How we Designed an Office for Fast-Growth Law Firm Lodders Solicitors

A great workplace should support the people who use it and the way we design offices should respond to the individual needs of the companies that occupy them. When leading law firm Lodders were experiencing rapid growth, their office environment needed to catch up with their ambitions.

Understanding the real needs of a diverse, evolving workforce was the first step. Rhino Interiors Group supported Lodders in launching a deep-dive into their organisation with a People & Place study—a strategic tool that helped uncover how different teams work, what support they need, and how space influences performance and wellbeing.

What followed was a collaborative journey of discovery, insight, and transformation, creating a workspace that not only reflects Lodders’ culture but enables its future. To get an insight into how their workplace helped them adapt their space to accommodate growth plans, we spoke to Operations Director Alexis Nicholls.

Discovering the insights behind the strategy

Q: Alexis, as Lodders had grown so quickly, what did you feel was the first step in beginning this office redesign process?

A: All the buildings across the Lodders estate all just felt tired and they need energising. Not just from a performance perspective but from a culture and aesthetic perspective too – the whole shabang! We needed to go right back to the beginning, drop anchor and find out what that space required from us to make it fit for purpose. 

“We needed our offices to keep up with the firm we were becoming, and the firm we wanted to be and so we needed to provide that.”

Our workplace couldn’t keep up with the momentum and growth but it wasn’t just a case of finding a bigger office. Yes, we were too big for our space, but we also couldn’t offer staff what they needed. The first thing we needed to do in this instance was therefore to understand what that was by looking at our people, the way we work as a business and also how our staff work as individuals.

Q: One of the things we agreed on quite early in the process was that there were alot of outdated layouts, like one desk per person and large meeting rooms used inefficiently. It was clear the physical environment was holding the business back—how did you address that?

A: We knew it was very important to engage staff and give them the opportunity to understand the changes we were proposing and allow them to share their views. All of us understand how a space impacts us so we felt it was really important to encourage staff to have a say in the new space. This informed the study, and eventually the strategy, to make sure the space responded to us as a business.

The study quickly became fundamental. It helped us understand not just what we needed in a new office, but who we are as a firm. We were surprised by some of the data—like how many staff were based around Birmingham for example. So what started as a Stratford office redesign became a pilot for Lodders’ broader transformation. With modernised, flexible environments, the firm is now positioned to attract top talent, boost collaboration, and adapt to the evolving world of work.

Designing a space for people

Q: As a growing business that went from a small local firm to a significant regional player, what were the fundamental challenges for the practice?

A: The research and planning we’ve done, allows us to continue to respond to the needs of work and the flexibility expected. You refer to it as the blueprint which helps us create a more consistent change across Lodders as a whole. Transferring these changes, or this blueprint, has really helped us overcome some of the barriers we faced by not having all of our locations in alignment.

A challenge we were keen to overcome was that we were hiring professionals from other firms that were used to a different type of space. So we had to modernise our working practices as well as our space as we weren’t keeping up with the standards being set by our industry. This was an area that we knew we had to develop not only to retain the new hires but also to encourage new starters to join.

We also looked at the types of things we wanted to carry forward because it is not just about ripping it all up and starting again. We didn’t want to abandon the good stuff and we felt we had to work harder to accommodate the things we knew were working. Eventually it didn’t end up being a challenge because of how we engaged our staff but if we hadn’t brought staff along on the journey, they may not have understood the changes we were proposing.

Looking to future proof your workspace?

Confronted with space constraints, outdated meeting facilities, and a lack of cohesion among staff, Lodders recognised the urgency of change. Partnering with Rhino Interiors Group on a People & Place study, they took a bold step to redefine their workplace strategy to meet the demands of hybrid working and ensure their environment evolves in step with their continued success.

Let’s talk about how we can help you create a people-first environment that drives performance and growth.