Open House: Plews Shadley transforms mid-century office to modern

Tired.

That’s how Chris Braun described the former state of the building at 1350 N. Delaware St. in Indianapolis. The nearly-70-year-old office space is the newest addition to the Plews Shadley Racher & Braun campus on the city’s Old Northside, and until recently, its aesthetic gave away its age.

For years, the building was occupied by an office of the American Baptist Churches, until the religious organization decided to follow its membership south. By the fall of 2017, the church and the law firm had entered into a sales contract, and in July 2018, the firm’s lawyers donned their hardhats, grabbed their sledgehammers and began swinging.

Led by Braun and his wife, Trish, with the help of Indianapolis vendors Boaz Construction and Whittney Parkinson Design, the remodel has transformed the building’s mid-century feel into a modern industrial look. From the hand-crafted woodwork to the storefront office windows to the wet bar hidden inside an old safe, Braun said the firm has created a space that’s a cross between an office and a Starbucks.

The transformation was from the outside in. The outside walls were power washed, revealing white stone beneath the previously ruddy exterior. Inside the foyer, walls were knocked down to create an open reception area. Underfoot, some of the carpet has been ripped up to showcase the dark concrete floors. And overhead, tiles were removed in favor of a white exposed ceiling.

Each of PSRB’s buildings — now five in total — has its own personality, Braun said. Compared to the old-world charm of its other locations, the firm’s newest office, which is home to one paralegal, two legal assistants and nine attorneys, is designed to feel young and fresh. And the amenities it offers — catering space, a mother’s room and spacious bathrooms, to name a few — hit on the features 21st century lawyers are looking for in their workspace.

For managing partner Peter Racher, who spent 25 years in the firm’s Queen Anne-style building at 1413 N. Delaware, moving into the modern office across the street was a bit of a culture shock. But Racher said he’s looking forward to establishing a unique culture in the new building, and he celebrated the renaissance of the Old Northside neighbor.

Indeed, Braun said PSRB has become an “anchor tenant” of the neighborhood, having developed its campus in the area over the last 30 years. The firm held an open house for the new space on Aug. 1, and Braun said neighbors were excited to see how the firm’s new space would contribute to the revitalization of their neighborhood.

“We’re firmly entrenched here,” Braun said.•

Click here to see the renovated office.