Finlaysons Workplace Strategy and Design

Hames Sharley delivered a new workplace for legal firm Finlaysons in Adelaide, marking a relocation after 30 years in the firm's previous premises. The 2,400 m² fit-out, completed in 2020, sits within U City and is shaped by the brief to support focused, often confidential legal work while creating an environment that welcomes clients and gives staff better daylight and views.

Individual focus workspaces have been pulled away from the facades, opening the perimeter to shared use and democratising access to natural light. A series of alternative settings act as nodes through the floorplan: a generous destination kitchen for staff breakout, intimate open meeting points, a knowledge centre and a more formal client suite. Together they encourage movement, knowledge sharing and the cultural shift Finlaysons set as a goal, balancing concentrated work against improved collaboration.

The interior is informed by a "home" concept, expressed through warm colours, abundant planting, natural materials and feature lighting. Profiled wall panels in feature areas play off the striking facades of the base building, and a close collaboration with graphic designers at Elevation runs through the scheme via new corporate colours, references to the firm's history and large scale bespoke artwork. Arrival sequence, client suite, collaboration areas and kitchen are detailed with elegant finishes; quieter zones use well-executed standard finishes to hold the project to a tight budget.

Selecting U City reflects Finlaysons' commitment to sustainability. The fit-out reinforces that through maximising daylight, tuning HVAC systems and selecting responsible materials and equipment throughout.

Architect of record: Hames Sharley (Stephen Moorcroft, design architect; Louisa Glennon, interior designer). Project and site management: Cook Building. Engineering: Lucid Consulting Australia. Cost consultancy: Rider Levett Bucknall. Photography: Daniel Trimboli.