Kilpatrick Design Case Study - Cooper Carry

Interiors
Connecting people to place

A Tale
of Three
By Brian Parker
Cities
New York, NY

Washington D.C.
With 19 offices around the world,
and corporate headquarters in Midtown Atlanta, we were
thrilled in 2009 when Kilpatrick Townsend asked Cooper
Carry to partner with them on three major construction
exercises on which they were about to embark. The next
three years were comprised of back to back design and
construction efforts, totaling more than 337,000 square feet
of new or renovated interior space, in the major markets
of Atlanta, Washington and New York.
With so many offices around the globe, each with its
own distinct national and regional culture, the client
was open to the idea that each of their offices could
look and feel different. They felt it important to give
ownership of the office designs to the local attorneys
and staff. Clearly this would not only allow us to explore
different and distinct design ideas for each space,
it would also create a sense of “buy-in” for the user
groups in each market.
Law firm design has changed and evolved since our first
design project with Kilpatrick Townsend twenty years ago.
Despite the freedom we had been given to craft a unique
environment for each office location, it was of critical importance
that each new office reflect the latest philosophies
in how law firms work and operate today. One of these
key changes involved the increasing ratios of senior
attorneys to legal administrative support. In the past,
each partner would be assigned their own legal secretary,
who would also serve two or three associate partners as
well. This was essentially considered a 1:1 ratio. Emerging
trends have moved this ratio near 4:1; with some
firms pushing closer to 5:1. This increasing ratio meant
that square footage previously allocated for legal secretary
support could be redistributed to other uses such
as increased paralegal staff, flexible work areas for case
work, or additional attorney offices.
A second evolution in law firm design was the need for
adaptability and change within the work environment.
With all fixed wall offices, file rooms,
supports spaces, etc, law firms were forced
to work within the confines of the space that
had already been developed, or undergo renovation
work to accommodate a changing need. The
new concept to help alleviate this problem was to create
spaces which were modular in size and could be adapted to
serve multiple purposes through the changing tides a firm
would undergo. This was accomplished in different ways
on each project, some with demountable wall systems and
technology, and others with dimensional modularity to allow
for future flexibility.

The gauntlet had been laid down. The challenge before us was to
renovate 10 floors of 19 year old existing law firm space while the
firm continued to operate and experience no down time. This was
accomplished through extensive coordination with the owner, the
landlord, the contractor, and the design team. The strategy employed
was the generation of a nine phase construction schedule
over a 14 month period in which an entire practice group would
“swing” down to one of the three floors that would ultimately be
given up, thus allowing the contractor to demo and construct a full
floor of renovation at once. This was of course complicated by
tight durations and occupied space above and below the construction
zone. Once complete, furniture was moved in and a practice
group would “swing” back upstairs to their new home; often on a
different floor then where they had started.
toward the desired sustainability goal we were attempting to
achieve. With an existing space, and existing mechanical systems,
the team sought other avenues for the necessary LEED credits.
A few major contributors were a completely new lighting system
consisting of extensive occupancy sensors, 100% new carpet made
of extremely high recycled content and installed with zero glue,
and selective reuse of existing materials such as doors, frames, and
wood trim.
Atlanta
The first and largest of the three projects that Cooper
Carry was to embark on took place in Atlanta. Located
at 1100 Peachtree Street, the firm’s international corporate
headquarters occupied the top thirteen floors of an early
90’s midtown high rise. After an initial search of the Atlanta
office market, the decision was made to remain in their current
home on Peachtree. Capitalizing on their lease renewal,
to achieve more efficiences, it was decided to reduce their
footprint from their existing 13 floors to 10 floors for the
new lease duration; netting close to 227,000 square feet of
renovated space.
Further challenging the design effort was the firm’s decision to
pursue LEED gold certification. A few months before construction,
the landlord announced that the 1100 Peachtree building
would pursue LEED EB (existing building) certification. This
was a tremendous relief as it would help lend a number of credits
The program consisted of one floor of administration space, seven
attorney practice group floors, and two floors of public conference,
library and dining facilities. The administrative floor was the
first to be renovated and consisted of the relocation of a large firm
wide copy and support center, new restrooms, a new break room,
and replacement of all finishes and lighting. The next seven phases
of construction were all focused on the main attorney practice
group floors.
The design concept for the attorney practice floors was a simple
one. We would keep in place the existing exterior corridor wall
which circled the entire floor plate and created a ring of associ-

