Osborne Clarke takes residence in Halo, Bristol’s landmark sustainable workplace

Osborne Clarke’s Bristol Office has moved to Halo, one of the most sustainable office buildings in the UK and part of the award-winning Finzel’s Reach regeneration project.

The 116,000 sq ft Halo site was developed by Cubex and funded by Fiera Real Estate. The internal fit-out of Osborne Clarke’s new workplace was completed Interaction.

The highly-anticipated move sees the firm relocate 780 employees from its Temple Quay office into the top five floors of the smart Grade A building, covering 74,000 sq ft in total. Halo is the first office building outside of London to achieve BREEAM Outstanding certification against 2018 sustainability assessment criteria.

“We’re thrilled to be moving into our new home at Halo, a workspace that perfectly encapsulates our future-focused approach with its cutting-edge design and technology. The new office is integral to our continued success as a leading employer in the region, investing in our people, clients and local communities,” said Lara Burch, Head of Osborne Clarke’s Bristol Office.

Osborne Clarke has consistently been recognised for its outstanding culture. To ensure its new office would meet the needs of its people and reflect its core values, the firm commissioned Interaction to create a standout design which responded to extensive employee consultation.  The office features extensive indoor planting including “living walls” and indoor gardens, with the fit-out using reclaimed tiles and recycled materials to support the firm’s focus on sustainability.

“Wellbeing, agile working and sustainability are at the heart of Halo’s innovative workplace design. We understand the importance of supporting positive employee wellbeing to create an environment where people feel they belong, understand expectations and can be happy and healthy. It’s the foundation for strong performance and in turn, the best way of ensuring we achieve great results for our clients,” noted Lara.

The firm has registered to pursue a WELL Building certification for its internal fit-out at Halo. It has worked closely with Interaction to maximise space with excellent digital connectivity and use natural materials and light in order to achieve the standard.

“Osborne Clarke puts the wellbeing of its employees and sustainability at the centre of everything it does. We’re really proud to have created a super-flexible workspace that fully embodies the firm’s core values”, said Dieter Wood.

Dieter continued, “Our design team worked closely with employees across the firm to get a real feel for their working culture. The result is a workplace that promotes staff health and agile working, while also meeting strict sustainability standards.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with such a forward-thinking law firm that shares similar values to our own.”

Destination points on each level, an informal creative space, and flexible meeting areas with moveable walls and furniture have been strategically designed to encourage greater collaboration and movement between floors. Key features include indoor gardens where people can work away from their desks, a yoga and spin studio and a restaurant with a roof terrace.