With real estate being one of the highest costs for law firms after salaries, how can workplace managers create a valuable space where legal professionals actually want to work?
According to office design company Oktra, lawyers, on average, are expected to bill 1,500 to 2,000 hours a year. And even with the rise in hybrid working models, any modern law firm must have appropriate spaces to meet clients and colleagues. An added challenge is that this space must be able to facilitate both collaborative group work and discreet meetings.
As Barbara Dunn, Principal and Studio Director at Gensler, says: “Attorneys can do heads-down work in small focus rooms or even at home, but it’s critical that the legal workplace of the future support the kinds of interactions and collaborations that do not work well remotely.”
Studio Reaktor, an architecture firm based in Prague, was asked to do just that.
Watch the Video
Studio Reaktor turned the well-worn old cliche of a dark, stuffy barristers’ chambers with high pile carpets and leather club chairs on its head.
Their client, Allen & Overy has 44 offices worldwide, and wanted a refined space for lawyers, who need focus rooms and teamwork spaces and who often work from home, but need frequent access to modern technology. A space that reflects the legal practice of today – a service that is often just one part of complex consulting services offered to startup projects, big acquisitions or small IT revolutions.
Another design inspiration was the process of fine-tuning a contract, and the act of studying precise legal wording. The use of highlighter pens and post-it notes during contract drafting inspired the office’s orientation system, leading the way to individual people’s rooms.
Picture: a render showing several pencil drawings of cabinets and windows. Image Credit: www.studio-reaktor.com
Corners as meeting spaces were also very important. In the middle of the offices, around the vertical circulation core, the designers placed the “Cloud”.
Picture: a render showing a floorplan, with the "cloud" at the centre. Image Credit: www.studio-reaktor.com
British Council for Offices Publishes Guidance for Hybrid Working Environments
A guide to help facilities managers create workspaces for the hybrid working generation has been published by the British Council for Offices.
The BCO’s flagship...
London’s most outstanding workplaces have been announced, with British Council for Offices Awards going to seven sites.
Held at the London Hilton on Park Lane,...
ThisWeekinFM’s high performing buildings roundup features projects in the Czech Republic, including an environmentally conscious building for a forest management...
Gensler’s Design Forecast 2023 – 10 Trends That Will Change the Built Environment
Gensler has created a top-ten list of meta trends and design strategies that will affect the built environment over the next decade and beyond.
Watch the...
This month’s high performing buildings roundup looks at the enduring workplace trend of biophilic offices.
Biophilia is the human drive to connect with nature...
IWFM Research Highlights Flexibility and Personalisation as the Key to the Future of the Office
New research released by IWFM and MillerKnoll has revealed that most companies remain uncertain about what their post-pandemic workplaces will look like.
For the...
Citi Offers Alternative Work-life Balance for Bankers in Málaga
Citigroup has announced plans to open a new office hub in Málaga, offering a working alternative for employees in comparison to the likes of London and New York...
Leeds Development First Outside London to Achieve NABERS 5 Star Target
A new development in the heart of Leeds, 11 & 12 Wellington Place, has been officially confirmed as one of the UK’s most sustainable office buildings.
With a...
Industrial Design – Bratislava’s Heating Plant Turned Co-Working Space
The Jurkovič Heating Plant was a central part of Bratislava’s industrial centre and has been extensively renovated to preserve as many industrial design elements...
This month we are rounding up the most innovative residential properties.
Our homes have taken on a new role in our lives. Several lockdowns and the working from...
The Role Of Data & Information In Current Global Energy
Chris Goggin analyses the role and key distinctions between data and information in the current UK and international energy market. The influence of data driven DHW and heating system improvements are explored. Click Image To Read More
Collaborative work amongst governments and big business continues to deliver plans, funding and construction on multiple clean power projects. Click Image To Read More
E-methane & Off Grid Fuels: What They Are - And Will They Become UK Market Relevant?
Chris Goggin explains what E-methane is, how it is produced and its potential relevance inside the UK alternative gasses market. Click Image To Read More
Hard Water Issues - DHW System Maintenance Explained
Pete Seddon, Head of Technical at Rinnai UK, explains the terms “hard and soft water” and expands on the long-term effects hard water has on DHW systems. Click Image To Read More
The Future Of Cleaning Today
InvisiGard by Orion Eco Solutions is a revolutionary water-based coating that effectively eliminates viruses, bacteria, and airborne pollutants in your workplace. Click Image To Read More
Limescale Defence At Installer Show 2025
Rinnai champions the critical role of scale protection in hot water systems. Plus new tech, extended warranties and 15 chances to win a free boiler. Click Image To Read More
The validity of global clean power dispersal has recently been questioned by some international and UK mainstream media, plus prominent political figures. Click Image To Read More
Water Neutrality: Growing Concerns For HVAC & Construction Professionals
Water neutrality aims to ensure that when new building developments are planned and completed, that there is no dramatic increase in water consumption in the surrounding area. Click Image To Read More
Prestigious Highbury Square Appoints Hard FM Services Provider
Henshall & Sheehy appointed to deliver the Hard FM Services at the prestigious Highbury Square, a 650 prime apartment complex. Click Image To Read More
FM Qualifications at the College of Central London
Our mission is to provide skills and knowledge to help you achieve success in IWFM level 5 and 6. Click Image To Read More