ate and partner offices all the way around. Each of these offices
would receive new finishes and a brand new high efficiency
lighting system. Everything on the inside of the perimeter office
ring would be demolished to make way for new “flexible” support
spaces, of the which the design concepts were driven by the
aforementioned law firm trends.
The inner most core spaces were used to create both low and high
density filing rooms, break rooms, copy centers and other support
functions. The balance of the space was used to create a secondary
“inner ring” of modular sized rooms which through the use
of a DIRTT demountable partition system, allowed for flexure
to occur. Groups of three modules, called “three packs”, were
created around this ring and would be used for paralegal offices,
war rooms, case assistant space, break out conference rooms and
even small library spaces. The innovation with this concept is the
ability for the firm to remove or install dividing partitions in each
of the three pack zones to create three single offices, one single
office and one double war room, two single offices and a conference
room, etc. One other aspect of the inner ring design was the
creation of dedicated legal secretary stations on all four corners
of the floor. This design helped open up the corners spatially but
also served as an administrative space for each secretary, who
were now serving up to four partners at once. By opening up the
area between the stations, overlap of support was in place for
attorneys who need assistance but find that their administrator is
not available.
Aesthetically we were faced with the juxtaposition of the existing
ornate millwork doors and trim that adorned the previous fit out.
While walking down the ring corridor, you would see the beautiful
and detailed millwork on the outside of the corridor, and a new
more modern aesthetic presented by the demountable DIRTT
partitions on the inside. This play of old vs. new was mitigated by
the inclusion of matching wood panels on the DIRTT fronts and
modulation and rhythm with the way the elevations of the system
were designed. Once in place there was a harmony between the
two which felt pleasing and natural and was perceived as a modernization
of the firm’s 19 year old aesthetic.
The final two phases represented the two most complex and
lengthy construction efforts. The top two floors of the building
housed the firm’s main reception space, a large attorney dining
room, numerous conference rooms, and a large law library. The
decision was made to cut the library square footage in half, another
national trend in law firm design, as the majority of today’s
law materials are available on the company’s digital network.
This opened up square footage to expand the dining room which
would allow the firm to remove the “attorney only” restriction,
thus offering it as an amenity for all employees; yet another
trend in modern day law firm design. Ornate millwork and detail
fill these two “public” facing floors and serve to make a grand
gesture to the firm’s history and stature in the Atlanta legal community.
All new finishes, lighting, and conference room furniture
punctuated this successful renovation and re-stack.
New York
The second project we completed with the firm took place
in the “big apple”. Until this point their New York practice
had been sub leasing space in midtown Manhattan from
another large international law firm. With continued
growth in the New York market the decision was made to
build out new office space to help catalyze their staff expansion
and success. After test fitting a number of buildings on
the midtown skyline, they settled on a space mid way up the
iconic Gordon Bunshaft “Grace” Building at 42nd Street
and 6th Avenue. Overlooking Bryant Park and the New
York Public Library, the 45,000 square feet of new space
would afford them with unobstructed views of the Empire
State Building and lower Manhattan.
Serving as the “design architect” for this effort, while the
building landlord and architect handled the construction
documents and administration, the space was designed as a
team effort with both our DC and New York offices. Inspiration
came from one of nature’s enduring creations found
22 floors below in the Grace Building’s lobby and reception
space. Soft neutral travertine became the foundation of a
material palette which would be described as quiet, calm,
and timeless. A stunning wood veneer called “dyed movingue”
has an almost opalescence in its figuring and cross
fire and punctuates the majestic arrival and reception area
for the firms clients.

The New York staff was culturally receptive to
the design concept incorporating blue leather
seating into all of their conference rooms.
The planning concepts for the New York space were not unlike
those of the Atlanta renovation. A perimeter ring of partner and
associate offices lined by an internal ring of modular offices, work
rooms, and support space. Unlike in Atlanta, the decision for this
project was to use standard walls rather than the demountable
DIRTT system but by using a standard dimensional module, the
firm will be able to accommodate growth and future flexibility.
Corner legal secretary support spaces, again allow for trending
attorney secretary ratios and open up in volume at the ends of the
circulation corridors.
One other driving design concept was the creation of a centralized
client reception and conferencing suite. All of the high end
public spaces were grouped on the central axis of the elevator
lobby which allow for amazing views of the city. This centralization
of functions served as a method of budget control by
focusing the high dollar finishes into one area of the project while
allowing for a more fiscally responsible allocation of funds to the
balance of the floor.
The final punctuation for the New York design effort was the
inclusion of bold “blue” leather seating surfaces in all of the
conference rooms. While not a selection that would have been
made for the Atlanta project, because the firm allows for
individual identity in each office, the New York staff was
culturally open to this dynamic and unique design concept.

