Somerset law firm unveils “transformative and sustainable” office refurbishment

The Taunton office of national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has undergone a substantial refurbishment, creating a low carbon environment fit for the new era of hybrid working.

Clarke Willmott has had a presence in Somerset for more than 125 years and Taunton is the firm’s second largest office, with more than 190 staff and 22 partners. Known in particular for its expertise in agriculture, debt recovery and private client work, the Taunton office advises clients across the South West.

Bristol based Alteriors designed the new-look premises at Blackbrook Business Park and the fit-out was carried out by Estilo Interiors, based in Birmingham. It includes:

• Refurbishment of the existing reception area to create a hotel lobby-style area
• Client facing meeting rooms including video conferencing facilities
• A business lounge to facilitate agile and collaborative working
• A mix of sitting, standing and fixed workstations on the ground and first floor open plan office areas, with laptop workbenches and collaborative spaces

Clarke Willmott CEO Stephen Rosser commented: “Our net zero plan has seven key strategic projects, of which four relate to our offices including the refurbishment of our Taunton office.

“With a new air conditioning system, new energy saving lighting and new technology to reduce waste and paper, this should deliver at least a 5 per cent reduction of carbon emissions once re-measured.”

“Feedback from colleagues, clients and suppliers has been exceptionally favourable. Many have commented that the right environment makes such a difference to how people feel about work, improving productivity and wellbeing. The overriding sentiment is that the Taunton refurbishment is a total transformation.”

Kieran O’Shea, principal designer at Alteriors, added: “The way Clarke Willmott works has completely changed over the past few years, and central to the design was to create a professional space with agile and hybrid working practices in mind.

“Nonetheless one of our key considerations was the longevity of the scheme. It’s a timeless design, which has been conceived for future flexibility, allowing the occupancy to scale up or down as needed without the need for a complete refit.”