Revitalizing Workspaces: CHI Office by Benson Wu

Transforming an Old House into a Vibrant, Interactive Office Space

The inspiration behind CHI Office stems from the high-pressure and competitive work environment prevalent in Asia, coupled with the excessive dependence on smart devices. This has led to a social phenomenon of interpersonal alienation. Benson Wu sought to counteract this by designing spaces that encourage self-improvement, creativity, and interaction. The core value of CHI Office is to create spaces that bring people vitality, breaking the indifference often found in office environments.

The unique properties of CHI Office lie in its transformation from an old house with uneven ceilings, floors, and disorderly compartments into a workspace with a natural charm. The design takes advantage of the four-sided windows to introduce light and improve visual brightness. The large, perspective metal display shelf and the stylish door dividing the office area and the public area break the traditional office layout. The floor is paved with grey-toned artisan cement that retains a handmade texture, adding to the natural vitality of the space.

The realization of CHI Office's design involved the use of penetrating elements as partition materials. This approach breaks the distance between the building and the exterior environment, introducing the surrounding greenery and people’s joyful laughter into the space. The interior space is open, allowing creative concepts to ferment. Visitors can observe the movement of staff and feel the peaceful and carefree atmosphere. The use of materials with cold and warm textures, such as metal pieces, stones, and titanium plating, creates a sense of agility, balancing the wooden pattern and the planting.

CHI Office faced several design challenges, including the construction of a large iron display shelf that had to be made on site due to its size. The shelf serves multiple functions, including display, storage, and planting. The stylish door of the office, made from multiple materials such as wood, glass, perforated plate, and a titanium doorknob, required accurate calculations due to the different features of each material.

CHI Office is a testament to the power of design in transforming spaces and influencing human behavior. It is a space that changes with the seasons and the differences between day and night, allowing people to feel the infinite vitality of the space that ignites the passion for creation. This design has been recognized with a Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2019, a testament to its innovative and remarkable design.