Overlooking Bryant Park and the
New York Public Library, the 45,000
square feet of new space would
afford our client with unobstructed
views of the Empire State Building
and lower Manhattan.

Washington D.C.
Our final design and construction effort for Kilpatrick Townsend movements which created space for a long linear balcony; which
finished this spring in downtown Washington, DC. With the existed already but was not used. Our proposal was to demolish
all of the offices and support space in this corner of the tenth
White House in view, the historic Westory Building at the corner
of 14th and F Street, has served as the firms DC home for many floor to create a brand new unified reception and conferencing
years. Occupying the top three floors of the building this 65,000+ suite for the firm. This would also allow them to activate and
square foot in place renovation would have some similar challenges
to the Atlanta headquarters project, and would offer up York project, this major shift in thinking would allow for a con-
utilize the exterior balcony as an amenity. Not unlike the New
some new challenges as well.
centration of high end materials in the public area of the project
and both freed up conferencing square footage in other areas of
As currently built, the firm was located on the 9th, 10th and 11th the project while balancing the cost of the finishes in the employee
floors of the building. Clients or guests would take the elevator to centric portions of the office.
the ninth floor and be received in a small, dark, internal reception
space. Attorneys would come greet their guests and escort After seven phases of in place construction were complete, the
them to any number of conference rooms scattered throughout firm had received a top to bottom face lift with new finishes, new
the three floors of the firm. We wanted to change this paradigm lighting, recaptured square footage for filing and workrooms, and
but to do this meant we would have to propose a major change increased secretarial ratios to the same 4:1 level as the previous
to the design concept for the space. One floor up from the current
reception area, the building’s exterior skin has some inward for their large employee break area, bathed in natural
projects. One of the highlights was a completely new design
light,
and showcasing a floor to ceiling mural of Pierre Charles
L’Enfant’s original master plan painting of Washington, DC.
Without question, the most impressive transformation
was the new reception and conferencing suite on the 10th
floor. Exiting the elevator you find the new reception space
adorned with a natural stone floor which turns vertically
to become a 100 foot long stone clad feature wall; linking
conferencing space on both ends. Warm “pickled oak” wood
veneer panels wrap the opposing elevator core and reappear
as accents and furnishings throughout the space. A dynamic
red wall wrapped in a three dimensional fabric create a focal
point of color visible in multiple adjacent conference rooms.
A showpiece boardroom at the end of the axis houses a
spectacular 40 + foot long table complete with an integrated
video conference camera lift and direct access to the exterior
balcony. The corner conference room no doubt serves as the
“pièce de résistance” with views to the White House and the
Washington Monument.

The corner conference room no doubt serves as the
“pièce de résistance” with views to the White House
and the Washington Monument.

