Office Design That Connects Generations: The DaehakNaeil ES Headquarters ①

How does the headquarters of a company with a young organizational culture come together? A cafeteria is a must — take a look at today's office, one that is more comfortable and friendly to employees. From site analysis to spatial composition and design proposals, we introduce the SPACEBASE "DaehakNaeil ES Gangseo Headquarters" project — a tailor-made office built for the company — across two parts. Part 1 covers the design and planning process as a whole, and Part 2 covers the construction process after groundbreaking.

The DaehakNaeil ES new headquarters project began as a plan to create a standalone building of 11 floors in total. Made up of six corporate entities including DaehakNaeil and NHR, DaehakNaeil ES set out to build a large-scale new headquarters that would also include a co-working space for its subsidiaries.

SPACEBASE created an office for DaehakNaeil under the concept of "warm neighbor," a company that has long fostered connection between people and across generations. It was an office project that actively reflected the opinions of the company's young members. We sat down with SPACEBASE designer Kim Young-eun to talk about the process of building the DaehakNaeil ES headquarters, which took two months for design alone and six months for construction. In Part 1, we take a close look at the planning and design process.

Finding a Design Concept That Connects the Neighborhood and the Corporate Culture

Q. The "warm neighbor" concept really stands out in the DaehakNaeil ES new headquarters. Could you tell us how that concept came about?

It started from a desire to capture the company's philosophy and culture well within the space. DaehakNaeil ES has a good organizational culture that helps its members work proactively, and we wanted that culture to be felt from the office space itself.

Reading generations and creating connections across them was DaehakNaeil ES's corporate mission. The company also runs a variety of business activities that connect universities and companies. Having long led connection and communication between people, we thought the company's philosophy was much like the role of a friendly "neighbor." And so we came to propose "warm neighbor" as the office design concept. As it happened, Hwagok, where the new headquarters is located, was a neighborhood that connected naturally with the concept.

Q. I'm curious how you interpreted "Hwagok," the area where the new headquarters is located.

Compared to Gongdeok, where the previous office was, Hwagok isn't an area with easy transit or a developed young commercial district. The company also worried about whether the members relocating to Hwagok would be satisfied. But as we conducted our site analysis, we discovered a unique charm in the Hwagok area.

It was precisely the fact that it is a neighborhood where "neighbors" still remain. Because development has been slow, the local commercial district has stayed intact, and there are shops that have held the same spot for many years. There was also a residential area where houses that had changed over decades were all mixed together.

We recognized that an area where such warm neighbors remain also resonates with the company's character. Looking at the business, DaehakNaeil creates media for university students, and NHR plays the role of helping those students prepare for employment and grow into members of society. We actively proposed, at the planning and design stage, that in the new area of Hwagok the DaehakNaeil new headquarters would become a "warm neighbor" connecting people, the company, and generations. We felt that explaining, through design, the area where an office will be located is also part of the role a company handling office interiors must fulfill.

Q. How was the concept you arrived at realized in the space?

We paid careful attention to form and finishing materials so that warmth could be felt throughout the space.

For example, the floor of the first-floor lobby was designed so that the tile patterns interlock in a cross weave — so that, though it is tile, it carries a warm, fabric-like sensibility. The walls were designed with a symmetrical structure to convey a sense of stability. We composed the indirect lighting in natural curved forms to complete a softer, warmer space.

We used curves in places that come into close contact with the body so that comfort could be felt. The lines of the lounge sofas and tabletops were rounded so they feel comfortable both visually and to the touch. We also fabricated the lower legs of the big table to include curved accents. The lighting lines on the ceiling, the spherical pendant lights, and the round tables all emphasize a friendly, warm sense of curved form.

Finishing materials such as wood wool board and perforated gypsum give the space warmth and depth. They also have the effect of improving sound absorption within the office, and they are finishing materials that feel warm to the eye as well. We made active use of the warmth that comes from materiality in the rough quality of the wood wool board, warmth that comes from materiality, and the warmth that comes from color in the warm-gray and warm-white paintwarmth that comes from color.

Surface division was a key design strategy for giving the space warmth and depth. The process of dividing a large surface into smaller ones is labor-intensive for a designer, but it can naturally bring depth and variety to a space. So SPACEBASE designed the space by continually dividing surfaces and colors into smaller pieces, so that a warm variation could be felt even within a modern look.

Q. A headquarters is also a device for revealing a company's identity. I'm curious how you wove DaehakNaeil ES's identity throughout the building.

