Stevens & Bolton has today announced the opening of its newly refurbished headquarters in Guildford. The renovation has sustainability and employee and client experience at its heart and is on track to achieve RICS SKA silver environmental assessment and Fitwel ratings.
The refurbishment is underpinned by Stevens & Bolton’s commitment to provide the best possible physical environment for employees.
The firm worked in partnership with interior design and build experts, Denton, and sustainability consultancy, Verte, to ensure that minimising short and long-term environmental impact was at the heart of the new design. The RICS-certified SKA rating covers eight sustainability categories including energy and CO2 emissions, waste, water, pollution, transport, materials, project delivery and wellbeing, which have filtered into every aspect of the design process. 99% of waste from the old site was recycled and all new fixtures and furnishings were reviewed to ensure the firm would achieve a SKA silver certificate. With LED lighting throughout, an efficient new heating and cooling system and over 900 plants filling the space, the whole building is optimised for energy efficiency, with a focus on reducing the firm’s carbon footprint.
The new office also caters to the demands of the modern workplace with a new client suite, state-of-the-art hybrid working technology and collaborative working spaces fostering an agile and supportive working environment. On track to achieve Fitwel health and wellbeing ratings for the offices, the refurb considers all aspects of the client and employee experience including transport routes, catering facilities and a dedicated wellness space for time out, religious practice, breast-feeding or pastoral support.
Commenting on the refurbishment, James Waddell, Managing Partner, said:
“The transformation of Wey House reflects our desire to provide our talented team with an inspiring, modern working environment which embraces flexibility. It reflects our commitment to quality and our confidence in our firm. Every decision has had sustainability and our people at front of mind and we are delighted to be reopening our doors to the team. At Stevens & Bolton, we are committed to being one of the UK’s most successful law firms, offering excellence beyond the City, a supportive culture and the best client experience. Our new office space will provide a great platform from which to achieve our goals.”
Photography by Thierry Cardineau at Pro Imaging