The modern, distinctive headquarters of leading solicitors Osborne Clarke consolidated the firm’s Bristol presence in a single development that reflects its growing size and status.
This 5-storey, 9,700 m2 office building is based on a ‘village’ concept, providing occupants with comfortable and flexible working spaces alongside a range of facilities such as café bars and restaurants. Buro Happold carried out the structural engineering for the building and underground car park, as well as advising on the remediation and development of the brownfield site.
The building is designed to be ‘semi transparent’ in line with the client’s wish for a predominance of glazing to allow natural light deep into the building. The entrance leads into a huge central atrium from where people access the offices via a stairway or glass lift. Steel roof trusses span the main atrium space, and these get deeper as the apex rises to provide an efficient structural solution for each truss. The horizontal and vertical open-plan layout, with its generous amount of breakout areas, encourages interaction and helps to create a sense of community.
Date: Completed in 2001