We wanted to reveal the company's color, "purple," through the landscaping plan. The DaehakNaeil ES headquarters is a building with a high proportion of outdoor space, such as terraces and courtyards. In every space where landscaping was introduced, we planted purple flowers that bloom across several seasons, naturally revealing the company's signature color. It also pairs well with the color of the logo sign placed on the facade.

The landscaping plan gathering process

Planning an Office That Makes Employees Want to Come to Work

Q. This is an office spanning 11 floors in total. Could you introduce the distinctive spatial composition of each floor?

On basement level 2, we placed a gym and shower rooms as convenience facilities for employee welfare. The first floor, along with the welcome lobby, holds a storeroom designed for easy movement of goods, in line with the client's input. The second floor is composed entirely of meeting rooms — using movable walls, the scale of the meeting rooms can be flexibly adjusted according to the number of participants. The third floor is a co-working space available to all employees of the subsidiaries. Floors four through six hold the main work spaces, and the seventh floor serves as a cafeteria with a book cafe and a snack bar. The eighth floor is a cafeteria with a rooftop terrace where meals can be enjoyed.

First proposal for the first floor

Final plan for the first floor

The actually realized first-floor lobby

Q. I heard there were floors where the initial proposal and the final plan turned out differently. How did you develop the space while reflecting the client's actual needs?

In the initial proposal, we suggested a cafe for the first floor. In line with the company's characteristic of frequently running events, its primary use was changed to a "storeroom" for easily moving goods in and out. As a designer who had wanted to propose a "cafe" that sets the office's mood, it was a shocking change. (Laughs) Although the lobby was simplified, even so, we didn't want it to give off the cold feeling of a typical company's elevator hall. By adding small formal variations throughout the space and using artificial plantings, we further emphasized the feeling of a lobby that represents the company.

There was also a request to use a vinyl material — the kind used in large supermarkets — as the floor finish so that carts could move easily. But believing that the first floor of a headquarters should be the face of the company, we stubbornly proposed tile. Instead, we changed from small tiles to large tiles and re-made the pattern so that goods could be pulled around easily, aiming to secure both practicality and aesthetics.

Q. DaehakNaeil ES is known for its young organizational culture. How did you reflect this organizational trait in the spatial design?

More than anything, a company with a young culture pays a great deal of attention to creating an office that can satisfy its members. They want to draw employees in by composing comfortable, cafe-like spaces.

We actively exchanged opinions with the TF team in charge of the office project. First of all, we wanted to compose an atmosphere in which people converse with one another warmly. Through the lounge and terrace spaces a space where people can naturally bump into one another and talk we designed.

We also secured ample welfare spaces so that coming in to the office would feel enjoyable. We placed a gym, shower rooms, a nap room, and even a massage room, so that employees can enjoy a comfortable work environment.

Q. The proportion of employee welfare space in the DaehakNaeil ES office is unusually high. Among these, is there a space you'd particularly recommend to companies preparing an interior?

I'd recommend the "massage room." SPACEBASE always revisits an office one year after completion to see how the members have been using the space. At nearly every company, when we ask people to name the most popular space among the members, the "massage room" comes up. (Laughs) It seems to be the welfare space that plays the most important role in raising satisfaction with the office.

Q. I heard the design took two months and the construction took six months. What was the collaboration process with the client like during the project period? If there were methods you used for smooth communication, could you share them?

"SPACEBASE" believes that communicating quickly with the client matters more than anything, so beyond email and in-person meetings, we make heavy use of project chat rooms.

In a large office project, the people in charge are subdivided by area — branding, work-space efficiency, telecommunications, access control, parking lifts, and so on — and you have to communicate separately with the people responsible for each different field. The DaehakNaeil ES project also had a person in charge assigned by field within the TF team, so we proceeded with the project by holding individual meetings with each one. In a single week, we sometimes held meetings on different topics with three teams. As this shows, in an office project, smoothly sharing content with countless people in charge is extremely important.

An office with a young organizational culture isn't revealed simply through bouncy, vivid forms and colors. Rather, throughout the entire process of building the office, it holds, within the space, a heart that cares for its members. An office plays an important role in attracting new employees and raising the satisfaction of existing ones. SPACEBASE holds meeting after meeting so it can raise the satisfaction of a company's members, and proposes an office design that fits the company perfectly.

In this Part 1, we looked at the design and planning process of the DaehakNaeil ES headquarters. In the next Part 2, we'll cover the process after groundbreaking and deliver a story more closely tied to the site. From design to groundbreaking, look forward to the behind-the-scenes story woven into SPACEBASE's office design.

*Photos and design provided by SPACEBASE

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