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Maurice Law
Maurice Law
Calgary, Canada
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Other Projects by McKinley Studios
Maurice Law
Calgary, Canada
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2023
SIZE
10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft
BUDGET
$1M - 5M
The client, Maurice Law, is Canada’s first and only Indigenous-owned national law firm, handling over 40% of all Indigenous claims in Canada. It is headquartered in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta. Maurice Law is actively led by four key values: access to justice, persistence, multidisciplinary approaches to legal issues, and the creation of community legacies, all reflected in their primary service: the supply of legal aid aimed at supporting First Nations communities to find amendments in Canada.
Maurice Law came to McKinley Studios with the request to renovate their existing 3rd floor office space and design their newly acquired office space on the lower level of the building, while subtly integrating Indigenous culture into the design without the typical use of pronounced, archetypal visual cues. With this direction, McKinley Studios began a deep dive into Indigenous culture, studying cultural practices, traditions, history and art, while aiming to integrate the specific needs of an active, growing law firm into the project. The challenge was to provide purpose and meaning to the two very separate spaces, strategically dividing function and programme accordingly, while still encouraging connection and movement between the two floors.
The quiet nature of the lawyers' work dictated a natural separation between private and public spaces. The third floor was programmed with the private offices for the lawyers and the required support spaces. Using the research gathered, McKinley Studios parti was based around a centralized rotunda with an intersecting axis, creating main corridors spanning out to windows in the 4 cardinal directions: North, East, South, West. This was chosen to echo the cultural significance of the directions themselves, as well as that of a circular shape. Throughout aboriginal cultures, each direction has symbolism applied to indigenous people's mental and physical health, as well as the elements of the earth. The circular shape of the chamber then branches off in these directions leading to the company's offices and boardrooms. The intention of a circle leading into the offices poses significance in human status, or specifically, an intentional lack there-of. In Indigenous beliefs, the circle reflects equality amongst all. Everyone performing within a circle is seen as proportionate to one another. Nobody is viewed as ahead, behind, above, or below compared to any other member of the circle. This then promotes a culture of dialog and trust amongst its members. Each corridor branching out from this rotunda was then concluded with a contextually tailored sculpture, specifically aligned with the natural light in the space.
The lower level was reserved for community - internal/external gathering and socializing. This included spaces for the main client facing meeting rooms, lounge and games area, along with the Admin team and collaborative research team. Additionally, it was intentionally decided with Maurice Law's support, to locate the main kitchen in this lower level, along with the social spaces, and avoid duplicating the same programme upstairs, to encourage everyone coming together on the lower floor. Set in a uniquely brutalist shell with harsh angles, unused mezzanines, and limited natural light due to the basement location, the design challenges presented some unique opportunities. McKinley Studios opened up and deactivated one of the existing mezzanines along the exterior to allow natural light to penetrate and be shared by the perimeter offices and general common spaces. This also created an opportunity for the addition of biophilia above the offices. Additionally, the oversized boardroom was enclosed in double height glass to again encourage the limited natural light to filter in from the adjacent outdoor patio. The concrete coffers were utilized and accentuated by custom light panels to create a sunlight/sky effect overhead in the space and highlight the structural beauty of the waffle slab ceiling.
For office culture and events, the company required an entertainment space for games, television, music, and beverages. Rather than integrating these needs into the same space where clients and boardrooms remained active, a strategic decision was made to bring these requirements up to the remaining mezzanine. This provided a clear distinction between client-facing and internal social areas. This entertainment space is focused around a centralized millwork hub which houses all necessary functions in a sculptural triangular form, while maintaining connection and sightlines from the mezzanine from all angles.
The material pallet was largely inspired by nature due to the firm's Indigenous roots, taking textural and tonal cues from the prairies. Dark oak millwork, reminiscent of the tones in forest evergreen tree trunks, enveloped in an earthy textural plaster shell in clay tones provide a subtle background for the vibrant art and soft furnishings which take their colour cues from traditional Indigenous clothing and jewelry. This materiality is contrasted against a brutalist shell established by the heavy structural elements and design of the 1970's office building. A consistent palette visually ties the two floors together connecting the physical separation of these two spaces which are 3 floors apart.
