Corporate Counsel

Design: Space | Graphics

When Corporate Counsel, a small corporate law firm, purchased a new office space, they hired us for the interior design. Though our background was not rooted in workplace design specifically, it’s precisely the reason they wanted and entrusted us with the project. Their overall vision for the new space was that it not feel like a traditional law office. The desire was to achieve a clean, modern, minimalist aesthetic that would feel bright & inviting, be conducive to team connectivity and provide opportunity for hosting and entertaining clients and guests.

The 4100 sq ft raw space was located on the second floor of a newly constructed building, offering us a blank slate with which to work. Floor-to-ceiling windows along the west side provided an abundance of natural light that we used to full advantage incorporating glazing along the corridor to allow for most of the entire space to be flooded with sunlight. Overall, the pallet consisted of natural finishes (concrete floors, warm woods) with crisp white walls in the offices and boardrooms, contrasted with a striking midnight blue cutting across the space saturating the floors, walls and open ceiling.

The reception area was designed to be open and spacious. The finishes and millwork pieces feature the high end look of marble and walnut, with touches of antique brass trims and hardware. Behind the desk, an antique brass Corporate Counsel logo afixed to a textile wallcovering, reminiscent of a fine grey suit. A custom floral mural with a subtle pattern of the Corporate Counsel hex icon completes the polished look of the space.

Ample plush seating, a beautiful espresso bar and open kitchenette to service the reception and adjacent boardroom, were just the necessary amenities for both clients and staff to lounge comfortably. Track lighting and elegant suspended fixtures above the bar and desk float within the dark open ceiling to provide a spacious feel.

To help elevate the brand and bring it more in line with the space, we also took the opportunity to evolve the Corporate Consel logo to a more refined look. We simplified the palette to one colour, midnight blue, and softened the typeface and spacing. The hex icon above was given a more elegant overhaul with a light outline for something less visually heavy.

The enclosed spaces —1 large boardroom, 2 meeting rooms and 8 offices — were given a minimal and clean look. A combination of drywall and ACT were used for sound privacy and intamacy within each room. Partitions were built using a Teknion wall system, with a fully glazed wall along the corridor, floor-to-ceiling walnut doors for the offices and glass sliders for the meeting spaces. Custom suspended metal-extruded light fixtures in each room were layered in to add style and focus task lighting to each working surface.

Central in the workspace, is an open concept coworking environment for up to 10 people. Within the space is a custom 20 foot communal table, a millwork cabinet for library and storage and cafe-style seating for informal meetings. Like the reception, the ceiling above was kept open to the plenum with midnight blue surround contrasting the offices, from which the natural light was brought through. Suspended track and custom-suspended lighting also tie in the overall look.

In the end, this design checked all the necessary boxes of a contemporary law office with a look that was intended to be strong yet timeless. Though our workplace design experience was light, ultimately good design prevailed and a great space was created & delivered.