An employee-owned law firm in the South West, Stephens Scown LLP, has bought the leasehold of its 16,600 sq ft Exeter office from the landlord. With a vision for a smarter, more sustainable workplace, the firm had already embarked on an ambitious refit project to improve energy efficiencies and create a more modern working environment.
Facilitated by a £3.3 million Buildings Transition Loan from Lloyds, the purchase of the building came soon after the law firm had begun refurbishment works at Curzon House on Southernhay West to transform it into an office that reflected its values and support for employee wellbeing.
Transformational changes to the building to improve lighting, insulation and upgrade gas heating to air-source heat pumps boosted the office space’s EPC rating from a C to an A. The firm has reinforced its B Corp status by implementing energy efficient improvements, meeting high standards of social and environmental performance. These efforts have also driven progress toward its pledge to reach net zero emissions by the end of 2025 and has seen the firm shortlisted for an Exeter Sustainability Award, the winner of which will be announced on 21 March.
Working with Bespa – an Exeter-based commercial interior designer specialising in creating sustainable workspaces – the refit included a completely new foyer, reception and client lounge area, a reconfiguration of working space to allow for collaboration and a new suite of state-of-the-art meetings rooms. New areas were implemented seamlessly with the firm’s hybrid working practices through a modern booking system.
The Building Transition Loan enabled Stephens Scown to buy the lease and complete the refit at the same time, to improve the office environment for colleagues.
Staying put at the heart of the city and using local businesses for the refit further demonstrated the firm’s commitment to Exeter city centre, to its employees and to the community in which it operates.
Stephens Scown is looking to provide a firm-wide boost to employee wellbeing with plans to replicate the successful upgrade across its other offices in the region including Taunton and Truro.
Alex Mackie, chief operating officer at Stephens Scown and the first non-lawyer to be named partner at the firm, said: “In a year of growth and great success for us, it’s been even more important than ever to invest in our places and people. We wanted to have a space that encourages better collaboration, improves ways of working and boosts employee wellbeing. And the results have been tremendous already. Positive feedback from our team in Exeter and visiting employees from our other offices has meant we’re now looking to replicate this formula across our other offices.
“The support from Lloyds has been invaluable in our journey to building our presence in the region, while also making the space we work in our own. From here, we’ve created a great base to engage more closely with the local community and do our bit to balance people, planet and profit.”
Jonathan Thomas, relationship manager at Lloyds, added: “A well-known player in the South West’s legal scene, it’s been a pleasure to support Stephens Scown as it worked towards the next steps of its growth strategy.
“The results of the refit speak for themselves. The benefits from the office upgrade have been felt across all levels of the business. As well as boosting the day-to-day experience of its people and quality of service to clients, Stephens Scown is now even closer to reaching its targets on delivering social value at a local level and reaching net zero emissions.”