Aug. 11, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Interstate Office Products.

When one of the city’s most established law firms decided it was time for an updated look, it was understood the change might be challenging.

So when leaders at Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith PC learned about the approach Interstate Office Products would take to its downtown Sioux Falls office renovation, IOP landed the project.

“Their process is why we selected them,” said Vince Jones, a partner in the firm established in 1887.

“And it was a really good process. It helped us kick it off because we didn’t know how to get it going and had to figure out how to get buy-in from as many people as possible. And we’re a law firm – there are a lot of strong opinions.”

That was in the fall of 2019, when Woods Fuller decided its office – much of which hadn’t been renovated since the 1990s – should consider a more modern design.

“This process utilized all aspects of our design capabilities, beginning with several months of research completed with their project team,” said IOP’s Teena Hogan, who served as the account manager with designer Abby Tufvesson on the project.

“We surveyed everyone in the office to get feedback on how they felt about the space they were currently working in and what they’d like to see changed.”

From there, a facilities committee prioritized areas to address, and IOP held workshops to show the team various options.

“We went through areas like the lobby, a new multipurpose room, conference and co-working areas, a break room and restrooms,” Hogan said. “We focused on the finishes and aesthetics of the space, even furniture styles, to get a feel for what they were looking for.”

While there was no guarantee all feedback would be reflected in the final product, the process gave everyone a voice, Jones said.

IOP also developed several layouts to determine whether the law firm would need to lease more space to accomplish its design goals.

“That was a really fun process with a bunch of scenarios – adding space, removing space – but once we figured out we could stay in the same footprint, I think everyone was fully on board. We could use the space more efficiently, and that got the ball rolling,” Tufvesson said.

“The whole process helped build approval and showed what the space could be.”

So what could it be? Take a look at these before-and-after images.

“Installation was an easy process,” said Stephanie Kunkel, director of business development and marketing for Woods Fuller.

“They were efficient and mindful of the environment they’re in and the work being done, and overall you can see the insight Interstate brought from having done this so many times.”

Woods Fuller came into the renovation “thinking maybe we needed a really open space, and they were able to talk through recent trends and lessons learned, and it helped us to land somewhere in the middle where it worked,” Kunkel said.

The staff workspaces were areas of particular focus, drawing on feedback received in the research.

“The questions they asked the staff about how they utilize the space helped us see where it needed to go and how it could enhance our functionality,” Kunkel said.

“It’s very clean, and it’s a lot lighter and more modern.”

Staff work areas were opened up with glass around the top of the workspace to allow more light in. All staff have two monitors and height-adjustable desks.

“The electronic sit-to-stand desks are very nice and definitely get used,” Kunkel said.

Efficiencies were gained by grouping printers in areas where several people can share them and turning some resulting space into areas for quick meetings or room to spread out.

“The second floor where we had cubicles really did feel like a cave, like a floor-to-ceiling hallway when you opened the door, and now you can see daylight, and it’s much more open,” Jones said.

The library received an especially thorough overhaul – as law books throughout the office were weeded out based on how much they were needed or used given so much is available digitally.

“But we have an archival version of the South Dakota code that isn’t available other places. There are some things here that are only available here as far as we know, so now we have a good place to showcase those,” Jones said.

So you’ll still find a lot of law books in the library. But it also has been opened up, with new seating and easy access to the lobby.

“We’ve also discovered this is a fun place to socialize on a Friday,” Jones added.

“It was important to preserve that traditional feel. That’s why this room looks the way it does and why the reception area looks the way it does. We wanted that traditional law firm feel but have a modern look to the rest of the office for the staff, bring everyone up to a better standard of equipment and generally refresh things.”

While furnishing individual offices is up to the attorneys, many chose to have IOP do a similar update in their spaces.

“It definitely spurred some of us to change our offices, too, streamline them and update them,” Jones said. “And many of us added large monitors to support the increased videoconferencing and continued education we do.”

That technology also was enhanced in the conference rooms.

“Not all of our conference rooms were tech-enabled, and we noticed it a lot during COVID that we didn’t have enough capacity,” Kunkel said. “Our IT department did an amazing job equipping the conference rooms, as well as the staff workspaces with state-of-the-art technology.”

The boardroom also went from one large, fixed conference table that didn’t offer any flexibility to modular tables that can be configured for different functions.

“Throughout the space, we updated all the floor coverings, wall coverings in key areas and paint. We specified new lighting to replace the original brass fixtures and selected a few new chandeliers for high-impact areas,” Hogan said.

“Where it made sense, we kept the nostalgic feel, so the history is still there, but it’s updated.”

As a growing firm, Woods Fuller also benefits from the enhanced space when it comes to recruitment and retention, Jones said.

“We hire smart people. They aren’t going to come work for you because you have a nice-looking office,” he said. “But you don’t want your office to ever put you at a disadvantage. So it was time for an update.”

Ready to prepare your workplace for 2021 and beyond? To learn more about how Interstate Office Products can meet your office needs in the Sioux Falls area and beyond, visit i-o-p.com or call 605-339-0300.