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ADJUSTABLE<br />
HEIGHT<br />
The firm sought to create a functional, yet warm and inviting, workplace<br />
in this build-out. In doing so, they had to work around the<br />
building’s unusual footprint. The diamond-shaped facility’s layout<br />
includes points, cutouts and columns, as well as an integral stairwell<br />
that takes up significant space. As a result, all 32 partner offices are<br />
smaller than in the previous location, and none are quite the same<br />
size or shape. Despite the differences, the firm still wanted to<br />
convey a sense of continuity from office to office. That’s where the<br />
furniture came into play.<br />
“The building’s design challenged us in terms of efficiency, and we<br />
decided that freestanding desks were not the answer for this space,”<br />
Carames said. “We realized we wanted a cohesive casegoods solution<br />
in which we could use the wall as a way to accommodate furniture<br />
efficiently as best as we could.”<br />
Fully raised<br />
What’s more, the team wanted everyone’s space to have a similar<br />
furniture layout and aesthetic – one that would appeal to a wide<br />
range of partner personalities and tastes, from enduring and classic<br />
to something a little more modern.<br />
“We have a multi-generational workforce with different design preferences,”<br />
explained Christine Schaut, Greenberg Traurig’s Washington,<br />
D.C. business director. “We had requests for quality wood, ergonomics<br />
and clean lines. We also wanted to address how lawyers<br />
today work – and bring in more accommodations for technology –<br />
so we looked around to see how we could incorporate this diverse<br />
wish list into a flexible furniture solution.”<br />
Schaut says they initially looked at various manufacturers’ mock-ups<br />
and then toured multiple office facilities – ranging from other law<br />
firms to healthcare settings to educational buildings to traditional<br />
corporate offices – to view actual installations in a search for inspiration<br />
or the perfect solution.<br />
Fully lowered<br />
“We saw many things we liked. We also saw things we knew we<br />
didn’t want to do,” she said. “One size would not fit all. We needed a<br />
little bit of flexibility and individualism. For example, some of our<br />
practice areas are paper-intensive. Others are not. The paper people<br />
wanted file drawers. Others wanted a clean design with more technology<br />
options. We needed the right balance of something that<br />
could please everyone.”