One of Canterbury’s oldest legal firms, Wynn Williams has almost 100 lawyers and support staff, including 18 partners, based in Christchurch and Auckland. Highly respected for their litigation, insurance and resource management work, the firm has a global client base.
The devastating earthquake of 2011 forced the firm to work from three temporary sites outside the CBD for almost four years while a new office was built. After extensive consultation with every member of the firm, we created a professional, sophisticated workplace on the top three floors of a new purpose-built building in the city centre.
The light-filled, airy space not only provides an exceptional client and staff experience – it also ticks off the very important need for safety in an earthquake-prone environment with sustainable materials and structures designed to withstand the rigours of any future aftershocks.
With floor to ceiling windows on three sides, natural light flows through to the core of the building, and there are magnificent views of the Southern Alps, Christ College and Hagley Park.
The open plan space also includes private meeting rooms and individual offices to provide flexible workspaces for both collaboration and confidential legal discussions.
The contemporary design evokes traditional legal practices in its rich timber-veneer panelling. An internal staircase connects the teams on different floors and the kitchen and breakout areas on the top floor open onto a deck – ideal for hosting staff events or client functions. The versatile boardroom can also open up to this space for larger gatherings.
Our proprietary glass screen system is used throughout the fitout to provide transparency with acoustic privacy. We ensured these screens were precision-built to survive minor earthquakes with little or no damage.
With efficient floor planning and storage, this new workplace can also flex and scale to meet Wynn Williams’ future growth needs – an ongoing challenge in Christchurch with CBD space at a premium.
