How do you transform a legacy law office into a space that feels alive, without losing its sense of gravitas? That was the challenge facing Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto, California. After three decades in the same headquarters, the firm sought a new environment to reflect its evolution. Modern yet grounded, progressive yet professional.
The firm required a workplace that would attract younger talent, support collaboration and showcase its forward-looking culture while maintaining the discretion, security and acoustic control essential to legal practice. Client-facing areas were designed to mirror this balance, offering an elevated, hospitality-inspired experience.
Our role was to guide this transformation from tradition to renewal, shaping a workplace that balances focus and flow, confidentiality and connection.
The existing two-storey, cross-shaped building had become a maze of isolated wings and high-walled cubicles. Wayfinding was confusing and daylight rarely reached the heart of the floorplate.
Our planning strategy reimagined these limitations as opportunities. We replaced pinch points with connectors and added bright, social ‘parks’ at every junction where wings met. These hubs, anchored by coffee bars, lounges and skylights, draw people together rather than push them apart.
Circulation became intuitive. Departments once separated now meet naturally in these crossroads, encouraging conversation, mentorship and knowledge sharing. The result is a hybrid model uniquely suited to legal work. Focused when needed and social when it counts, respecting the structure of law practice.
Every great transformation begins with a powerful metaphor. For Wilson Sonsini, that metaphor and our design concept was ‘the park.’
Drawing inspiration from California’s natural landscape, our concept softened the traditional law office with an organic rhythm. Rigid grids give way to flowing curves and warm materials, a visual language of openness and movement.
Each wing features a curved, continuous path that connects practice areas and extends the park-like feeling throughout. Materials were selected to calm and ground. Soft neutrals, tactile surfaces and warm woods balance professionalism with humanity.
Biophilic details, like a living moss wall, planters and textures, bring the outdoors in, blurring the line between built space and nature. Together, these elements create a sensory environment that feels fresh, familiar and distinctly Californian.
Sunlight was both a challenge and a goal. The original layout trapped light at the perimeter, leaving the interior dim and enclosed. Our solution was full-height glazing, open corridors and transparent office fronts that allow daylight to flow from the windows through to the core.
We also reimagined skylight zones above key connection points to transform once dark junctions into luminous gathering areas. These vertical openings link the first and second floors, flooding the central lounges and coffee zones with soft, natural light.
At the heart of the building, the existing oak tree in the courtyard became the project’s living anchor. This once-overlooked space is now a vibrant social space, complete with timber decking, turf seating and planters. It’s used for team lunches, client receptions and informal gatherings as a place to pause, reflect and reconnect. Viewed from every window, it embodies the project’s concept, rooted in history, designed for growth.
A forward-thinking workplace cares for its people. Beyond aesthetics, the space supports health and wellness:
A healthy, inclusive environment helps attract and retain the next generation of legal talent, reinforcing Wilson Sonsini’s commitment to people and performance.
Although the firm chose not to pursue formal certification, the design follows LEED and WELL principles throughout.
All finishes meet low-VOC and Red List–free standards. Lighting and HVAC systems follow California Title 24 automation, saving energy by adjusting and shutting down after hours. The design team reused mechanical systems and infrastructure wherever possible to reduce embodied carbon. We reimagined ceilings, partially open and partially screened with wire mesh, to create height and texture while concealing existing infrastructure.
Our approach balanced sustainability, comfort and cost control.
Executing a full headquarters renovation while the firm remained operational within the space required precision planning and phased delivery. The project unfolded in phases over three years. We completed each sequentially, allowing teams to relocate as construction progressed.
Every phase revealed a striking transformation, a shift from dark, compartmentalised spaces to light-filled, connected spaces. Despite the scale, we delivered the project on time and within budget.
The new Wilson Sonsini headquarters represents a decisive shift in the culture of legal design. It’s progressive yet restrained, human yet high-performing.
Employees choose to come in, drawn by spaces that inspire focus and connection. Partners use the open lounges to mentor associates, a practice described as ‘teaching in the park.’ Clients experience a brand that feels both confident and contemporary.
The transformation is a story of culture made visible, a workplace that embodies what modern law can look and feel like when design, strategy and purpose align.
Completed
2025
Palo Alto
15,329 sq m / 165,000 sq ft
Emily Hagopian
