Square Foot (ft²)
The square foot (ft²) is a standard unit of area in both the imperial and US customary measurement systems. Defined as the area of a square with each side measuring one foot, one square foot equals 144 square inches or roughly 0.0929 square meters. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, and it eventually became a fixed standard. Today, the square foot remains a popular unit in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, especially for describing the size of residential and commercial spaces. Although metric measurements are more widely adopted worldwide, the square foot continues to be important in real estate and construction practices within these countries.
Square Meter (m²)
The square meter, or m², is the basic unit of area in the metric system. It is the area of a square with sides one meter long. First used in France in the late 1700s, it helped make measurements simpler and the same everywhere. Today, the square meter is the primary unit of measurement for areas, including rooms, buildings, and land. Its accuracy and clear links to other metric units make it a key unit in building, real estate, design, and science.