Bristows are a leading firm of solicitors based on two floors of the beautiful Unilever building at Embankment near Blackfriars, which had been completely gutted and rebuilt behind its listed façade into a dynamic set of multi-tenanted offices.
Solicitors to LaSalle, they were inspired by the refurbishment and fit-out project we had undertaken at LaSalle’s HQ and asked us to assess and consult with the legal partners (over 35 equity partners) on how they could use their space more imaginatively and change their model of cellular office. The solution was an open plan studio with senior and junior solicitors facing internal walls to create workspaces that were suitable for concentration yet connected and approachable.
Part of the design process was an extensive confidential consultation to review and challenge the partners on their ideas and perceptions of new working styles and to assess the benefits and weaknesses of their existing ways of working.
Detailed illustrations and layouts were developed and presented of different work styles within the existing footprint with the result that the majority of partners voted firmly in favour of the change.
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