-By AnnMarie Marano

"There has been a growing awareness with all segments of the population on the imperativeness of being sustainable," comments Jeremy Lang, partner-in-charge of all law firm work at New York-based Butler Rogers Baskett Architects. He says that law firms in particular are realizing the importance of sustainability on a recruitment level, thanks to a convergence of law firm and corporate design. "It used to be that law firms were individually driven, in the sense that you had a 250 person firm with 75 or so partners and owners who set standards for other attorneys, but for themselves had more lax standards."

"There's a much better recognition of the values that LEED represents," says Doug Zucker, principal and studio director at Gensler's San Francisco office. "I think all firms are looking at sustainability to understand its advantages and disadvantages. It's very much on the minds of the younger associates, and it's becoming an attraction and retention issue ."

Before industry consolidation, law firms had individual profiles that they were happy to keep chiseled, Lang says. But with firms merging and becoming national, they're finding they want offices within offices to be more similar. This convergence has opened up law offices to other materials.

"Law firms didn't want to use glass because one partner had a plaid rug and the other didn't. It was also a confidentiality issue," Lang says. "But with the convergence to corporate, and with glass having LEED benefits, we're finding firms that have extensive installations." Zucker agrees that the walls between attorney offices (which are typically on the perimeter of the floorplan) and the rest of the office are increasingly being made of glass. This brings light into corridors and administration offices, which encourages more collaboration.

Rebecca Nolan, principal-in-charge at SmithGroup in Detroit, says that with the Minneapolis headquarters for Bowman and Brooke, a law firm that prides itself on "not looking like a law firm," the focus was on the level of transparency within the space and the ability to use architecture to truly articulate that concept throughout. "Transparency would be a serious concern to most law firms as depositions would be happening in each of these rooms," she explains. "And, while it was important to screen it, it was also required to get that sense of community and visibility to come through."

Nolan achieved vertical transparency—also atypical for law firms—with a red plaster staircase, which is purposely open and wide to allow light to transfer from floor to floor. SmithGroup also carved some strategically placed voids in the perimeter attorney offices, giving that space back to staff, such as administration and case assistants, and allowing everyone access to daylight.

Besides increased daylight and use of glass, firms also continue to reduce their library square footage by turning more towards electronic access, says Zucker. Added user-control and water conservation, thanks ultra-low-flow urinals, and toilets retrofitted with dual-flush valves is also increasing.

With Nixon Peabody in San Francisco, the first LEED certified law firm in the country, Gensler placed occupancy centers in every room to control lighting, which can tend to dial energy usage down. Zucker says, "One thing about LEED is that it's giving people more control." Lang agrees: "The USGBC has been smart to target the user, because that's attractive to employees."