Holland Beckett Law (formerly Davys Burton) are an established firm that has been operating in Rotorua for decades. A regional approach to servicing the offices located in Rotorua, Tauranga, Whakatane, Opotiki and Taupo, required new thinking about the square metreage required with most lawyers mobile and hot desking out of the regional locations.

The brief to DCA Architects focused on efficiencies of space and a multipurpose/multitask orientated workspace. Also up for consideration was a new workplace approach in law firms. To have the partners work in open plan, alongside colleagues with the ability to foster collaborative relationships and mentor younger graduates. The flip of this also required areas for quiet, private and high concentration. Meeting rooms and boardroom were also looked at as intermittent use spaces, and open to consideration for other purposes when not in primary use. Holland Beckett Law were keen to have a cultural element incorporated within the fit-out. A local carver was commissioned to create a specific artwork for the reception. DCA Architects were also briefed to work alongside a branding agency on new imagery and tasked with the procurement of furniture. The newly refurbished Haupapa House provided the perfect location near some of Holland Beckett Law’s key clients.

Our solution explored the placement of meeting spaces that could be dual accessed from the reception or from the workspace. These rooms could be used as quiet break out spaces for the lawyers, or private meeting spaces for clients. The boardroom was one of the more intermittent use spaces and needed to be large enough to accommodate up to 15 people. This was co-located adjacent to the staff area, with an operable acoustic wall that allowed the boardroom and staffroom to open up to accommodate large staff gatherings, or closed to allow large meetings to operate in the boardroom. The open plan workspace used desking clusters to create small to medium work groups with shared access to collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, stationery, copier and binding spaces.

The interior material palette juxtaposes warm timbers with dark stained timbers and ceilings to create a modern and contemporary workplace. Elements of white and snippets of branding referenced yellow create contrasts and pops of playful colour.

The entry carpets pull in a maroon colourway to compliment the carved artworks in reception, then change to textured grey and blacks as they move into the work areas.

Despite the dramatic change from the previous offices with singular offices to an open plan layout, the Holland Beckett Law team are embracing the flexibility and new found benefits of the new workplace and attracting younger generation lawyers looking for a flexible, collegial and collaborative modern law firm.

Photography: Simon Devitt.