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Case Study: Simons Muirhead & Burton LLP |
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Refreshingly forward thinking
Services Office relocation, Office design, Office fit-out, Office furniture, Project management, Office space planning Sector Legal Location Newman Street, London Size 11,000 square feet Programme 14 weeks Value not disclosed |
Simons Muirhead & Burton LLP (SM&B) Law Firm commissioned us to help with their relocation from Soho to new premises at Newman Street in London. The new premises (approximately 11,000 square feet) needed a complete fit out and redesign for their 130 staff.
Facing the end of their lease on current offices in Soho, SM&B took over two floors at Newman Street from Elizabeth Arden on Saturday, 24th March 2018. Their 130 staff needed to be in occupation by 2nd July, giving this project a very tight timeframe of only 14 weeks.
SM&B wanted their new office design to reflect their culture, which was far from the traditional lawyer archetype. They wanted a space that was bright, that encouraged collaboration and creativity, and that was professional and inviting for their clients. SM&B values modern working practices and wanted to promote a flexible, more agile working culture – both for its existing staff and with a view to attracting the best talent for future growth. With 48% of its workforce consisting of millennial or Gen Y, the need for a refreshing and forward- thinking design was crucial.
Welcoming people to their offices is a sweeping and simple reception desk and an abundance of impressive foliage, with stylish and informal reception seating for clients. |
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Most of the focus and meeting spaces are in the basement with the main desking area on the ground floor to allow staff an abundance of natural daylight. The main desking area makes great use of the space with store wall from Spacestor and room dividing Palisades features, again bringing in the benefits of plants within the workplace.
With SM&B’s need for confidential conversations with clients, one of the key aspects of the design was to create a working environment that offered a great variety of different work spaces. There are numerous designated quiet rooms across both floors for quiet working, something the staff placed as a high priority with the relocation.
Railway carriages are also a strong feature, providing a more relaxed area for impromptu meetings and collaborations. Analysis of the working conditions at their previous Soho offices showed that only 30% of staff felt the office created a sense of connection. The many areas for collaboration that are now available have significantly changed the working environment.
Railway carriages are also a strong feature, providing a more relaxed area for impromptu meetings and collaborations. Analysis of the working conditions at their previous Soho offices showed that only 30% of staff felt the office created a sense of connection. The many areas for collaboration that are now available have significantly changed the working environment.
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A sweeping staircase leads down to the basement whose outstanding feature is the enormous tree at the centre of the café area. With a choice of three different types of café seating here, there is something for everyone’s tastes.
Behind a further Palisades feature sits a high collaboration table. This extension of the breakout area provides great flexibility for meetings, quiet working and lunching. As SM&B is such a sociable firm, with many after work events, it was important to them that the café area could be used in many different ways. Stackable furniture was important so that all of the chairs could be moved away for a dance night! The main meeting rooms also needed to become a theatre – for trainings or for conferences so the design also included a folding wall that enabled a larger room to be made for these events.
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Many of SM&B’s employees cycle to work – so we also incorporated a shower and larger lockers for their use. One of the unusual requests for this project was the provision of a suits room (where staff keep suits for times of court hearings).
We are incredibly proud of the finished works at Newman Street. SM&B were a great client to work with, this is surely an incredibly personal company with great values and ethics.
Many of SM&B’s employees cycle to work – so we also incorporated a shower and larger lockers for their use. One of the unusual requests for this project was the provision of a suits room (where staff keep suits for times of court hearings).
We are incredibly proud of the finished works at Newman Street. SM&B were a great client to work with, this is surely an incredibly personal company with great values and ethics.
