Puzzle Vol. 6: The Modern Law Firm

PUZZLE B Y TA N G R A M I N T E R I O R S

THE MODERN L AW FIRM

VOL. 6

PUZZLE T HE

MOD ER N

LAW

F IR M

OUR LOCATIONS

ABOUT TANGRAM Tangram is an innovator in the design and execution of highly creative interior

SANTA FE SPRINGS 9200 Sorensen Avenue

environments and workspaces. The firm collaborates with clients as a creative partner to create and manage environments that enhance the client’s brand and culture through the expert integration of technology, furniture, floor coverings and service solutions. It creates extraordinary value by providing a remarkable

NEWPORT BEACH

experience throughout each customer’s life cycle of needs. A flagship dealer for

1375 Dove Street, Suite 300

Steelcase, Tangram also represents hundreds of other well-known leading brands.

CONTACT US DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 527 West 7th Street, Suite 1204

Headquarters: 9200 Sorensen Avenue Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

BAKERSFIELD 7415 Meany Avenue

FOLLOW US FRESNO 677 West Palmdon Drive, Suite 101

instagram.com/TangramInteriors facebook.com/YourOfficeInspired

RIVERSIDE 1650 Spruce Street, Suite 302

TA NGR A M

I NT E R I OR S

© Puzzle Vol. 6 - The Modern Law Firm

562.365.5000 tangraminteriors.com

A LETTER FROM MARKETING Law firms have been one of the mainstays in traditional office space; however, that trend may be evolving. We’ve observed some firms seeking more efficient and flexible office spaces, driven by tech-related industry disruptors as well as the desire to remain nimble and poised to respond to change. That being said, due to client-confidentially and privacy issues, we don’t foresee the adoption of an open-office model. Private offices are here to stay, but aesthetic shifts and a greater focus on community areas are changing what we know of the traditional law firm.

The modern law firm turns its attention to staff quality of life with a more visually open office that nurtures collaboration and connectivity. The reimagined space operates as one organism with strong visual connections among staff members, while still accommodating private offices where the firm’s lawyers conduct sensitive, confidential work.

While the modern law office may additionally be taking steps towards fresher materiality such as light woods, natural light and soft color palettes, the universal prestige of a successful firm will be interminable. In this issue of Puzzle, we’ve collected a family of products for the modern law office, weaving in trends that we’re seeing in more progressive spaces while continuing to honor aspects of the traditional law firm. We hope you are inspired by our collection.

Paul Smith, Chief Marketing Officer

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Steelcase Mackinac

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Nienkämper Gateway Workstation

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Kvadrat Grano Rug

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E D U C AT I O N H I G H L I G H T S

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Nienkämper Gateway Workstation

Uhuru Design Cairns Credenza

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West Elm Petrified Wood Pyramid

Bolia Soul Lounge Chair

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Steelcase Article

Creating a More HandsFree Workplace How a suite of data-driven tools can help make the post-COVID workplace safer.

Let’s face it. Our hands are germ-spreading machines.

We’ve heard over and over again since the onset of the coronavirus that the best way to stop the transmission is to wash our hands. We’ve been told to stop touching our face and avoid shaking hands. So, as some organizations begin to return to the workplace, there’s a logical focus on changing behaviors to avoid unnecessary contact. The good news is — technology already exists to create a more hands-free workplace.

The good news is — technology already exists to create a more hands-free workplace.

Careful and responsible choices about returning to the office make employee safety paramount. People need to be safe and feel safe. That means not only putting infection control measures in place, but also reinforcing new protocols and processes with better tools and persistent visual cues. These are areas where technology is already ahead of us. Here’s how:

Touchless Reservations Reserving a space in the office can mean walking around until you find what’s available and then touching an on-demand device to secure the room’s use. There’s two problems with this in a post-COVID world. We no longer want to be wandering around aimlessly searching for space and passing lots of other people while we do it, and we don’t want to touch devices others have used unless they’ve been cleaned first.

Engineers and designers were thinking about ease of use when they designed Auto Book and Auto Release. These features integrate Workplace Advisor Subscription sensor data with RoomWizard, a room reservation system. Now, Auto Book and Auto Release are in place to add more safety to the office environment by automating the booking experience when someone walks into a space or doesn’t show up at all. The room knows when it’s occupied and when it’s empty and can automatically book the space or release it without anyone having to touch a thing.

For more information, https://www.steelcase.com/steelcase-workplace-advisor-privacy/

critical meeting information that’s easy to read at a distance. Clear, simplified digital signage can help avoid unnecessary hovering outside of a room and prevent people from having to traipse across the office floor just to see how long a space will be in use. In addition, these visual reinforcements can help accelerate behavior changes. For example, use RoomWizard to book spaces twice a day for cleaning and reinforce the need to clean between uses.

Book Space With Your Phone

Workplace Advisor Subscription sensors know if someone has entered a room and can automatically book it through the calendering system which triggers the RoomWizard lights to turn red and display the new reservation. Reversely, if no one shows up to a scheduled meeting, it can automatically release the space.

