Quarles & Brady LLP - Milwaukee

After searching two years to relocate their *186,000 square feet office, Quarles & Brady LLP elected to renew their lease at 411 East Wisconsin Avenue.  Having occupied the space for 30+ years, Quarles knew a total revamp was in order to maintain their position, realized through the design of their offices throughout the country, as an innovator in law office.  Quarles committed to renovating seven floors (24th through 30th) over three years. The first three floors (*approximately 75,000 square feet) were completed between January 2015 and November 2015; the remaining four floors will be completed within the next two years.

The 24th conference floor and 25th collaborative  hub floor were done first to provide the greatest benefits to clients, attorneys and staff. The 24th floor is dedicated to client and community engagement. It features two 100-person video conferencing rooms, a recording studio, conference rooms for 6 – 20 people, mobility offices, three buffet lines and a catering kitchen, and a bar located off the largest video conferencing room. Branded photographic images, including client photos and text boxes, were installed in the elevator/circulation corridors and the firm’s art collection was rehung in conference rooms and corridors.

The 25th floor is a collaborative hub. “Quarles Commons” is the firm-wide lunchroom with fresh food brought in daily. It was designed as a “Third Space” and seats 100 with lake and river views.  Other innovative, employee-oriented features include a wellness room with walk stations, locker rooms with showers for men and women, a mother’s room and a sick room. 

The 28th floor is an attorney floor with administration groups (as 26th, 27th, 29th, and 30th will be when their renovation is completed). All such floors will have the elevator lobby opening to space that has natural light from glass front practice group rooms greeting attorneys and staff.  Steelcase Privacy Walls are used to promote flexibly; workstations were reused in part to promote sustainability.

Quarles’ vision was to fully leverage its presence in the downtown Milwaukee with bright, fresh and open space using natural light with innovative and flexible spaces addressing the needs of users.  The new design incorporates the “bones” of the old space – the wood paneling and doors and perimeter office sequencing – but that is all of the old that remains. The renovation reflects Quarles’ current culture with openness, standardization and flexibility. The space is no longer inefficient* and is rid of tired finishes and furnishings, and outdated mechanicals and technology. (*Quarles was able to realize 20% space  savings which resulted in a life cycle cost savings due to the new efficient floor plans.)

Quarles updated and improved WIFI and other technology services including audio & video capabilities, new phone and voicemail systems, and new network infrastructure to both support the new phone system and to support the highly regulated clients and compliance requirements. The program and space plan includes these items.

Quarles & Brady LLP's Milwaukee office was named one of Milwaukee's Best Places to Work in 2015 by Milwaukee BizJournals. See the full article here:

Best Places to Work 2015

        

In Context
Chemistry in Place at Work meets Chemistry in Place at Large head on. We approach all corporate projects holistically, looking at the urban neighborhood context first. Take a tour of the neighborhood in which Quarles & Brady LLP - Milwaukee is located by clicking a photo to the left for an interactive walk-through.

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