CCA Lisbon Lawyers Office

CCA is one of Portugal’s leading law firms with a significant client base in the increasingly growing Lisbon media and tech industries. The client’s brief for their new Lisbon headquarters was to ‘redesign the lawyer’s office for the 21st century’ as both their staff and their high profile clients were returning to a flexible work environment after the Covid pandemic. Situated inside a historic Lisbon Port 1940s warehouse building with expansive views of the harbour and river Tejo, the project involved the construction of an additional mezzanine level inside the spacious double height industrial building. To create a comfortable and safe post-pandemic work environment, we have established a thoughtful circulation strategy with multiple routes and the possibility of establishing a one-way circulation system that would future-proof the layout for eventual future pandemic scenarios. The circulation strategy in turn informs a consequent zoning strategy based on the orientation and ensuing solar exposure of the building with a prominent south facing facade: social and temporary work zones are situated along the south facade, a central flexwork area, defined by a custom-built timber portico that doubles up as the personal customisable library, occupies the central zone, while the north side houses private offices akin to the traditional lawyers chamber, for more focused work. The mezzanine features additional meeting rooms, the compact office kitchen, a more intimate dedicated library as well as an auditorium for company meetings and internal and external presentations. The principal challenge of the project resided in the creation of separated but also intertwined areas of focus, collaboration and interaction inside a tall open-plan warehouse space. The project represents a harmonious resolution of this challenge, with a careful mix of modular elements to give both longevity and flexibility to a highly dynamic team of professionals looking to embody and project their transformative image as a modern and forward looking legal practice.