So, what you’re telling me is that this is about more than just wall colour? Yes, because we first need to understand the “new normal”

Since the pandemic, office usage rates have flatlined and hybrid working policies are less than clear.

“What we’re seeing is a lot of empty office space and not a lot of leadership,” is how Amerikka’s CEO Heidi Lilja sums up the situation. In spring 2025, along with creative director Teemu Nojonen, she spoke to around thirty senior HR and property professionals to find out what was going on.

For its success, a high-quality working environment relies on three core dimensions: the social, the physical and the virtual, he says. Neglect one and the others immediately suffer too.

At Bird & Bird, the decision was made to focus on the big picture: in addition to elevating the physical workplace setting, they would also look at how people within the office interact and how work is actually carried out day-to-day. Importantly, all Finnish partners were fully on board from the very beginning.

“What we didn’t want was to just jump straight into implementation. Our priority was to first really understand how our people go about their work,” Mikko Rajala, partner at Bird & Bird explains.

The exploratory work the firm carried out led to a series of tangible insights, including the importance of having the office on as few floors as possible to bring people together. The work was ultimately used to draw up a clear set of objectives for the project as a whole.

Founded in London in 1846, Bird & Bird is an international law firm with more than 30 offices across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Culture, concentration, communication

The exploratory work carried out by Bird & Bird allowed a series of different wishes and expectations to emerge. For Mikko Rajala, the aims and objectives that informed the project from its inception fell into four distinct categories:

• Social interaction and working together. With most of the office situated across a single floor, staff will work in closer physical proximity to one another.
• Flexibility and choice. The office environment must be capable of supporting demanding expertise work involving a high degree of concentration as well as team working. It needs to also lend itself to internal and external face-to-face meetings.
• In-office appeal. The office needs to be a place where people want to be.
• Corporate culture and values. The office must promote Bird & Bird’s commitment to openness, dialogue and human connection.

“We obviously won’t be able to make every wish come true, but it’s important that we hear them all and carefully listen to what everybody has to say. They may well have something valuable to contribute that we simply hadn’t thought of,” Rajala points out.

Partners in change

“Thorough and sustained” is how Iina-Mari Supperi, co-head and partner at Bird & Bird’s Helsinki office, describes the design process. The groundwork for it was laid over many months before anything was shared publicly. Communications matter, it is a good idea to share as much information as possible, as early as possible, she adds.

Bird & Bird staff were invited to contribute to the project at various stages along the way. The first tranche of work involved developing a clear understanding of how staff work and what their needs are. This was followed by a series of workshops on the practical solutions available. Finally, all teams were invited to discuss what their typical work day entails, before this information was taken to a more granular level in small groups to support the work of the design team.

“What we’ve found is that staff surveys shouldn’t be presented as a sort of wishing well. They work much better when they’re focused on finding out how people work day-to-day and what their actual needs are,” Supperi explains.

According to Mikko Rajala, all change starts at the top. Engaging in a series of open and reflective discussions about the principles behind the project and ensuring solid buy-in from the senior team generated a sense of momentum for the work. It was important for management to listen to staff and to build trust in the process.

Significant time was dedicated to hearing both questions and concerns. At that stage, no actual decisions had been made and no tangible plans were available. This led to some frustration at times but regular comms helped to keep everything on track. Once the contracts were signed, hesitancy turned to excitement.

Signe will be completed by the end of 2026. Project coordinator Tea Koivisto, Bird & Bird.

Surprises and learnings

As it encompasses a bespoke new-build space, the Bird & Bird project offered the team the chance to think outsid the box but also required the design groundwork to be laid before the lease negotiations had even come underway.

“A project like this, where every aspect of the space is created for us from scratch, calls for an unusual degree of design expertise and decision making. It’s always a good idea to start on the design before the lease has been concluded as that allows you to future proof your project against any changes that might crop up later,” Rajala says.

“The greatest challenge we faced was in navigating conflicting aims and practical constraints. However, I’m confident that we’ve arrived at an excellent design,” he adds.

Amerikka’s role was not just to put pen to paper, but also to help the Bird & Bird team test their ideas.

“Amerikka have been our partners in the fullest sense of the word. They weren’t just focused on the drawings, they were an essential part of the change process,” Rajala says, clearly pleased with the collaboration.

As Helsinki co-head Iina-Mari Supperi points out, change is always an important opportunity for positively engaging with both staff and clients.

“The right premises are absolutely essential to our business and key to our ongoing growth. Our offices must be ideally set up to support the sort of professional, expert work that we carry out but also to provide a great place for client meetings.”

Bird & Bird’s top design tips

1. Get ahead by starting at the beginning. It is essential that you first identify why change is needed and clearly articulate your aims before launching into full-scale implementation.
2. Change starts at the top. Senior staff need to set an example and lead the way.
3. Listen to everyone, pick the best ideas. Not all ideas are viable, but they all deserve to be heard.
4. Focus on facts. Avoid setting up a “wishing well” by conducting too many surveys. Instead, take the time to discover how staff like to work and what needs they have.
5. Hire a partner, not just a contractor. A proper design partner keeps their eye on the journey, not the drawings.
6. Don’t forget about your workplace culture. Your office is an investment in your workplace community, culture and client experience. Get it right and both your bottom line and your relationships will benefit.

Investing in your community brings huge rewards

At Bird & Bird, the upcoming change is not just about rearranging the furniture and picking a new colour for the walls, it’s a real and meaningful step forward for the company.

Maija Fast, Bird & Bird’s HR Manager is on hand to explain what this means in practice.

“At Bird & Bird, we don’t larp at being lawyers, everyone is welcome to come as they are. We’ve worked hard at ensuring that everyone knows their strengths and understands how we work together as a team.”

All the design solutions at the new premises are targeted at user needs. The new office will offer plenty of opportunity for quiet independent working but also has meeting rooms for team sessions along with informal social areas and a “working café” for collaboration and sharing. Hybrid meetings have also been catered for from the beginning. All meeting rooms are designed and furnished with remote and in-person attendees in mind.

“We’ve given a lot of thought to what it is that attracts people to the office. For most people the answer is obvious: it’s other people. It goes without saying that a comfortable, welcoming office environment that’s conducive to focused working is a must, but people also look for opportuities for face-to-face interaction. It’s a real source of energy and motivation.

Documenting the design process – Bird & Bird staff on a site visit.

More than just real estate

Bird & Bird’s move to the new Signe building in 2027 signals a transition towards a more community-centred working culture, in keeping with the “Bird & Bird Spirit”. At the moment, staff are split across six floors, while in future most will be based on just one level.

“I predict that the fresh and harmonious new interior aesthetic is going to work its magic on us all. And that will be reflected in both staff satisfaction levels and the results we deliver. The human connection matters now more than ever,” Fast says with a smile.

So yes, this is definitely about more than just wall colour.

Cover image © Sponda