CREJ - Building Dialogue - September 2016
Unexpected artistry, color and human-centric design shape Holland & Hart’s newly minted law office in downtown Denver. Peeling away any stereotypes of conventional law firm design, Holland & Hart’s 180,000-rentable-square-foot Denver remodel is a fresh outward-looking space that challenges the well-preserved law firm mold, and boldly differentiates itself from its competition. The goal was to build a state-of-the-art law office that would enable future generations to engage and thrive, and continue the evolution of this renowned firm’s practice. In doing so the design provides a vivid and authentic work environment that taps into the collective hearts of its attorneys, clients and the community. The project took five years from start to finish, and represented a complete gutting and restack of nine floors at 555 17th street. This approach enabled every aspect of the new space to be considered carefully. An in-depth programming effort revealed large- and small-scale infrastructural and cultural elements that needed to be addressed such as: workflow adjacencies, integration of different generations and work styles, advanced sound attenuation, improved technology, and the need for abundant natural daylight throughout the entire space. All of these items were carefully considered and balanced against the overall design and construction budget. With six typical attorney floors within the eight floor stack, it was important to individualize and differentiate each floor while still maintaining the strength of the overall design as it relates to the reception/conference floors. The north/south axis extending from the elevator lobby on each “typical” attorney floor has a different color that permeates each finish assigned to the architecture that shapes that axis. The finishes throughout the rest of the space are otherwise neutral, allowing the pop of color to emerge as a differentiator. The colors were carefully selected from the firm’s outstanding western art collection which, when incorporated into the newer modern context, has come alive again. Carefully crafted details create a warm human element and define the personality of the reception sequence and conference center. Specifically, the stacked lacquer blocks embedded into a high profile corner of the wood spine wall at the reception area are a sculptural culmination of each of the individual colors used on each “typical” attorney floor to differentiate them from one another. They are a bold statement of how the different floors come together to celebrate the diversity of generations, work styles and individuality within the firm. Additionally they are a subtle reference to the “stacks” of law books that have become relatively obsolete in today’s world, but remain rooted in law firm cultural history. * The project won the 2016 American Society of Interior Design’s Best Commercial Space Over 15,000 SF.