In 2016, when law practice Boies Schiller Flexner (BSF) decided to relocate its Manhattan office from traditional, disjointed Midtown quarters to four contiguous floors in 55 Hudson Yards—a new skyscraper by KPF that was under construction at the time—the firm commissioned Schiller Projects (SP) to invigorate its workplace by reflecting its increasingly collaborative culture. In response, the architecture studio launched an 11-week audit of the existing facility to determine logistical and spatial needs, and what should change. The resulting data enabled the design team to clearly communicate its strategy to the client and develop a program that would substantially revise the way it does business.

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The initial buildout encompasses three floors connected by a gracious spiral stair that sparks chance meetings. SP eliminated the typical hierarchical law-office layout, says principal Aaron Schiller and, instead, crafted a visually open plan on all levels, each with a social hub at its center: coffee bar and cafeteria, reception area, and casual seating for work or conversation. To underpin employee recruitment and retention, they devised friendly daylit spaces flanking fluid, gently curved corridors. Support staff and associates are now clustered along window walls, with nearby private hubs for reading, phone calls, and smaller groups. Glass-enclosed partner offices within the core face these areas, while a reduced number of glazed conference rooms are scattered throughout the office—along with break areas and lounges—instead of being isolated on a dedicated floor.

As the architects reimagined BSF’s workplace, they convinced the client to adopt a virtual data- management system. A staff portal was developed for access to key resources on mobile phone, computer, or wall display, and the firm’s document maintenance was digitized to minimize paper use and storage, a move that BSF predicts will save the company up to $3 million by 2022. These changes also free employees to work anywhere in the office.

While BSF’s Hudson Yards office is 30,000 square feet smaller than its previous location, the efficient organization and plan leave significant room for collaboration and growth, says Schiller. In the words of one of BSF’s partners, “This has been a ‘bet-the-business’ move for us.”

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