Take A Tour Of Fox Rothschild’s Seattle Offices By FCA

FCA created a reimagined, resized space that serves as a veritable oasis for Fox Rothschild LLP team members returning to the physical office.

As part of an ongoing series of nationwide workplace projects commissioned by Fox Rothschild LLP, leading architecture and design firm FCA recently unveiled its latest renovation for the law firm’s existing Seattle office. Completed in April 2022, the 20,350-square-foot office included visioning, programming, and design. Located in the heart of downtown Seattle’s central business district, the renovated office provides a flexible and modern workspace for staff to engage in while taking part in a hybrid work schedule.

After conceptualizing the office overhaul in 2019, FCA and Fox Rothschild recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift in project direction. The Seattle workplace now serves as a test pilot of a new and increasingly compact office size, aimed at addressing the firm’s evolving hybrid needs. FCA took the firm’s initial goal of a 50% space reduction in stride, and eventually exceeded it with a 66% reduction in size. The previously three-floor office was consolidated to a single floor, creating a fully functional space with ⅔ less capacity.

This allotment of space created an office that is largely non-traditional in the legal field. The space features approximately four offices for every six practitioners, with a mix of dedicated and reservable spaces, ranging from 100 to 200 square feet. Peripheral offices line three of the four sides of the rectangular floor plan, consisting of flexible in-board offices for paralegals, administrators, and attorneys to utilize as additional touchdown space. While reducing the footprint of the office, FCA optimized the floor plan, increasing the number of thoughtfully designed areas to accommodate differing team members’ needs and work styles. Extraneous circulation space was removed entirely, simplifying the layout and further allowing FCA to create a space with greater utility and choice within the much smaller footprint.

Aesthetically, the Seattle office’s design pays homage to the Pacific Northwest through the use of natural materials like locally-sourced wood veneers and ensuring optimal access to natural light. The work environment’s glass perimeter allows occupants to access the beautiful vistas of Seattle, including gorgeous water views and the iconic Space Needle. The main elevator lobby features a 62-foot-long topographic map of the area surrounding Seattle, paying tribute to the nearby stratovolcano Mount Rainier, which is also visible from the 44th floor office.

Custom branding was implemented throughout the office with Fox Rothschild’s logo strategically placed to provide visual breaks across the glass that divides the space. Full glass office-fronts forgo the use of film, expanding sightlines that serve to make the space feel larger, while collapsible and mobile glass fronting allows these spaces to become multi-functional on an as-needed basis. Overall, custom branding reinforces brand identity while paying homage to the firm’s locale.

Fox Rothschild’s reimagined Seattle office serves as a veritable oasis for team members returning to the physical office. With contemplative areas for heads-down work and a plethora of flexible spaces for client interactions, the updated office offers the opportunity for connection, collaboration, and individual touchpoints that cannot be replicated with remote work. Ultimately, FCA created a visually stimulating office with an innovative floor plan that offers a glimpse into the future of legal office design.

Project Planning

FCA and Fox Rothschild’s leadership team began envisioning an office renovation in 2019, but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, they realized that they needed to pivot the project’s direction. As a result, they utilized the Seattle workplace as a test pilot to explore a new office size that would better cater to the firm’s evolving hybrid requirements. Despite the challenge, FCA successfully managed to reduce the firm’s space by 66% of its former size, exceeding their initial goal of a 50% reduction. To achieve this, they consolidated the three-floor office into a single floor, resulting in a fully functional workspace that occupies only a third of its previous capacity.

Project Details

The most unique feature of the updated office relates to the allotment of space. As mentioned, due to the decrease in floor space the office arrangement is non-traditional in comparison to other legal practices. The team strategically reclaimed space by removing extraneous circulation entirely, which allowed them to create an office with greater flexibility and utility within the smaller footprint.

The Seattle office has been adorned with custom branding, featuring Fox Rothschild’s logo strategically placed to create visual breaks across the glass partitions. The office design is reflective of the Pacific Northwest, with the glass perimeter offering breathtaking views of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, vistas, and water views. The main elevator lobby boasts an impressive 62-foot-long topographic map of the Seattle area, paying homage to the nearby stratovolcano, Mount Rainier, which can also be viewed from the 44th floor office. The space’s visual identity is closely tied to the surrounding region, and the locale’s representation throughout the space is a standout feature of the office.

Support spaces such as tech hubs and filing are centrally located to promote movement and wellness within the office floorplate. The wellness room is fit-out to allow the ability to work within the space as needed.

Products 

Design Team

• Anthony J. Colciaghi, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, Principal at FCA
• James Hammond, Project Manager at FCA
• Tiffany Hughes, NCIDQ, LEED ID+C, Associate, Senior Project Designer at FCA
• Michelle Reese, NCIDQ, WELL AP, Project Interior Designer at FCA

Photography credit

• Jeffery Totaro