Future Play: A Thriving Investment Firm's Office Makes a Different 'First Impression'

If an important guest were visiting your home, with what mindset and attitude would you welcome them? And if new people visited every single day, you would have no choice but to prepare even more carefully to make a good first impression. The office of the startup investor Future Play is a space that investors and partners visit day in and day out. That is exactly why the office space — where countless outside guests are received and countless meetings and collaborations take place — mattered all the more. As it relocated to a new building, Future Play commissioned its space branding to SPACEBASE, hoping that everyone who visits would feel a sense of trust from the very first impression they encounter in the space.

How did SPACEBASE resolve these concerns of Future Play's? We sat down with designer Do Geun-hee, who led the project, to talk about the process at the time. Although the floor area was somewhat smaller than the previous building, a range of design elements made it possible to realize a space that reflected not only Future Play's concerns but also its corporate philosophy and organizational culture. By weaving Future Play's core vision — 'to provide long-term support to companies that will lead the lives of humankind ten years from now' — into the space, they proposed a mood that grows more appealing the longer you look at it and feels comfortable whenever you visit. At the same time, they completed a work space equipped with functionality and flexibility so that the team could collaborate freely and quickly in keeping with its internal organizational culture.

Designing a space that grows more attractive the longer you look, a first impression of trust

On the Future Play project, SPACEBASE carefully wove the goal of 'wanting to give a trustworthy first impression' throughout every corner of the office space.

Q. What led you to begin working with Future Play?

It came about naturally through the connection we had made on a project with the CEO of Realworld, who had previously served as a director at Future Play. I believe the CEO of Realworld spoke well of their experience working with us. Bidding was originally underway, but Future Play expressed that they wanted to work with us, so we got started on the project right away!

Q. What was the client's biggest concern at the time? I'm curious how SPACEBASE set out to address that point.

When they commissioned the work, the company was planning to relocate. Regardless of the size of the building, they wanted to give the impression of a trustworthy company, and they were quite worried about that.

For us, the most important thing when we plan a space is precisely the 'first impression'.

Future Play in particular is a place that various investors visit frequently, so the image of a stable, trust-inspiring investment firm mattered above all. These days there are many fast, light trends, but we wanted to go the opposite way and propose a space where you can feel 'a mood that grows more attractive the longer you look and feels comfortable whenever you visit'.

The interior design mood SPACEBASE proposed for the Future Play office

In terms of materials, we built the scheme around wood, fabric, and carpet, and used warm, soft neutral tones for the color to add a sense of comfort. While considering elements that could add solid weight and a sense of stability, we thought of the sentiment unique to Korea. Korean architecture lingers, and the longer time passes, the more its true value reveals itself and draws you in. In that sense, we began with the idea of reinterpreting Korean elements in a modern way and weaving them into the space.

The main reference image SPACEBASE used when making its proposal to Future Play. The active use of Korean elements, lines, and planes lends a sense of stability.

Q. What is the core concept of the renewed Future Play building?

The core concept of this project was 'harmony'.

To borrow a metaphor from the hanok, it can be seen as close to the concept of the 'maru' — the floor where people naturally pass by one another.

When we design a space, we intentionally create places where employees can run into and pass by each other. The reason is that a spot for a brief, passing encounter becomes a natural trigger that leads to yet another collaboration. Beyond the work spaces and meeting rooms that serve as dedicated collaboration areas, we believe that the moments arising from a comfortable, natural mood can create great synergy in the work itself. Usually spaces like a town hall, a lounge, or a cafeteria play that role. In Future Play's case, the space that played that role was precisely the 'main lounge'.

The 'main lounge' was designed as a space where employees can intentionally run into and pass by one another.

The active use of 'lines' and 'planes' was an element that lent the space a sense of stability. The consistent lines used repeatedly create a settled atmosphere, while the elements where the horizontal and vertical axes cross and meet add a sense of volume to the space.

In addition, the planes carrying the mood of outside daylight serve to broadly connect meeting rooms and the lounge, which differ in character. This too was part of conveying the sense of 'harmony' that is the overall concept.

The lighting boxes on the exposed ceiling drew inspiration from the ridge-beam structure of the hanok (*see the photo below), and the image wall placed at the front is a design that gives shape to the traditional changhojimun (paper-screen door).

Through these details, we sought to blend the beauty of tradition harmoniously into a modern space, embedding the brand's philosophy and sentiment deeply within it.

The lighting boxes on the exposed ceiling drew inspiration from the ridge-beam structure of the hanok.

From the lounge to the meeting rooms, one mood, an organically expanding space

The view that greets you the moment you step into the main lounge. By concealing the building's window frames and letting daylight in through soft see-through blinds, a distinctive mood was created.

Q. The atmosphere you feel as you step into the lounge is really quite distinctive. What was the point you paid the most attention to when creating this space?

The Future Play office is structured so that when you open the main entrance door, the outside is the very first thing you see beyond the building's windows. It is a space where the first impression matters, but we did not want to block the daylight, and at the same time the challenge was how to resolve those building windows that did not look good visually.

As mentioned earlier, we gave shape to the 'traditional changhojimun of the hanok' and planned a form that used wood-material horizontal and vertical axes. To this we added see-through motorized blinds, trying to preserve as much as possible the view of Seolleung visible beyond the windows.

A large table was placed so that people could naturally gather and converse in the lounge.

In front of it we placed a large table made of veneer, creating a space where people could naturally gather and talk. Although we could not go so far as to realize a floor-seating format, we made the seat pans larger than ordinary chairs to give the feeling of sitting on a big cushion.

Q. Since many outside visitors come and go, the meeting room design must have been very important. I'm curious which elements you focused on when designing.

