Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means one’s ‘reason for being’. ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. SCA has taken this term as inspiration for the design of ABeam Consulting – a consulting firm that helps clients or businesses identify and find their IKIGAI!
Recognising the importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion in meeting the needs of its people, SCA designed and delivered a space where colleagues can connect, collaborate, and thrive. The client’s brief was centred on the need to have an interior that reflects cosiness, comfort, and homelike vibes. The team delivered this by focusing on things like simplicity, minimising clutter, warm neutral and blue tones, and lots of natural light to create a new look for the ABeam Consulting office.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a curved wall with a backlit ABeam Consulting logo and spotlight, while a running LED strip adds brightness to the area. The team has ingeniously completed the space with a small waiting area by the curved wall. Cleverly concealed just behind this curved wall is a beverage point and refreshment area.
Envisioned as a collaborative hub, the space allows employees to get together and share a meal or conversation before work commences. The refreshment area has been designed to look clean and sleek. A couple of noteworthy elements are that all the furniture including the operable wall within this space is movable and adjustable, enabling it to adapt to various needs.
Meeting rooms and a boardroom feature at the heart of the main office space, creating a gradual transition from collaborative working to an area for focused work. The boardroom features acoustic wall panels with grooves for improved sound quality. A glass panel serves the dual purpose of allowing plenty of light to stream in from the lounge area while functioning as a whiteboard. Bench seating against the wall allows for larger scale meetings.
A walkway lined with lockers on one side and a tropical mural on the other paves the way to the private and collaborative work area that is filled with a selection of different-sized single or multiple occupancy booths and open workspaces.
The variety of workspaces allow for greater flexibility for teams while still giving peace and quiet to those who need it. Employees are now able to choose from a range of desk and seating options, with fixed desking and agile seating available across several collaborative areas and spaces.
Aesthetically, the workplace is marked by high-quality finishes and a neutral palette, with exposed ceilings. The attention to detail is characterised by having wood textures at the table edge instead of simple white workstations. This little enhancement brings a refined look to the workstation and is pleasing to the eye.
This office is a shining example of eco-friendliness, resource efficiency, and energy management. The Smart Air Conditioning Zoning and Control system, which operates on timers and senses space usage, responds dynamically to space demand. This ensures that energy consumption is optimised while keeping the workspace comfortable.
Team:
Workspace Interior: SCA Design, a member of the ONG&ONG Group
Team members: Kee Choon Yen, Ho Kok Yuen, Norman Chan and Albert Chin
Photography: Owen Ragget
