Brachers, Maidstone
Award-winning full-service legal firm Brachers had a clear workplace vision - to transform their old cellular offices in Somerfield House and Ashmore House into open-plan, collaborative and fresh workspaces to meet the needs of their growing team.
Sector
Legal
Location
Maidstone
Size
19,258 sq ft
Scope
Workplace Consultancy
Interior Design
Fit-Out
Furniture
Workplace Consultancy Approach
Our Workplace Consultancy team worked closely with Brachers to understand the colleagues needs and wants from their new workspace were. Following successful engagement workshops, space budgets and test fits an in depth brief was created inline with the findings, outlining the need for the space to transition from isolated offices to a more collaborative environment.
Future Workplace Questionnaire
Engagement Workshops
Space Budgets
Property Appraisal
Test Fits
Embracing Open-Plan, Collaborative, and Invigorating Workspaces
Claremont began with workplace consultancy to help Brachers identify employees’ needs, the challenges of the old offices and their hopes for a new workspace. The findings informed the brief, which called for each of the two building’s three floors to be opened up, removing cellular spaces to create a stronger sense of cohesion. The brief also called for more meeting and collaboration spaces and a refreshed client suite, reception space and staff kitchen.
Despite the challenges of two buildings with varying ceiling heights, limiting columns and broken-up floor plates – the Claremont team has created a cohesive space with a fresh and timeless aesthetic.
The offices now comprise neighbourhoods, so departments have a strong sense of place and easy access to shared printing and tea-point facilities.
Claremont’s design maximises the buildings’ history and existing floorplates. The smaller rooms on the upper floors of Ashmore House, a Victorian building, were suited to accommodate meeting rooms and individual work settings, while Somerfield House, which was built in the 1980s, was opened up to create open-plan work floors and centralised collaboration spaces.
The old store rooms were repurposed to create an inviting staff kitchen, with a new door to connect the two buildings and enable easy circulation between the spaces.
The result is a workspace reflecting Brachers’ award-winning status and offering the cohesion and comfort required by the team.
Warrington Design Studio (HQ)
Claremont House
The Breeze
2 Kelvin Close
Birchwood
Warrington
WA3 7PB
