Aderant, a leading global legal software company, partnered with Studio DB to deliver a workplace for their Auckland office that reflects both their international presence and local context. Inspired by Aotearoa’s natural landscape, the design combines grounded materials and a calm, organic palette to create a professional and welcoming environment that supports collaboration, focus, and the evolving needs of a global technology business.
The Aderant brief called for a professional and functional environment that reflects Aderant’s international brand, while establishing a strong sense of place for their New Zealand team. The project involved consolidating two previous office levels into a single floor at their Auckland Albany site, creating a more efficient and unified workplace. This shift provided an opportunity to rethink space planning and bring teams together more effectively, improving collaboration and visibility across departments.
The resulting design delivers a calm and considered workplace that balances clarity, durability, and warmth. A key driver was natural light, with the layout carefully planned to maximise daylight across the floorplate and enhance wellbeing and productivity.
The design narrative is rooted in nature and inspired by the landscapes of Aotearoa, creating a meaningful connection to place for a globally connected organisation. Natural tones of earthy browns, mossy greens, stone greys, and rust accents are layered throughout, referencing native bush, weathered rock, and forest canopies. This creates a restorative quality that supports focus and wellbeing.
Capex Documentation
Global Approval
Strategic Foundation
Buildability Analysis
Client-Side Project Management
Concept Design
Consultant Engagement
Design Documentation / Detailed Design
Developed Design
Progressive Budgeting / Quantity Surveying
Recycled Existing Materials
Technical Analysis
Tendering
Value Engineering
Compliance
Construction Project Management
Health & Safety
Site Management
Acoustic Solutions
Biophilia
Brand Integration
Ceiling Treatments
Demolition
Flooring & Tiling
Furniture
Glazing & Partitioning
Interior Finishes & Painting
Kitchen Joinery
Lighting & Electrical
Seating
Wall Treatments
Studio DB worked closely with Aderant’s stakeholders to understand operational requirements, team dynamics, and future growth. This informed a workplace strategy balancing open plan areas with private offices, focus rooms, and a variety of meeting and collaboration spaces. Consolidation onto one floor strengthened team cohesion and enabled more fluid interaction across functions while supporting focused work.
Technical requirements were also key, including the integration of a server room designed to run 24/7, ensuring uninterrupted global operations. Services and infrastructure were carefully coordinated to support performance without compromising design intent.
Arrival and breakout spaces are designed as welcoming hubs that encourage connection. The arrival lounge features soft seating, feature joinery, and layered textures to create a clear sense of arrival. The kitchen and breakout area acts as a central social space with timber finishes, tiled splashbacks, integrated planting, and café-style seating to support informal interaction.
Materiality reinforces Aderant’s brand and values. Timber-look flooring, textured wall finishes, acoustic treatments, and refined joinery create a cohesive aesthetic. Subtle brand colour is introduced through finishes and manifestation graphics, reinforcing identity in a considered and integrated way. The result is a workplace that supports performance, wellbeing, and long-term flexibility for a global technology team.
