Claremont Group Interiors have completed the design and fit out of the new offices of The Legal Ombudsman at Baskerville House in the centre of Birmingham. The Legal Ombudsman is a new organisation established by the Government to provide users of legal services with an independent means of resolving disputes with lawyers. Claremont provided a wide range of services at Baskerville House including consultancy, design and fit-out to provide an exceptional working environment for the 380 staff based in Birmingham as well as visitors.
The new offices are situated alongside Broad Street, in the vibrant centre of Birmingham, near to landmark developments such as Brindleyplace and The Mailbox. The dynamic new working environment created by Claremont occupies the 5th and 6th floors of Baskerville House, offering stunning views of the surrounding areas. Natural light floods the building thanks to the largely open plan layout, floor-to-ceiling height glazing on meeting rooms and the two internal atria at the core of the building.
The use of natural light is also indicative of the open culture of the organisation which is evident in a flat hierarchical structure and reflected in the way that space has been designed to encourage collaboration, teamwork and the exchange of ideas and information. The offices incorporate a number of informal spaces including two internal "garden" areas and a collaboration zone on each floor.
To support the development of the collaborative, open culture, there is a phased programme of training. The offices have been installed with a range of audio-visual solutions so that flexible training programmes can be developed in response to changing needs. Digital signage is installed on both floors to display important information to staff and visitors, making them aware of what is happening around the building and reducing the need for paper administration and storage.