BMS - Building Management System.
CAD - Computer-Aided Design.
Caddie - mobile pedestal unit for personal storage (also known as a puppy or a bobby trolley).
Carrel - a screened booth for quiet study, a term commonly used in the USA.
Caves and commons - another US term, this time for a unified team space that enables a combination of private and collaborative work.
Churn - the frequency rate at which staff changes are made in organisations (and interior desk layouts reconfigured to accommodate them).
Facilities manager - the person responsible for the maintenance and operation of the office environment (facilities management is today a recognised profession).
Fitting out - the design and installation of the internal components of the building, such as furniture and services.
Free address - the first-come-first-served concept in desk sharing.
Hotelling - a more upmarket system of desk sharing based on phoning a 'concierge' to book your work space.
Hot desking - same as free address (the name is derived from the war-time naval practice of 'hot bunking' in submarines).
Hub - focal point within an office that attracts people to it and creates social interaction and a sense of community.
HVAC - heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
Nomadic working - the practice of working on a random basis as the need arises - at home, on the move and infrequently in the office (a practice closely related to hot desking).
Office as City - a workplace concept whereby all the workspace is owned and occupied by the organisation and zoned using an urban metaphor to reinforce culture and community.
Organogram or Org Chart - the diagram that sets out the formal hierarchy and management structure of people in an organisation.
RSI - Repetitive strain injury, a workplace-related condition caused by poor workstation design.
Sick Building Syndrome - a condition that causes drowsiness, lethargy and skin irritations in office workers due to poor environmental quality.
Telecommuting - working at a remote location but linked to the main office by computer and telephone (also known as teleworking).
Touchdown area - a niche typically close to the office reception offering a phone and small work surface for nomadic employees to 'touchdown' with the organisation.
VDU - visual display unit on a computer.
Workstation - professional term for a desk.