Cooper Carry’s LEED Experience
Interiors
Connecting people to place
Cooper Carry’s interiors creates well-designed spaces to lift
and inspire the spirit. The studio provides a full range of professional
interior design services, from programming through
space design through the complete selection of fittings, finishes
and furnishings. We are particularly skilled at identifying and
understanding the core vision of a client’s business, permitting
us to bring a high degree of connectiveness and insight
to our projects. We consistently create spaces that support the
client’s mission, rich in architectural language, promoting
interaction, enabling communication and erasing isolation and
separation which can be unhealthy resulting in an unproductive
atmosphere. Our attention to detail leads to spaces that lift
morale, and help to control business operational costs, inevitably
resulting in more beautiful and functional spaces. Each design
represents the embodiment of the character and values of our
client. Each project is a uniquely, aesthetic solution tailored to
reflect the requirements and mission of the client.
22 LEED Certified Projects:
2 Platinum, 9 Gold, 10 Silver, 1 Certified
Arlington Capital View Renaissance and Residence Inn, Arlington,
VA (LEED-NC Silver) 2012
GSAC, FBI Field Office, Charlotte, NC (LEED-NC Silver) 2012
NASA Langley Research Center Headquarters, Hampton, VA
(LEED-NC Platinum) 2011
Kimley-Horn & Associates, Vero Beach Office, Vero Beach, FL
(LEED-NC Silver) 2011
Sarah Smith Intermediate Center, Atlanta Public Schools,
Atlanta, GA (LEED for Schools Silver) 2011
Carolina First Corporate Campus, Building A, Greenville, SC
(LEED-NC Gold) 2010
Carolina First Corporate Campus, Building B, Greenville, SC
(LEED-NC Gold) 2010
Cooper Carry Atlanta Office Interiors, Atlanta, GA (LEED-CI
Platinum) 2010
Cisco Systems Corporate Campus, Building 6, Lawrenceville, GA
(LEED-NC Gold) 2010
Berry College, Audrey B. Morgan and Deerfield Halls, Mount
Berry, GA (LEED-NC Gold) 2010
Regions Bank at 200 Renaissance, Ridgeland, MS (LEED-CI
Gold) 2010
Regions Bank Insurance Space at 200 Renaissance, Ridgeland,
MS (LEED-CI Gold) 2010
200 Renaissance at Colony Park, Ridgeland, MS (LEED-CS
Gold) 2010
Athens Technical College, Health Sciences Center, Athens, GA
(LEED-NC Silver) 2010
GSA Echelon, FBI Field Office, Jackson, MS (LEED-NC Silver)
2010
University of Georgia, Tate Student Center, Athens, GA
(LEED-NC Gold) 2009
Colonial TownPark 400, Lake Mary, FL (LEED-CS Silver) 2009
Cooper Carry Alexandria Office Interiors, Alexandria, VA
(LEED-CI Gold) 2008
Metropolitan at Midtown Building B, Charlotte, NC (LEED-CS
Silver) 2008
The Regent at 950 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA (LEED-CS
Silver) 2008
Atlanta Community Food Bank, Atlanta, GA (LEED-NC
Silver) 2006
Emory Mathematics & Science Center, Atlanta, GA (LEED-NC
Certified) 2005
CURRENTLY IN DESIGN & SEEKING CERTIFICATION
Office/Corporate
800 North Glebe Road Building A, Arlington, VA (LEED-CS
Kilpatrick Townsend, Atlanta, GA (LEED-CI Gold)
Hospitality
Charleston Kimpton Hotel & Retail, Charleston, SC (LEED-NC)
Marriott Marquis Convention Center Hotel, Washington, DC
(LEED-NC Silver)
Historic Riverside Hotel & Spa Expansion and Renovation, Fort
Lauderdale, FL (LEED-NC)
Perimeter W Hotel, Atlanta, GA (LEED-CI)
Government
NAVFAC P-8A Integrated Training Center, Jacksonville, FL
(LEED-NC Gold)
USACE, Deployment Readiness & Training Center, Robins Air
Force Base, GA (LEED-NC Silver)
GSA Armed Forces Retirement Home, Washington, DC
(LEED-NC Gold)
Education
North Carolina State University, Talley Student Center Additions
& Renovations, Raleigh, NC, (LEED-NC v2009 Silver)
Kennesaw State University, Health Sciences Building, Kennesaw,
GA (LEED-NC Silver)
Gwinnet Technical College Life Sciences Building, Lawrenceville,
GA (LEED-CI Silver)
Auburn University, School of Pharmacy Renovation, Auburn,
AL (LEED-CI Silver)
Southern Polytechnic State University, Engineering Technology
Center, Marietta, GA (LEED-NC Silver)
Southern Polytechnic State University, Architectural Studio
Addition, Marietta, GA (LEED-NC Gold)
Emory University Chemistry Building Addition and Renovation,
Atlanta, GA (LEED-NC Gold)
The George Washington University VSTC Conservation
Facility, Ashburn, VA (LEED 2009 for Core & Shell
Development)
Mixed-Use
1900 Crystal Drive, Crystal City, VA (LEED-CS Gold)
East Harlem Media and Entertainment Center, New York, NY
(LEED-NC Silver)
Wardman West, Washington, DC (LEED-NC Silver)

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