?”

Square metres are easy to count.

Good space takes a bit more thought.

And in our experience, that’s usually where the real value is hiding.

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