Moving into custom-designed offices has had a profound effect on the well-being and productivity of staff at Mello Jones & Martin.

And the law firm has engendered a close-knit, collegiate feel by having all its 60-plus staff situated in the top three floors of the Thistle House building on the corner of Burnaby Street and Church Street, which finished construction just over a year ago.

Listening to Alan Dunch, a partner in the firm, it is clear the importance of a spacious and comfortable office environment should not be underestimated.

“Our work environment has improved one thousand-fold from what it was, and it has had a tremendous impact on staff in terms of working conditions and productivity. It has been amazing, like moving from a 1940s apartment into a 2006 house,” said Mr. Dunch.

“From the first day the attitude has been amazing.”

Previously Mello Jones & Martin (MJM) was based in Reid House next to the Anglican Cathedral.

As the firm grew, and Reid House was earmarked for renovation, it became clear new premises would need to be found. The original idea for the law firm was to build its own offices. Some land was bought but, for a number of reasons, that project did not materialise.

In 2003, Mr. Dunch casually mentioned the firm’s office dilemma to Capital G boss James Gibbons fortuitously at the moment that he and the Jardine Matheson group had acquired the old Imperial Hotel building and were planning to demolish it to build Thistle House.

Mello Jones & Martin signed on as principal tenant for the top three floors and designed their office layout and specifications, Mr. Dunch and interior design architect Brooke Petersmayer taking a leading role.

The office move was achieved over four days in March 2006, with a couple of minor glitches, such as putting too many library books into the elevator at once. The top floor is now the “client presentation floor”.

Mr. Dunch explains: “This is the showpiece of the firm for our clients. We wanted to reduce as much as possible clients’ exposure to the lawyer working areas, although many lawyers still like to take their client to their own office so they can be in their ‘own space’.”

There are a lot of touches that make the MJM office less like a traditional “stuffy” legal firm environment, including a varied selection of modern art from Boston that adorns the walls and boardrooms.

The main boardroom, which can accommodate 20 and opens up into a break-away smaller boardroom and open space is a prime example.

“I wanted something that was non-traditional in terms of a lawyers’ office where you have heavy wood furniture and this stuffy feel. I wanted a space that was warm and in which clients felt comfortable and would make them say ‘this is different’,” said Mr. Dunch.

Just as important as the office-visiting experience is the requirement to make employees feel comfortable in their workplace.

Many of the offices contain furniture and fittings that reflect the personal tastes of individual, and there was a deliberate decision not to cram in more smaller-sized offices into the available space.

“I didn’t want this use of tighter space,” Mr. Dunch said. “I was more interested in having more space and creating an environment that people felt comfortable in.”

The building has a temperature and climate-controlled basement where hard copy archive files are stored in a single location making it easier for access. There is also an impressive library area for lawyers to reference legal works and case history and a fire proof vault for irreplaceable documents.

Mello Jones & Martin originally turned down an option to lease the second floor of Thistle House because it did not envisage it would grow to the extent that it would need a further floor for at least five years. However, contrary to that expectation, it is almost at the point now and is trying to secure extra space within Thistle House.

Finding space elsewhere is not something that would find favour with Mr. Dunch, who believes it is a mistake for a firm to attempt to grow and operate from a number of satellite offices.

“That does not work. The great thing about having everyone in one space is that it creates a family atmosphere, a more collegiate atmosphere. And we are into firm functions that can be almost spontaneous, like cocktails at four on a Friday,” he said.