'kin pays homage to Scotland's rich makers heritage in Dentons' new Edinburgh workspace.

Dentons' new workspace in the heart of Edinburgh’s latest mixed-use development has been designed by 'kin to "set a new standard for the world’s largest law firm". Combining natural tones with vibrant pops of colour, including tiles from Casa Ceramica, the scheme is simply sumptuous.

The interior design seeks to break away from the stigma set by traditional law firms and create a familiar, intuitive and elegant journey for the user. To achieve this, the materiality draws on a concept rooted in Scottish culture and heritage - using natural timbers and fabrics inspired by the Highlands, and patterns and colours inspired by the city’s built environment and rich tenement architecture. An open lounge flows beautifully into a state of the art client suite. Nestled at the heart of the office and sheltered from the main hustle and bustle is a communal Rotunda, designed to encourage meeting, sharing, and learning.

Intrigued to find out more about the material selection for this beautiful scheme, we caught up with 'kin...

What was your main inspiration for the scheme?

"It was important to the client that their new space felt a deep connection to Scotland. The inspiration came from two main areas. The texture and rich emotive colour palette of the Scottish Highlands and the geometry and form of Edinburgh’s built environment. The shapes and colours that feature in the tiled halls and entranceways of the city’s many tenement buildings provided a wealth of inspiration for Dentons' new space."

How did you go about material selection?

"Drawing on modern equivalents to materials such as the tenement tiles led us to Casa Ceramica and Mutina’s Mattonelle range. These are balanced against warm timbers and solid terrazzo counters to create an eclectic materials palette.

"In addition to the Mutina tiles, it was important to find some large format terrazzos and softer black tiles to underpin much of the joinery in feature areas like the Client Lounge and The Rotunda. Going to the team at Casa Ceramica was a no brainer. The range of products they offer, along with the technical knowledge to achieve some of the more trickier details, made them the only real choice to supply tiles for the project."

How do the tiles work in harmony with the rest of the scheme?

"The tiles play a crucial role in adding much needed texture to the material palette. Whilst (particularly with the floor tiles) giving the desired hard wearing quality the client needed in high traffic areas."

How did colour play a role in your design?

"Colour was at the centre of the design. Reflecting the key concepts of the Scottish highlands and built environment of Edinburgh. We wanted to create a calm, elegant interior that felt welcoming to users upon arrival."

How did sustainability impact?

"Sustainability underpinned the concept for the scheme, with BREEAM Excellent a prerequisite for Dentons in this space. As a client they take their environmental responsibilities very seriously. The supply chain was monitored and checked for their sustainability credentials, with as many local manufacturers being used as possible. Others were selected for their use of electric vehicles for deliveries."

"No other space exists like this, no other office is like this. Dentons are proud to call this their home, and it has already sparked pride and a desire within the company for change, not just in Scotland, but globally. Edinburgh is now the new benchmark."

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