Bryan Cave LLP

When the law firm of “Bryan Cave, LLP” wanted to renovate space in its Chicago Office, Area Architecture of Los Angeles, CA, was brought in to develop the space planning and design. As woodwork was a central element of the design, the architectural woodwork firm of DeLeers Millwork, Inc., from Green Bay, WI, was consulted. Working together, the two firms provided a solid, classic design for Bryan Cave that does not appear dated or trendy. The 40,000 square foot project took approximately six months to complete.

DeLeers Millwork fabricated conference tables, credenzas, secretarial workstations, file cabinet surrounds and audio-visual units for the office. Wood species used in the design included Tigerwood and Anigre, selected for their traditional appearance. The woodworking firm provided assistance in specifying and choosing veneers, as well as in designing the concealed leveling system.

“Members of our project team were called to the site during the initial stages of construction to provide a field layout for a walk-through by the owner and architect,” reports DeLeers’ Ray Bildings. “As many of our units we were fabricating would be 20 to 30 feet in length, and installed on floors that varied by over 2 inches, we knew we were facing a challenge to hold minimal gaps. Thus, it was decided we would design an internal leveling system for shop installation”

The DeLeers’ engineering team provided a significant amount of input throughout the Bryan Cave project. The team was able to utilize many of the company’s standard practices and construction details without altering the overall appearance of the final project.

Walt Thomas of Area Architecture indicates that the reception desk and attorney stations, with their curved forms that give flow to the space, and the flawless execution of marrying the different materials, are exceptionally noteworthy. “DeLeers was extremely integral in the process of working out the millwork details and joinery of the design” notes Thomas. “All our design objectives were met in a timely and beautiful fashion.”

The teamwork evidenced on this project is a great source of pride for us at DeLeers. We work internally as a team, uniting all aspects of our organization to provide a quality product. But we also seek to build this teamwork with our external partners by communicating with and assisting the owner, architect, general contractor, and vendors to work as a team to achieve success.

In the case of Bryan Cave, the end result is a premium product that more than exceeds the expectations of the law firm.