Mills & Reeve
case study
As a major modern law firm with a strong reputation for workplace culture and the employee experience, we wanted a workspace that would reflect our values, challenge the norm and leave a lasting impression. The end result exceeds our expectations. Claremont’s experience in the legal sector, coupled with their understanding of our need, really shines through and they have delivered an office with a wow.
Wendy Thomas, Mills & Reeve
The big idea
- Challenge the ‘typical legal office’
- Provide first-class client-focused facilities
- Bring Mills & Reeve’s agile vision to life
- Introduce sustainable biophilic design
Nailing the brief
Claremont has delivered a bold and spirited workplace with a ‘wow’, that completely challenges the idea of a typical legal office. Split across the building’s 7th and 8th floors, the design puts equal focus on the employee and visitor experience and takes many cues from the building’s original brass features and the fluted stonework of local landmark, The Monument. A bold first impression comes from a crisp modern reception space with a statement bulkhead, a striking purple feature wall to reflect Mills & Reeve’s brand colours and a high-shine tiled floor. The neighbouring client suite is well equipped and has a sophisticated colour-palette and feel, with waiting, breakout, refreshment and lounge areas located off the main corridor as well as nine meeting rooms with flexible furniture and bi-fold walls.
Claremont has made full use of the fantastic views from the eighth floor, locating desking on the perimeter and placing the four internal meeting rooms in the more landlocked areas, to maximise light and space. Careful attention to space planning and understanding Mills & Reeve’s agile ambitions has resulted in a ratio of eight desks to ten people, freeing up space for additional facilities and staff resources.
Meeting rooms and collaboration spaces cater for semi-private and team meetings, whilst VC huddle rooms have integrated audio-visual technology for ease of use. Employees can also make use of a well-equipped, relaxing and multi-functional kitchen, a number of informal breakout spaces and an on-site
library.
An almost boutique hotel-like feel has been achieved with the use of high quality materials and design touches such as wooden slatted screens interspersed with acoustic rafts to create areas of privacy, textured wood panels in place of cupboard doors, feature toilet panels and kitchen splashbacks, opulent brass ironmongery and way finding and dedicated gallery spaces for eye-catching artwork.
Biophilia was also part of the design concept, incorporating greenery and nature inspired materials, colours and textures in features such as the kitchen ceiling raft and throughout the client suite.
The final result
Despite challenging timescales which included moving desks and storage into the new office at the same time as Mills & Reeve’s people and the IT department , Claremont finished the project to an exceptionally high standard, on time and to budget.
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