Hectare One exemplifies the millennial workspace
When brothers-in-law Erwan Heussaff and Nico Bolzico conceptualized their dream office, their logical choice to execute their vision was Mundo Design and Build, a firm fast becoming the preferred contractor of professional millennials.
“Our priority was to contract someone that understood our vision and what we wanted to achieve with this space,” said Heussaff, who is into the food business.
The result was Hectare One, now dubbed as among the trendiest office buildings in the country, located along Chino Roces Avenue in Makati.
“Hectare One is a place where work and life can coexist. I think it is a case in point we bring our dogs here, we spend maybe way too much time at the office more than we would in our respective houses. We want to create a space where you know we can feel comfortable working and also comfortable socializing in. We can invite friends and clients here and we can have social events,” Heussaff said.
Based on Mundo’s design, the new age workspace is characterized by numerous communal areas, nooks and open spaces. The emphasis is on collaboration and comfort rather than privacy and function, and above all the concept of worklife integration, not work life balance.
The thinking is simple, and elegantly logical: the 40-hour work week is inevitable, rather than working on keeping it at 40 hours a week as it is in the work life paradigm, the modern way of thinking about it, is to make sure those 40 hours are as enjoyable as possible, so that work actually becomes fun.
“I think the space helps so much not only for our mission and vision and for what we want to accomplish but also when people come here, they actually want to work here, it’s a whole sense of belonging to the place, the whole Hectare One building plays a key role,” added Bolzico, who is into agriculture.
The earth tones used in the office’s color pallet drive home the look the duo wanted: “Most of the businesses that operate here are agricultural, or based around food. So we thought: “Food or agriculture is talked about having hectares in mind.” That is why it is called Hectare One, the first hectare,” he said.
The building’s many communal spaces look more like modern living rooms than office lounge areas, and they are Heussaff’s favorite design element: “It feels cozy, and we managed to replicate areas like this in the office with couches outside, the couch in the entrance where people can just relax and keep to their own and to have conversations that are not necessarily related to their jobs. I think all these communal spaces are probably my favorite.”
As with any worthy endeavor though, building Hectare One was no easy task. More than simple order takers, Mundo Design and Build had to be there to give solid professional advice, something Erwan was very appreciative of.
“With Mundo, all the design At Hectare One, wooden desks make up the open area that serves as a co-working space, with an accent wall featuring plants that liven up the space and give it a refreshing touch. ideas that we had or how we here now for eight months. In wanted it to look, it was always: Hectare One both of us have felt “Okay we can do that, an incremental jolt in our businesses, but you might have problems our everyday work habits, with this, this and this.” It you know? We are always was a very realistic approach very excited to come to work, I, to building which I really appreciate.” probably more than Nico, like to spend Saturdays and Sundays
In the end, the office was well here alone, because this is just worth the work: “We have been a peaceful place,” Erwan said.