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Ball Janik recently moved into a new office in downtown Portland鈥檚 One Main Place tower to provide a more welcoming and collaborative environment for its employees and clients.

The Portland-based law firm moved from the 10th floor to the 18th floor of the building at 101 S.W. Main St. The project was a 鈥渇ull gut鈥� renovation for Ball Janik, said Amalia Mohr, principal at LRS Architects, which designed the space.

鈥淭hey have a great brand identity, so they were looking to match what they are and who they are to a space that welcomes clients and welcomes colleagues,鈥� Mohr said.

The full-floor office spans 17,348 square feet. Howard S. Wright built out the space.

Ball Janik鈥檚 move comes as the traditional Class-A downtown professional office is increasingly under pressure from the pandemic and the technology-enabled ease of work from home. At the same time, tech firms have added such nontraditional touches as beer kegs, ping-pong tables and nap pods to their offices.

Professional office users are changing to compete, Mohr said.

鈥淚 do see a level of fun being introduced, and it鈥檚 done in a number of ways, and it depends on the firm,鈥� she said.

Ball Janik wanted plenty of space for meeting with clients and meeting in teams. The new office includes private individual offices, a coffee lounge, seating nooks, a wellness room and corridor benches where lawyers can meet in a casual setting. A conference room has views of Mount Hood and bridges over the Willamette River.

鈥淥n a clear day, it is absolutely stunning,鈥� Mohr said.

Unlike some companies that prefer open office plans, Ball Janik leaders expressed a need for private space.

鈥淚f you know anything about lawyers, sound and confidentiality was very important,鈥� Mohr said.

An existing acoustic tile ceiling was retained, allowing LRS to put resources into other aspects of the design.

鈥淲e have always been a progressive law firm with an eye towards the future,鈥� stated Heather Oden, chief operating officer at Ball Janik, a limited liability partnership. 鈥淎s we continue to grow, we are committed to providing our employees a welcoming, modern and safe work environment.鈥�

One Main Place, which was completed in 1982, most recently traded for $87.25 million in December 2014. The 353,371-square-foot building is owned by a limited liability company, Madison-OFC One Main Place OR, which lists MCPF Holdings as a member.

Discussions for the project began prior to the pandemic and continued as workers shifted home and downtown offices closed. Ball Janik has 30 employees in Portland, as well as three offices in Florida. Employees are based in the office, but some work remotely one day per week.

Offices are located along the floor鈥檚 perimeter, while support spaces have moved to the center. The new office makes use of wood veneer panels. LRS worked with a subcontractor to choose the paneling, then had to wait through delays 鈥� a common scenario amid supply chain issues. Open communication with subcontractors and the client helped, architects said.

鈥淭he coordination aspect was on point,鈥� said Kelsey Loverro, an LRS interior designer.