the Synergist office 新語之堂

Seoul, South Korea

Add To Collection

the Synergist office 新語之堂

Seoul, South Korea

Firm

the Synergist

Type

Commercial › Office

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2021

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

BUDGET

$10K - 50K

‘the Synergist’ is the name of studio, which means people who create syergy, and the space where ‘the Synergist’ works is ‘신어지당 新語之堂’.
‘신어지당 (pronounced sin-eo-ji-dang)’ is a Chinese character meaning added by the Korean pronounciation of “synergy”. “신어지 (pronounced sin-eo-ji)” can be interpreted as ‘considering a new spatial language’, and “당 (pronounced dang)” can be interpreted as ‘group’ or ‘space’.
Therefore ‘신어지당’ means ‘a group or space considering a new spatial language’ defined by ‘the Synergist’.

When people think of the office where designer works, normally the image of sensuous color or decorated space will come to mind. I wanted to design a space which could draw inspiration from designer.
In this space, I wanted to wake up the sense from designer’s every moment of seeing, breathing, touching, and walking. I believe that the space designed with such an awakened sense will also awake the sense of someone experiencing it.

Basically, the design was based on traditional korean elements. The characteristics of traditional furniture and space were reinterpreted by ‘the Synergist’s own perspective to reflect and solve the details.
The way space was constructed was influenced by Alvaro Siza’s Porto university. He built a space in various ways without the same details so that every moment of his student and at the same time his juniors' school lives could be a study. I wanted to learn and reflect this tenaciousness.

The highlight of ‘신어지당’ will be the first faced access way. When I design a space, I significantly consider the trasition space. Transition simply means physical movement from one place to another, but it involves psychological change.
So when designing a transition space, what you’re going to make them feel and what psychological changes you’re going to make through the space experience determines impression of the entire space.

When entering ’신어지당’ from the outside, if you focus on stride and light, recognizing the width of the hallway considering minimal lights and one’s passage, and gravel between the tiles on the floor and tiles, emotions and thoughts from the outside naturally disappear and focus solely on the senses. This is when psychological transition occurs.
Entering the tea room or work space along the movement line, senses and emotions become a step-by-step transition focusing on the space, so that they are immersed in the purpose of the space.

In designing a space, imparting variability signifies an accommodation of variety of actions, adds an element of fun to the space, and makes intersect roles belonging to different time frames.
Imparting variability requires analysis of actions, observation of states of mind, technical solutions and aesthetic compromise.
The 45-degree mirror as a variable element induces perception of what lies beyond the 90-degree angled walls of the transition space, blankets unnecessary visual exposure of the service space, and determines the impression of the overall space.

Planned for the floor of the transition space is a stepping stone-style floor with volcanic rock filling in the spaces between the stones.
As one steps forward, effortlessly, without having to adjust one’s stride, noticing the volcanic rock between the stepping stones, the low light levels cause one to concentrate on one’s own footsteps. A natural psychological transition occurs as one enters the space from outside and perceives the change in space.
When designing work spaces, buffer spaces are as important as the spaces where work is actually done.
Spaces in which work can be done in a variety of modes and inspire thought in a variety of directions, yet in no way coerce the occupant to engage in action are necessary. These spaces act as a buffer somewhere along the boundary between work and the everyday. At Synergy Hall, the buffer space is the tea room.
Alone, the tea room is a meditative space. Occupied by many, the same room is like a yard.
The tea room was planned as a multi-purpose space accommodating not only function but also action, purpose, and time.

In planning the tea room, variability of the space was essential.
A key consideration was expandability, so that the space may accommodate not only meetings and brainstorming sessions but also lectures, seminars and other programs.
The solution was found in an element of traditional Korean architecture.
“Angojigi”
The Angojigi door can open up and outwards or slide along a horizontal axis. Through an interposed Angojigi doorway, the two spaces of the team room and the sample room expand into and overlap with each other, giving each space added function and fun.

An ironing stone serves as a low step that makes the climb up to the tea room easier on the knees.
The element was incorporated as a reminder to the designer that articles which may appear to no longer have a use may find new uses.
This stone used in the home for decades to press out wrinkles and soften fabric has found a new use in Synergy Hall as a stepping stone aiding those who rise to and descend from the space.

I tried to express the whole space consistently in one context by minimize the type of material use, and intend to reduce the diffrence between the size of materal and human scale, that is , the size we feel, by sticking to the size without processing the original size.
Also, expressing a single material in various ways is an effective way to achieve a sense of unity and diversity at the same time.
The walls are finished in plywood.
The plywood faces are exposed as-is and raw in some places, and blanketed in thick and dark color in others.

Lighting outside work spaces is kept to a minimum in Synergy Hall.
This way, the shadows created by lights and forms have greater presence throughout the space, and it is during the hours the shadows are alive that one focuses best.

Product Spec Sheet

Were your products used?

Join as a manufacturer to add your products.

Collaborating Firms

Was your firm involved? Add it now.

Team

Were you involved? Add yourself.

Keep Exploring Architizer by Creating a Free Account or Logging in.

the Synergist office 新語之堂

Seoul, South Korea

the Synergist office 新語之堂

Seoul, South Korea

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team