The furniture, specialty lighting and art throughout the project were designed and curated to reflect both the concept and identity of Maurice Law. Custom designed items such as the lower-level area rug, meeting tables and large drum pendants were designed by McKinley Studios.
Identity can be achieved through narrowing down a client's values and function; however, when cultural identity is brought in as a primary driver to design, the result becomes that much richer.
Maurice Law came to McKinley Studios with the request to renovate their existing 3rd floor office space and design their newly acquired office space on the lower level of the building, while subtly integrating Indigenous culture into the design without the typical use of pronounced, archetypal visual cues. With this direction, McKinley Studios began a deep dive into Indigenous culture, studying cultural practices, traditions, history and art, while aiming to integrate the specific needs of an active, growing law firm into the project. The challenge was to provide purpose and meaning to the two very separate spaces, strategically dividing function and programme accordingly, while still encouraging connection and movement between the two floors.
The quiet nature of the lawyers' work dictated a natural separation between private and public spaces. The third floor was programmed with the private offices for the lawyers and the required support spaces. Using the research gathered, McKinley Studios parti was based around a centralized rotunda with an intersecting axis, creating main corridors spanning out to windows in the 4 cardinal directions: North, East, South, West. This was chosen to echo the cultural significance of the directions themselves, as well as that of a circular shape. Throughout aboriginal cultures, each direction has symbolism applied to indigenous people's mental and physical health, as well as the elements of the earth. The circular shape of the chamber then branches off in these directions leading to the company's offices and boardrooms. The intention of a circle leading into the offices poses significance in human status, or specifically, an intentional lack there-of. In Indigenous beliefs, the circle reflects equality amongst all. Everyone performing within a circle is seen as proportionate to one another. Nobody is viewed as ahead, behind, above, or below compared to any other member of the circle. This then promotes a culture of dialog and trust amongst its members. Each corridor branching out from this rotunda was then concluded with a contextually tailored sculpture, specifically aligned with the natural light in the space.
The lower level was reserved for community - internal/external gathering and socializing. This included spaces for the main client facing meeting rooms, lounge and games area, along with the Admin team and collaborative research team. Additionally, it was intentionally decided with Maurice Law's support, to locate the main kitchen in this lower level, along with the social spaces, and avoid duplicating the same programme upstairs, to encourage everyone coming together on the lower floor. Set in a uniquely brutalist shell with harsh angles, unused mezzanines, and limited natural light due to the basement location, the design challenges presented some unique opportunities. McKinley Studios opened up and deactivated one of the existing mezzanines along the exterior to allow natural light to penetrate and be shared by the perimeter offices and general common spaces. This also created an opportunity for the addition of biophilia above the offices. Additionally, the oversized boardroom was enclosed in double height glass to again encourage the limited natural light to filter in from the adjacent outdoor patio. The concrete coffers were utilized and accentuated by custom light panels to create a sunlight/sky effect overhead in the space and highlight the structural beauty of the waffle slab ceiling.
For office culture and events, the company required an entertainment space for games, television, music, and beverages. Rather than integrating these needs into the same space where clients and boardrooms remained active, a strategic decision was made to bring these requirements up to the remaining mezzanine. This provided a clear distinction between client-facing and internal social areas. This entertainment space is focused around a centralized millwork hub which houses all necessary functions in a sculptural triangular form, while maintaining connection and sightlines from the mezzanine from all angles.
The material pallet was largely inspired by nature due to the firm's Indigenous roots, taking textural and tonal cues from the prairies. Dark oak millwork, reminiscent of the tones in forest evergreen tree trunks, enveloped in an earthy textural plaster shell in clay tones provide a subtle background for the vibrant art and soft furnishings which take their colour cues from traditional Indigenous clothing and jewelry. This materiality is contrasted against a brutalist shell established by the heavy structural elements and design of the 1970's office building. A consistent palette visually ties the two floors together connecting the physical separation of these two spaces which are 3 floors apart.
The furniture, specialty lighting and art throughout the project were designed and curated to reflect both the concept and identity of Maurice Law. Custom designed items such as the lower-level area rug, meeting tables and large drum pendants were designed by McKinley Studios.
Identity can be achieved through narrowing down a client's values and function; however, when cultural identity is brought in as a primary driver to design, the result becomes that much richer.
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