The idea: Inspired by an enduring icon

Moving their offices to The Regent building in the heart of Cathedral Square, leading law firm Anderson Lloyd has created an award-winning fit-out in collaboration with designers Gaze Commercial.

The interior reflects the essence of Christchurch’s iconic cathedral — its stone exterior, wooden carvings and timber ceiling panelling. The designers have combined these references with biophilic design elements, all brought together by the stylish use of tretford goat-hair carpet in Sage from Advance Flooring.

The design: Material choice unifies architecture with nature

A combination of complementary materials across walls, floors and ceilings references the cathedral, while the layout captures the openness of the pavilion structures in the nearby public gardens. Biophilic design principles — incorporating textures and colours inspired by the outdoors — are seen throughout, particularly in the sage green of the tretford flooring.

Featuring 70% Cashmere goat hair, tretford carpet is available in 60 vibrant, non-fraying colours. Its unique ribbed structure offers exceptional durability, allowing it to look great while withstanding the demands of heavy foot traffic.

The designers at Gaze took advantage of the carpet’s natural tone to complement marble and wood parquet flooring, creating a soft, neutral colour scheme — an inviting atmosphere for Anderson Lloyd’s staff and clients alike.

The outcome: An award-winning interior that offers warmth and elegance

With spaces designed to accommodate everything from private meetings to large gatherings, the outcome is a warm and inviting interior that also supports a modern, productive workplace culture.

"The new Anderson Lloyd office fit out cleverly captures the charm of Christchurch, creating a warm and elegant work environment that reflects the city’s architectural and natural heritage," wrote the judges at the 2025 New Zealand Commercial Project Awards, where the project won Gold and took away its category of Commercial Fit Out Project.