Chambers & professional offices

Private rooms with a public purpose

Describe how each room is used: a clerk’s office, a client meeting room, a library or a workspace shared by several colleagues. That tells us which surfaces receive close attention and which spaces need to remain available. The initial brief should distinguish the private working rooms from reception, circulation and the building’s shared staircase.

Panelling, bookshelves and the sash reveal

Treat each part of the room as a separate finish decision. Identify painted panelling, exposed timber, fitted shelves and window shutters before agreeing preparation. Place samples beside the existing desk and bookcases. If shelves are included, settle who empties them and where their contents will be held; confidential material should remain under the practice’s control.

Historic rooms need an agreed method

Holborn’s office conversions can retain much earlier interiors. The list entry for 17 Bedford Row, for example, describes a townhouse used as offices with a panelled entrance and stair hall. That is a reason to examine the room in your brief carefully, rather than presume that a commercial tenancy has removed its historic features.

Sources: Historic England: 17 Bedford Row

A programme understood by the practice

Give the proposed dates alongside meetings, staff attendance and any secure-access arrangements. We can discuss individual rooms or phased floors, including requested evening and weekend sessions. The accepted programme needs time for preparation, coating, ventilation and review. Identify who can release a room and who decides it is ready to receive colleagues and clients again.