# Filled with accumulated experiences and ideas
# What do we actually do?
# The most essential things placed in the necessary space
# A space to create together today and tomorrow
We spend most of the day in the office, and in the office, the work space is where we usually sit for most of the working time. In addition to newly designing the work space, KRAFTON decided to minimize inconveniences while maximizing concentration and collaboration for its members. For this, carefully reviewing the path we took so far and listening carefully to the voices of employees were important. And now, we will introduce the Yeoksam office that was born by embracing all of the gathered ideas and opinions.
* Do you want to know more about the rest area of the KRAFTON Yeoksam office?
▶[Office Story 1] Yeoksam Office for Communication and Refreshment
# Filled with accumulated experiences and ideas
During the course of constructing the Yeoksam office, members from a total of 48 organizations such as the Space Planning Dept. that was in charge of spatial planning, Work&Space Dept., ITSD Team, etc. shared their experiences while composing existing office spaces and discussed the necessities essential for the new space. The members tested out work desks and chairs in person and also made various suggestions about the moving process. Based on the principle of ‘an environment that can help with the convenience and concentration of members,’ the opinions of members were reflected in the spatial design and furniture selection process for each floor and zone.
Normally when moving into a new office, the space is planned without making big changes to already installed air conditioning devices, but this can result in air circulation and harmony of each zone not being operated as intended depending on how the space is actually used. The Yeoksam office constructed a system allowing independent air conditioning control in personal work spaces and conference rooms for sufficient air conditioning and appropriate temperature control.
The ceiling lighting was custom-made at 4,000 kelvins, which is similar to the color temperature of sunlight, to reduce eye fatigue of employees who stare into monitors for many hours. The general lighting was set up in a way that it can be adjusted by zone, and brightness is also adjustable in the space according to the amount of natural light coming in using a scheduler or dimmer. In addition, desk lamps were installed at each desk in order to create an environment where employees could concentrate as much as possible.
# What do we actually do?
The 28th to 34th floors were arranged into work spaces in which members can concentrate and collaborate. The Space Planning Dept. divided the duties of members into the three categories of staff, publishing and developer, and the areas for concentration and communication were organized differently according to the work method of each organization.
As exclusive space for each department is important for the ‘staff’ organization, furniture was set aside for use by individuals and teams at designated seats. In addition, as they frequently have meetings with internal and external organizations, the meeting space was arranged in the center of the building to allow quick communication and movement. A large conference room that can accommodate meetings for the entire organization was also set up here.
As the ‘publishing’ organization hold many small meetings, small and medium-sized conference rooms were placed in various areas. The ‘developer’ organization has a higher rate of individual concentration work, so personal work space and meeting space were separated. It aimed at enhancing concentration levels by placing meeting areas that cause a significant amount of noise, while installing a large conference room where bigger development organizations could meet together in one place.
The opinions of members were carefully listened to during the spatial design process, and among the numerous suggestions, there were some who said that soundproofing for personal work spaces is needed. In order to reflect this in the plans, the conference rooms at the Yeoksam office applied pair glass with outstanding sound-insulation performance to create an environment that heightens noise absorption. The walls were finished using fabric and a sound-absorbing panel was installed on the ceiling. Thin curtains were also installed in the conference room to screen the room from being visible from outside.
Conference spaces were designed making it possible to select them according to various sizes and purposes such as interviews, interpretation, training, discussions, etc. They are comprised of Conference Room for training and lectures, Translator Room for real-time interpretations and recording together with the Large Meeting Room, Casual Meeting Room composed of sofas, arm chairs, and bar chairs, Link Booth for one or two people to concentrate in, and the Semi-Open Meeting Room designed to host quick meetings and discussions near personal work spaces for each organization.
# The most essential things placed in the necessary space
Tests were conducted in advance by members and it was finally decided to apply steel case motion desks and high-end Herman Miller chairs for all personal work desks. Furthermore, freely adjusting monitor arms and CPU holders to provide more leg room were installed. For movable seats, a wide desk that spreads to 120° was modularized and custom-made, making it moveable and be reassembled for as little as three people to entire teams. Equipment used for connecting to power or networks were installed on the floor, allowing members to begin work while moving simply by connecting to certain locations on the floor anywhere in the office.
The space for OA equipment and storage not only provides visual separation for concentration areas and communication/movement areas in terms of location, but can also protect the privacy of work spaces. The base height of the modular storage cabinet was set at 1,200mm, making them transformable to fit various functions such as plant boxes, OA equipment, storage spaces, wardrobes, benches, etc. The OA equipment were arranged toward the halls rather than near personal seats in order to reduce noises.
Hubs, which are areas where members can bring in various beverages, snacks, medicine, etc. and communicate with others casually, were placed between work spaces.
Furniture and finishing materials were unified to create a comfortable environment for all work area floors, and unnecessary walls were minimized to give a sense of openness. Moreover, barrisol lighting on the ceiling softly reflects natural lighting to deliver a warm ambiance. Cool white tones were mainly applied to reduce visual fatigue and soft curves and neat lines were used as design elements to minimize visual interference.
Hot Desk, which is a free seating system open to not only those working at the Yeoksam office, but also members at overseas branches or other offices in Korea visiting this office to work without any locational constraints, was prepared. The window seats with wide-open views and chairs with point colors were placed to create a bright mood. The Hot Desk area with about 50 seats is being operated on reservation basis, and we will continue considering expanding this area further in the future.
# A space to create together today and tomorrow
With the move to the Yeoksam office just around the corner, the TF members reviewed information or questions that other employees may have about after moving, and thus created a preliminary guide about the contents and informed them via e-mail, wiki documents, etc. Also, in order to ensure a soft landing for members after completing the new space, a Slack messenger channel was opened for members to voice their questions or suggestions related to the moving process or regarding work life. Efforts were made to provide information promptly and to respond to things that could be improved using the slack channel.
Communication and efforts to create a better space will continue into the future. In accordance to the goal at the start of the project, we will continue to strive to create an environment for all spaces including the Yeoksam office, where people can concentrate on their creative works, while also building a space that will be filled and developed together with the rest of our members.
