When Daum began imagining its headquarters relocation in 2004 to Jeju-do, Korea’s southernmost island province, one word kept popping up about the idea again and again. That word was “joyful.”
Jeju’s natural beauty and separation from the rest of the Korean peninsula makes it a romantic location, and it’s believed to be a place of rest, peace and wellbeing. Thus the word “joyful” kept surfacing—the move would be exciting, experimental, and happiness-building for the employees and soon-to-be Jeju residents.
Space.1, a part of Jeju Science Park, and now Daum Kakao’s official headquarters, was completed in April 2012. The building is (if we do say so ourselves!) something to be taken in, architecturally. Designed by the firm Mass Studies, the building is mainly horizontal in orientation, which the firm wanted to reflect the company culture. The building is set into a slope and was designed to fit organically in the center of its large, green campus.
As architecture industry site ArchDaily puts it: “As a counteraction to the typical office park development – a homogeneous field of low-rise, non-contextual office blocks floating in a sea of parking lots – Daum’s masterplan is designed as a linear growth, dividing the site into opposing rural vs. urban zones and informal vs. formal zones.”
Space.1’s amenities make it a place where work and growth can coincide, featuring boldly designed idea rooms, a game center, a sizeable library, a concert/lecture hall, an art gallery, a nap room, and plenty of floor to ceiling windows that look out over the mountains, trees and mist of Jeju.
The entire campus holds Space.1 and the newly completed Space.2, putting a total of nearly 500 employees on the Jeju campus, which is Daum Kakao’s official headquarters. Space.2 along with Space.Kids, a daycare space complementary for Jeju employees, and Space.House, a guest house to accommodate those traveling back and forth between Seoul and Jeju campuses were completed early this year.
Space.1 is also notable for its unique design and sustainability features. The post-tension construction method, which plants reinforcing bars within the building to avoid the use of columns. Streamlined shaped walls were made using Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) used in large ships, while large sheets of glass which can be opened allow fresh air and light inside took care of ventilation and helped make the space brighter and less in need of strong lighting fixtures.
Moreover, rainwater is collected for landscape and fire-fighting, and plants are planted on the building walls to save energy. An ice thermal storage system was introduced which allows excess energy at night to be collected for later uses like heating and cooling water. Daum Space.1’s harmony with the island of Jeju offers a very different experience from your average office space.
Jeju’s natural beauty and separation from the rest of the Korean peninsula makes it a romantic location, and it’s believed to be a place of rest, peace and wellbeing. Thus the word “joyful” kept surfacing—the move would be exciting, experimental, and happiness-building for the employees and soon-to-be Jeju residents.
Space.1, a part of Jeju Science Park, and now Daum Kakao’s official headquarters, was completed in April 2012. The building is (if we do say so ourselves!) something to be taken in, architecturally. Designed by the firm Mass Studies, the building is mainly horizontal in orientation, which the firm wanted to reflect the company culture. The building is set into a slope and was designed to fit organically in the center of its large, green campus.
Art Gallery, Space.1
Library, Space.1
As architecture industry site ArchDaily puts it: “As a counteraction to the typical office park development – a homogeneous field of low-rise, non-contextual office blocks floating in a sea of parking lots – Daum’s masterplan is designed as a linear growth, dividing the site into opposing rural vs. urban zones and informal vs. formal zones.”
Space.1’s amenities make it a place where work and growth can coincide, featuring boldly designed idea rooms, a game center, a sizeable library, a concert/lecture hall, an art gallery, a nap room, and plenty of floor to ceiling windows that look out over the mountains, trees and mist of Jeju.
The entire campus holds Space.1 and the newly completed Space.2, putting a total of nearly 500 employees on the Jeju campus, which is Daum Kakao’s official headquarters. Space.2 along with Space.Kids, a daycare space complementary for Jeju employees, and Space.House, a guest house to accommodate those traveling back and forth between Seoul and Jeju campuses were completed early this year.
Overlooking the game room, Space.1
Space.1 is also notable for its unique design and sustainability features. The post-tension construction method, which plants reinforcing bars within the building to avoid the use of columns. Streamlined shaped walls were made using Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) used in large ships, while large sheets of glass which can be opened allow fresh air and light inside took care of ventilation and helped make the space brighter and less in need of strong lighting fixtures.
Moreover, rainwater is collected for landscape and fire-fighting, and plants are planted on the building walls to save energy. An ice thermal storage system was introduced which allows excess energy at night to be collected for later uses like heating and cooling water. Daum Space.1’s harmony with the island of Jeju offers a very different experience from your average office space.
Space.2