Squared Away: Understanding Areas in Buildings

It’s hip to be square. But are we measuring area using Square Meters (m2/sqm), Meters Squared, Squares, or Square Feet?

If you’ve ever found yourself in a confusing conversation about how many “squares” a house is only to realise you’re talking about square meters and the person you’re talking to is speaking about some hitherto unknown (by you) dimensioning system called a “square” then this article is for you - and my younger self.

Square Meters

Sqm, m2, or square meters. However, you refer to them this is your basic area calculation from school.

1m x 1m = 1m2

2m x 2m = 4m2

3m x 3m = 9m2

Quick tip: If you’re calculating how many sqm a room is when ordering flooring such as tiles or carpet, allow an extra 10% or so of wastage. Wastage is the amount of material that will be thrown out when cutting the material to fit the space you need.

Architectural Graphics

Francis D. K. Ching

Meters Squared

This is not a common area tool and in the context of a conversation about realestate size is likely to be a mis-quoting of square meters. So what is the difference between square meters and meters squared?

The most logical and easy to understand article I’ve seen to explain this is a Wikipedia page. In lieu of reinventing the wheel:

“A "square metre" is not the same thing as a "metre square" [2] - although it is true that exactly 1 square metre is exactly 1 meter square. But that only works for the numbers 1 and 0; no others.

For example, a square that is 2 metres long and 2 metres wide has 4 square metres of area.

2m x 2m = 4m2

But a square that is 4 metres squared would have 4 metres on each side. This means it would have 16 square metres of area.

4m x 4m = 16m2

That is, (4m)2 is 4 meters squared, whereas 4m2 is 4 square meters.”

Small House Living Australia

Catherine Foster

Squares

What’s the difference between square meters and squares? Now we start getting a little more complicated. Square meters are most often used for measuring areas of homes, but squares are still a common unit of measurement.

9.290304 sqm = 1 square

1 sqm = 0.1076391041670972 square

e.g.

• 3 Bedroom Home
  180sqm = approx. 19.4 squares

• 4 Bedroom Home
  205sqm = approx. 22 squares

Why are the conversions so odd? A “square” is 100 square feet (10ft x 10ft) and is a hold over from when Australia used the imperial system.

Property with She’s on the Money

by Victoria Devine

Square Feet

How do we convert square meters to square feet? For any readers still more comfortable with the old way of measuring (in imperial feet), here’s some handy conversions for you.

0.3048 sqm = 1 square

1 sqm = 3.28084 square feet

e.g.

• 3 Bedroom Home
  180sqm = approx. 591 square feet

• 4 Bedroom Home
  205sqm = approx. 673 square feet

Working in imperial measurements?

Here’s an imperial scale ruler to help you.

The Truth About Area

As an architect, designing efficient buildings is a crucial skill. This involves considering energy consumption, materials and construction techniques, and the needs of its occupants. By taking all of these factors into account, architects can create buildings that are energy-efficient, sustainable, comfortable, and enjoyable to be in.

Over the past few decades, the size of houses in Australia has been steadily increasing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average size of a new house built in Australia in 2019 was 246.6 square meters, which is up from 199.3 square meters in 2000. This trend towards larger houses has been attributed to a variety of factors, including rising land prices, an increase in the number of dual income families, and a preference for larger, more spacious living environments.