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| photography by Robert Peacock |
When Susman Godfrey L.L.P. moved up a few floors in the Bank of America tower last year, the 26-year-old commercial litigation law firm had the opportunity to shake up its surroundings. Working closely with international design firm Gensler, the partners made the most of that opportunity. Replacing the expected staid and stodgy with uncommon zip, the firm is now recognized not only for its legal prowess but also for its award-winning physical space.
“What we wanted was for people to feel relaxed and content,” says partner Barry Barnett, “so that they would best be able to come up with creative solutions to intractable, stressful problems, which is what we spend our time doing.”
Barnett encouraged the designers to create an environment that would put clients at ease, let lawyers work in comfort, and send a message to any and all visitors.
“We are democratic, open, entrepreneurial, and efficient,” Barnett says. “We are assertive, rather than aggressive, forward-thinking, collegial, and competitive. These are unusual characteristics for a law firm. This space presented an opportunity to reflect our personality.”
In its 42-year history, Gensler has crafted environments for 107 firms in 103 cities and 14 countries, amounting to more than 43 million square feet of law office space. “Every firm has its particular goal within its structure,” says Marilyn Archer, principal with Gensler and leader of their professional services practice. “But they all need to bill their time, so everything is geared to maximizing efficiency.”
Here, a look at what they did and why:
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OPEN UP
To foster a sense of “openness” among the 17 attorneys who practice here, Gensler took the word literally, installing glass-faced interior offices and doors and ample odd-angled common areas that lend a rambling feel to the 26,000 square feet.
“They can’t hide,” Barnett says. “When people share space, they share ideas. They are more communicative.”
Also, the ability to see one another promotes a certain equality and honesty, principles the firm seeks to promote in its representation of clients as well as its staff. “Daylight is not something reserved for partners,” Archer says. “And, clients come in and they can see what makes the place run. They see lawyers working, and that is reassuring. They are not behind closed doors.”
Conference and deposition rooms are glass-enclosed as well, with proceedings going on in full view of passers-by.
BRIGHT IS RIGHT
While a majority of firms nationwide prefer the standard dark wood/wing back approach to décor, some are venturing toward contemporary surroundings typically found in Europe these days. “You see more of that on the West Coast. D.C. is very traditional. New York is a little of each, but not edgy. Susman Godfrey,” Archer says, “is edgy.”
To create the look, color and dimension are kicked into high gear and play off a light underpinning of cream-toned carpet and rectangular ceramic tile. One hallway is painted chartreuse. Another is lipstick red, with a wall that angles out about 15 degrees off of 90. “I call it ‘The Slanty Hall,’” Barnett says. “You take your witnesses through here to remind them of what they need to do.”
Around a corner, recessed red light pops from a portion of wall as it does in the entry, infusing a reception wall with a lemon-orange haze. The footprint here and elsewhere avoids the right angle. The ceiling of the elevator lobby tips up 10 to 15 degrees; the path from the entryway back to the practice area tapers from an oversized aperture to a more common six-foot corridor.
“This was done very intentionally, to go from wide to narrow as one progresses from the public to the private,” says Archer. “There is the notion of subtle way-finding where light, whether natural or artificial, and architecture lead you through the space.”
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COMFORT IS KEY
Furniture and accessories are geometric and sleek, but with the selection of light, warm tones, the office lends a sun-filled feeling of comfort. In the entry, strong linear elements are offset by low-slung, curvaceous seating and a circular, wood-grained table. In conference and deposition rooms, white marble slabs are imbedded with telephone and computer capabilities and flanked by square-backed, leather chairs.
A short, cylindrical slice of wood anchors a serene corner room with two full floor-to-ceiling windows. Four squat upholstered chairs sit around the table, at the ready for contemporaneous tête-à-têtes. “Sometimes, you don’t want a desk between you and the other person,” Barnett says. “There are no barriers here, which encourages informality.”
When the firm moved, Barnett suggested a contest to find the best names for each of these conference rooms. The staff was given a category—islands—and they were to suggest appropriate locales. Winners were chosen for their creativity and spunk. The corner room is called Tasmania. Monday morning office meetings are held in Ibiza.
Says Barnett, smiling, “We take some people into Alcatraz.”
WHAT’S IN STORAGE
Every branch of law has its own peculiarities. Litigation produces enormous amounts of paper, extra-enormous before trials. For Susman Godfrey—“All trials, all the time,” according to Barnett—thousands of boxes have to be managed at any given moment.
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Gensler developed a concept of flexible space that utilizes less desirable interior or windowless areas when the need for storage arises. In these uninterrupted locations, totaling about 2,500 square feet, the boxes of paper are stacked to the ceiling in diverse configurations, creating temporary walls and, consequently, small chambers. “We put in tables, chairs,” Archer says. “It’s like a war room.”