Visible From a Distance Many organizations are considering adopting new circulation patterns upon a return to the workplace.

They’ll be asking people to walk their space in one direction to avoid bumping into others and eliminate close encounters in hallways.

Before the coronavirus, most of us didn’t think twice about using the on-demand reservation feature on our room reservation system. But now, touching a device so many others have touched doesn’t sound very appealing. No need to worry — there’s an app for that. Steelcase Find connects to Workplace Advisor and Microsoft Office 365 to let employees use their smartphone to select space requirements, see what’s available, reserve a room and share it with colleagues.

Those reservations are reflected in Office 365 and on RoomWizard digital displays.

For more information, https://www.steelcase.com/products/scheduling-systems/ steelcase-find/

Visual Cues About Density Many organizations are planning a phased approach as they seek to return people safely to the workplace.

They may start with 50% occupancy and increase that over time. Yet, regardless of how many people are in the office, there’s a tremendous benefit to understanding which areas are “hot spots” for activity and helping people find less-populated spaces to work each day.

So while it used to simply be an annoyance when room signage was hard-to-see, now being able to see at a distance if a room is occupied can help create a safer environment. Designers who created the recentlyreleased next generation RoomWizard equipped its digital signage with a bold interface that displays

Steelcase Live Map lets people easily check a userfriendly display as soon as they enter the office. Like the Find app, it pulls scheduling data from Microsoft Office 365 and occupancy data from Workplace Advisor sensors to show real-time availability of rooms, desks and workspaces. Employees can see density at-a-glance and head to a space that’s occupied by fewer people.

For more information, https://www.steelcase.com/products/scheduling-systems/ roomwizard/

For more information, https://www.steelcase.com/products/scheduling-systems/ steelcase-live-map/

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Aurora Tauri Temperature Tablets

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Steelcase Live Map

To ensure that individuals entering a location are

Live Map’s user-friendly display pulls scheduling

not running a high temperature, Aurora introduces

data from Microsoft Office 365 and occupancy

the new infrared temperature sensor/detector. It

data from Steelcase Workplace Advisor sensors

provides alerts when a person is running a high

to reveal the real-time availability of rooms, desks

temperature within 1 second.

and workspaces.

Steelcase Workplace Advisor Workplace Advisor is a cloud-enabled system that

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Steelcase Room Wizard Find and reserve space with confidence.

collects occupancy data and transforms it into

RoomWizard is a room reservation system that

actionable insights for a more effective workplace.

makes it easier to get where you need to go.

Barco Overture

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Steelcase Find App

Leading the digital transformation in A/V

Whether you’re looking for a place to get focused

remote device management for the ultimate

on your own or collaborate with a group, Find

user experience in your Collaborative Work and

quickly shows you what’s available and which

Learning spaces

amenities are present—from natural light to technology to whiteboards and more— minimizing

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the need to search for a space and saving you

HRT Huddle Hub One Huddle Hub is the only Wireless Collaboration System that allows all meeting participants a true BYOC cable-free interaction with the room AV equipment

valuable time and energy.

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D

F

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G

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2

Global Views Hourglass Phillips Collection Maki Screen Iron Frame

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Restoration Hardware Kensington Leather Sofa

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Halcon Halo

3

16 Halcon Halo

E D U C AT I O N H I G H L I G H T S

17 Halcon Halo

Global Views Four Square Pillow

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Shaw Contract Community

3

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2

E D U C AT I O N H I G H L I G H T S

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Shaw Contract Community

20 National Tessera

Gunlocke Silea 21

THE MODERN LAW FIRM

New Performance for the Private Office Steelcase Research The movement toward more open, collaborative spaces is undeniable. Yet the need for private offices persists, especially in professions – including legal– that must promote high degrees of confidentiality and confidence. But what people need from private offices is changing.

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N E W P E R F O R M A N C E F O R T H E P R I VAT E O F F I C E

Steelcase embarked on an extensive research project spanning the legal, financial and professional services sectors. We interviewed and observed dozens of people who plan, use and prioritize private offices as an essential part of their modern workplace strategy. We wanted to understand how private offices are being used today – what users want and need to perform at their best. And we wanted to help organizations uncover ways to make the most of their investments in space and talent by creating high performance private offices for the new ways people are working.

Three Shifts Affecting Work – and Private Offices Experts point to three major shifts in the past 10 years that have influenced how people work, and these shifts are reshaping the private office: Economics. As the cost of real estate rises, especially in dense urban areas, workplace planners must do more with less. Private offices are becoming smaller and more standardized in size. Organizations are also standardizing furniture options to simplify planning.

Culture. As organizations increasingly recognize the importance of work culture, they want their desired culture expressed in the overall office design.

Generations. Different generations at work embrace different workstyles and priorities. For example, younger workers are less interested in expressing status in traditional ways and more interested in work-life balance.

Maximizing Space.

Creating Experience.

In many ways, private offices as traditionally conceived are incongruent with today’s dynamic workforce.

