FMJ.CO.UK INTERVIEW FOCUS
JUNE 2021 41
and attracting talent remains a priority.”
Q: What do you envisage will be the size
and location of the future workplace and
the right mix of the portfolio (e.g. more
smaller o„ ices situated in regional hubs)?
“Our law firm clients and the workplace
surveys that we have undertaken indicate
a strong preference for sticking with a
central HQ oˆ ice location. With more
people working remotely regularly, there
is even more reason to have a single
centrally located hub to encourage
collaboration and innovation when
people do come together.
Concerning the impact on the size of the
oˆ ice, we are seeing a range of diˆ erent
approaches starting to emerge from
those law firms; however, the majority are
settling on allowing employees to work
remotely two to three days.
The increased remote working needs
to be balanced against a requirement
for more social distancing – resulting
in less density in work environments
- and the need to reconfigure the
oˆ ice environment to enable greater
collaboration. The resultant impact on
the amount of total space law firms will
need to run their business will probably
be less than anticipated earlier in the
pandemic.”
Q: Does your research support the
idea that the o„ ice will be used for
collaboration and teamwork, as opposed
to individual work? How will this influence
design and layout?
“Our research indicates that the oˆ ice
will be used for more collaborative
purposes, which will see a shi‘ from
cellular oˆ ice/private oˆ ice space to
more open-plan setups. Where the oˆ ice
has traditionally been used for work
processes, collaborative, educational, and
social needs will now form increasingly
important drivers of how space is used.
Although the future design of law firm
oˆ ices is still under debate, we are seeing
some forward-thinking approaches
starting to emerge. For example, we’re
seeing some firms looking to introduce
yoga rooms in their oˆ ices, more team
meeting space, as well as reviewing
client space to assist with collaborative
meetings.
Whilst we’re currently working with
law firms to support them in reviewing
the future space and design of the
oˆ ice, it’s also been important for us to
ensure that this aligns with their wider
facilities management strategy. This
has resulted in our engineers reviewing
asset requirements alongside workplace
changes to ensure cost and energy
consumption savings are secured.”
Q: What role can digital
technologies play in
helping to service
occupier needs,
especially when it
comes to comfort
and safety?
2ur research indicates that the
oƝ ce will be used for more collaboratiYe
purposes, which will see a shift from cellular
oƝ cepriYate oƝ ce space to more openplan
setups. :here the oƝ ce has traditionally
been used for work processes, collaborative,
educational, and social needs will now
form increasingly important driYers of
“Employees
want to see
diˆ erent
building
attributes as
we emerge from
the pandemic. The
aspiration is for a
seamless and frictionless
working environment,
where the digital connects the
physical space with the human. Flexible
workspace options and shared meeting
space have been the main recent focus
for law firms. Still, we are now seeing
an emerging focus on indoor air-quality
sensors, touch-free systems, and building
workplace Apps. This supports our clients
in achieving their Environmental, Social,
Governance (ESG) targets, encouraging
productivity and a safe and healthy return
to the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic
has made all these sorts of issues more
prominent in law firms’ CRE thinking.
Due to the increasing demand to
enhance the workplace experience in the
Legal sector, we have seen great traction
with our CBRE Host Building App(i),
providing touchless access to the
building, desk room and space
booking, community and
event engagement along
with health and safety and
service/amenity updates.
The App supports our law
firm clients to ensure
they are continuing to
attract and retain talent
and promote inclusivity
and blend remote
working with work from
the oˆ ice. Understanding
how the oˆ ice is used will
also help our law firm clients
evaluate and review their space
utilisation more eˆ ectively.”
Q: If workers are demanding a hybrid
working pattern, how can CRE support
a mix of home/o„ ice working without
resulting in empty workspaces on certain
days (Mondays/Fridays)?
“Feedback from law firm clients has
indicated that they envisage a working
pattern whereby lawyers will come into
the oˆ ice on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays to mitigate less favourable
commuting patterns. This has become
how space is used.ƌ