As part of their strategy to expand their practice and push forward their presence within Sheffield, award winning law firm Taylor Emmet required a flagship headquarters at a prime spot within Sheffield’s Heart of the City regeneration scheme. The challenge was fitting out 15,000 sq ft across two floors within the historic Isaacs Building—a scheme retaining its original 1904 Victorian façade to minimise structural carbon.

The brief called for a design that seamlessly bridged Taylor Emmet’s traditional values with a strategy to increase their local, central presence and future growth. Balancing acoustically soundproofed, high security rooms for sensitive client and family matters with open, agile environments for internal collaboration, all while honoring the building’s Edwardian heritage and adhering to strict sustainability goals.

We delivered a 12 month turnkey conversion, managing design and delivery as a single accountable team that reconfigured the building to deliver privacy, security and functionality appropriate for a legal environment.

Design: Faithfully executed the client’s design concept—combining warm natural woods, dark timber and striking bronze accents against their specified palette of calming blues and rich wine reds. Through considered design, we used soft furnishings and bespoke curved joinery to compliment the expansive dual-aspect windows.

Build: Reimagined the doubled footprint to offer intuitive transitions between secure client reception lounges, private meeting spaces, dynamic co-working hubs, quiet focus areas, and breakout spaces designed to build connection.

Technical: Installed advanced sound masking and high performance acoustic partitioning across private consultation suites and client areas as well as high tech meeting booking systems to guarantee privacy and absolute confidentiality.

Project Management: Managed a multiphase contract in a secure, central city centre building, ensuring seamless delivery and compliance with data security, building control and accessibility standards.

Iconic Shift: Successfully designed a high performance space that elevates client connections, doubling Taylor Emmet’s footprint to build a flexible foundation for long term growth and talent attraction.

Sustainable Delivery: Reduced environmental impact through localised sourcing and low embodied carbon design, matching the sustainability vision of the Heart of the City scheme.

Confidentiality & Comfort: Achieved total acoustic privacy in client zones while delivering an inviting, hospitality led environment that honours the firm's 150-year heritage.