It’s time to reimagine the private office as a highperformance workspace that serves talented people and the organization’s real estate strategy.

What Private Offices Can Be Optimized for value.

As real estate prices escalate, private offices can make more of every square foot.

Adaptable now and later.

As the workforce grows more mobile and dynamic, private offices can flex to keep serving people and organizations.

Designed for wellbeing and personalization.

Amid stress and overload, private offices can foster comfort and self-expression.

"It’s time to reimagine the private office as a high-performance workspace that serves talented people and the organization’s real estate strategy."

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N E W P E R F O R M A N C E F O R T H E P R I VAT E O F F I C E

Private Office Design Insights Through our research we identified a set of insights supported by design principles to guide private office planning that addresses the needs of workplace decision makers and end users.

For decision makers Optimize real estate by standardizing private office dimensions and furnishings, increasing use of shared offices, and leveraging both the horizontal and vertical planes.

Increase adaptability by creating offices with modular elements that are easy to repurpose and redeploy as needs change.

For end users Create privacy levels using spatial orientation, barriers and materials that provide visual and acoustical privacy for different types of work.

Support a range of work modes within private offices by defining zones that support activities ranging from deep individual focus to small group collaboration that happens both remotely and in person.

Foster wellbeing so people can perform at their best by supporting alternative postures, managing background noise, making room for the display of expressive artifacts, and bringing in elements of nature such as natural light and materials.

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N E W P E R F O R M A N C E F O R T H E P R I VAT E O F F I C E

Lessons from the Legal Sector Our researchers observed people at work in private offices across a variety of fields, including the legal sector where privacy and confidentiality are critical. Here’s what we learned from this private office-intensive profession:

• Privacy and status still matter in the legal sector. But status can be expressed in more ways than office size. Increasingly, partners are willing to compromise on square footage if they can have privacy and priority amenities like a window.

• Law firms face some of the same pressures to reduce real estate as those in other industries – and while the private office remains primary, it’s becoming smaller and more standardized.

• Though technology has advanced, the legal profession is still heavily reliant on paper. Private office users need storage for files and banker boxes and easy access to the documents they contain.

• Shared offices are increasingly common, especially for legal professionals who work from home part of the week.

• In addition to needing offices for deep focus work, legal professionals often need privacy for collaboration with two or more others.

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Interface Look Both Ways

Interface Look Both Ways

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Steelcase Elective Elements Freestanding Office Workstation

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Steelcase V.I.A. Office Glass Partition + Wall System

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Uhuru Design Conference Table + 1x1 Chair

Industry West Metl Lounge Chair

33 OFS Staks

DFM Cubed

Foley Hoag An Unconventional Firm

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Foley Hoag law firm moved to a part of Boston 20 years ago that at the time, was nothing more than marshland. Today, this area is now one of Boston’s hottest neighborhoods that boasts some of the best food, drinks and culture.

Foley Hoag long has established itself to be a progressive firm, refusing to conform to the standardized molds imposed upon traditional law firms. For the first time since their original move-in 20 years prior, they decided to completely redo their space so the interior would better reflect their forward-thinking business model.

In the planning phase, Foley Hoag presented two primary desires. First, they required functioning pieces that would integrate seamlessly with current technology. Second, their lawyers needed to have the freedom to set up their offices how they wanted. Therefore, Studio Other, custom furniture provider, in partnership with Elkus Manfredi, design firm, presented an innovative custom workstation solution after a diligent phase of planning, designing, engineering and prototyping.

The solution includes a work wall with an eight-foot track rail system that holds the monitor arm and allows it to move anywhere horizontally on the desk, giving the user the freedom to configure their freestanding desk and guest chairs in a way that works best for them. Whether the user requires face-to-face time with their client or heads-down desk work, they will be well supported by the flexible system.

Continuing the innovative theme, Studio Other and Elkus Manfredi decided against the traditional dark wood and heavy furniture typically found in a law firm, and instead opted for a modern feel with plated steel, a thin aesthetic material that can dually support a large weight, complemented by wood fronts and accents. Foley Hoag was elated with the clean, beautiful and functional end result that remained true to the character and culture of their firm.

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Industry West McQueen Club Chair

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38 Harmoni Oval Conference

E D U C AT I O N H I G H L I G H T S

39 Harmoni Round Conference

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West Elm Nolan Side Table

3

Orangebox Lossit

THE MODERN LAW FIRM

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E D U C AT I O N H I G H L I G H T S

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West Elm Work Greenpoint Private Office

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EMU Terramare

Extremis Hopper Table

EMU Terramare Lounge Chair

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West Elm Marble + Wood Object

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44 Nienkämper Persona

E D U C AT I O N H I G H L I G H T S

45 Nienkämper Persona

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Halcon Foundry

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46 Halcon New Millennia

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Muraflex MIMO

Tangram was founded in 1963. Today, we are the leading interiors solutions provider in Southern California with offices in Downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Santa Fe Springs, Fresno, Bakersfield and Riverside.

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