The Future Play office has a total of five meeting rooms: three small six-person rooms, one twelve-person room, and one large conference room that can hold fourteen to eighteen people. Depending on the size and location of each meeting room, the points we focused on differed slightly.

First, for the two six-person meeting rooms adjacent to the lounge, we used 'glass folding doors' (*folding doors made primarily of glass). an openness that makes the whole space feel as if it has expanded was what we wanted to give. We connected the interior tone with neutral tones so it would naturally blend with the lounge, and instead focused our design on the functional side.

Between the lounge and the meeting rooms, we applied glass folding doors for a broad, clean image. Between the meeting rooms, we used multi-wall folding doors (*a type of folding door whose multiple wall panels can be folded and unfolded) to reinforce the soundproofing. When all the folding doors are opened, everything from the lounge to the meeting rooms can be used as a single, organically expanded space.

Folding doors were applied between the lounge and each meeting room. The image above shows them when closed. (top right of the image)

When all the folding doors are opened, the space expands from the lounge to the meeting rooms, giving a sense of openness. The image above shows them when opened. (top right of the image)

The large conference room is a space that considered both functionality and design mood together. We applied a column-and-beam form (*the role of supporting the ceiling or floor and transferring the building's load to the columns) to the walls and ceiling to carry the overall design concept through. Despite the low ceiling height, applying these elements meant that even once finished it came together in a form that felt uncramped, so it was a space we were satisfied with.

Functionally, the floor is carpet, the walls are fabric, and the ceiling uses perforated gypsum (* a sound-absorbing material with holes drilled into the gypsum board, with the effect of absorbing sound) and wood-wool board (*an eco-friendly building material made using 'wood wool,' natural timber processed thread-fine), securing ample sound-absorption and soundproofing performance.

The interior of the large conference room. It was equipped with a mood in harmony with the main concept as well as soundproofing performance, considering both design and functionality.

Adding comfort on top of function, a work space for focus

In keeping with Future Play's organizational culture and internal needs, the work space was considered with a focus on the functional side.

Q. The work space seems to have a different overall mood from the meeting rooms, such as the chair colors. What did you take into account?

For a space where people work all day, we actually considered the functional side as more important than the aesthetic elements.

Future Play reused the work desks and chairs they had been using, and the work station was a separately distinguished zone. As a result, it was a structure that did not particularly need partitions to block sightlines.

A work space that allows collaboration and focus. It was a structure that did not need partitions. (*reference image to aid understanding, provided by SPACEBASE)

So that people could focus on their work, the overall lighting was designed with indirect lighting to reduce glare, and for a pleasant sense of openness the ceiling was planned with an exposed structure (*a design that leaves the building's frame bare rather than covering it with ceiling finishing). We also provided passageways in the work area so people could move around comfortably. Overall, we designed a circular circulation that lets you loop all the way around, so the space could be used efficiently.

We did not wall off the monitor security seats either, placing them in front of the low wall (half wall) on the corridor side. Without completely blocking off the space, we positioned them in a zone where sightlines from the front do not easily reach. Doing it this way has the effect of making the space feel wider and more open. Had we divided the space with walls or separate structures, the kind of open, airy structure it has now would not have been possible.

The work space applies an unobstructed circular circulation structure that lets people move around freely, helping internal members collaborate and execute freely and quickly.

Trust shown through results, the reason they chose SPACEBASE

Q. Was there a moment in communicating with the client during this Future Play project that stands out most to you?

The moment I felt the client 'trusted' SPACEBASE is the one that stays with me most. Even though it was our first meeting, the Realworld project was what they mentioned had given them a good impression of SPACEBASE. I was truly grateful for that, and it was a moment that stayed with me for a long time.

As for the image and direction of the space as well, rather than making specific requests, they wanted us to propose first, and they received the concept we proposed positively. And for the detailed work that followed, thanks to them entrusting it to us with full confidence, I think we were able to finish with a good result.

Feeling that sense of 'trust' from the client, SPACEBASE builds 'trust' through space.

Q. I heard that the design proposal you presented after the first meeting was confirmed exactly as is, without revisions. What was the secret to being able to meet the client's needs so immediately?

SPACEBASE's greatest strength is that it realizes space branding optimized for each company. On this project too, I think the secret was that we were able to reflect Future Play's own unique brand identity well in the space.

Each company has its own brand identity, and drawing out that identity and naturally revealing it in the space is precisely our role, I believe. On this project too, I think a good result came out because that direction and sensibility aligned so well.

SPACEBASE realizes space branding optimized for each company. On this project too, it drew out Future Play's corporate philosophy and identity and completed the space so that they revealed themselves naturally within it.

Q. If you had to name the moment you enjoyed most while working on this space?

The most enjoyable part was that a newly branded space was born. This time, what I found especially interesting was the part where we used motorized blinds and glass folding doors to plan a variable space whose structure or form could be changed as needed.

When designing at the start, I thought about and studied a great deal how, even within the same space, efficiency and function change depending on how fully you make use of it. The result came out just as well as the thought we put in, so I'm satisfied!

In this way, through the Future Play office interior project, SPACEBASE showed the importance of the first impression a space conveys. A first impression that inspires trust does not simply come from a 'big, impressive space' — it begins with a design that holds the brand's philosophy and an efficient use of space.

Just as Future Play is a companion that walks alongside founders in their long-term growth, SPACEBASE likewise deeply understands the experiences and challenges of the people who use a space, and proposes a direction suited to them. All while continuously deliberating and studying, so that even amid a limited scale and a constantly changing environment, it can naturally weave the brand's message into the space.

If you are deliberating over what kind of impression your brand wants to leave, and if you want to give the customers and partners who visit your office a trustworthy first impression, the answer can begin in the space.

*Photos and design provided by SPACEBASE

Space branding that delivers a sensuous first impression — try it with SPACEBASE!

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