How to Design a Law Office That Promotes Employee Wellness

This approach also reflects the realities of hybrid work and responds to the needs of an increasingly hybrid modern workforce. Offices designed for exclusive in-person work are no longer being used in that way. The design challenge for this new era is to create the optimal environment for the hybrid worker, ensuring that their needs are met and that they get the most out of the office environment when working in person.

An example that highlights these principles is the redesign of national law firm Davis Wright Tremaine’s (DWT) office in Portland, Oregon. LRS Architects designed a future-forward law office to fully support the local hybrid workforce, as health and wellness is one of their core principles.

When DWT approached us with the notion of consolidating their Portland operations into a smaller space, we envisioned a path forward in which DWT’s offices — previously taking up more than three floors at another Portland site — could be combined in one reimagined floor at the downtown Ritz Carlton. The design incorporates biophilia, bringing natural materials and elements into the interiors and providing access to the outdoors. Even on the seventh floor of a downtown tower, employees have integrated access to a serene outdoor space.

Outdoor interaction zones are available for staff and visitors to get away from their desks and enjoy some cool Oregon air in conversation with clients and coworkers. These outdoor interaction zones also effectively create even more usable office space and can serve as overflow and host larger gatherings.

Combined with indoor plants and carefully curated artwork, these design elements create a sense of calm. Taking even a moment to enjoy room-length views of Mount Hood, to go outside for a breath of fresh air, or to touch the carefully maintained indoor plant life can all help reduce stress.

DWT, which had occupied its previous space for several decades, wanted to stay in central Portland while simultaneously downsizing its office footprint — again, in line with the post-pandemic hybrid working model that has become so popular. DWT envisioned its new offices as a place that their team wanted to be in to interact with their colleagues and clients.

The new design encourages connectivity, efficiency and interactive productivity. This more intimate space is meant to stimulate person-to-person interaction — and do so in a way that is simply impossible over virtual meeting platforms.

According to Neuroscience, in-person interaction is better not only for team projects but for individual brain stimulation as well. Certain social cues are lost on a video screen, and screens can haywire our built-in ability to recognize emotions on other people’s faces. The value of face-to-face collaboration is particularly important in a field such as legal.

At DWT, it all starts with a proper greeting: The lobby welcomes employees, clients and visitors to a serene space with the calm introspection of a museum, complete with a gallery wall of curated art that explores themes of nature. The reception area is defined by sweeping curves and soft lines, from the large, circular desk to the sculptural felt screen rising through the center of the space near the curving conference room. Beyond reception, a wide conference space with room-length windows allows abundant sunlight and grants the opportunity to take in breathtaking views of Portland’s skyline and surrounding mountains. The office offers lounge spaces to foster a sense of common purpose among the legal staff. Additionally, “sound masking” cuts out distracting noise without adding more walls that would close off the open-floor concept.

The overall effect is a subtle sense of opulence, sophistication and comfort in a hybrid workplace. The flexible, space-conscious, enveloping design creates a communal environment where legal professionals can feel “at home” and care for their mental health, even when away from their houses.

Amalia Mohr joined Legal Management Talk to discuss how her firm approached a redesign at Ball Janik LLP by emphasizing employee wellness and hybrid work. Watch her describe how the elements they incorporated into the design — such as a lot of wood and glass — have impacted the firm, and don’t miss the pictures showing off some of the sleek new office!