#utwentysix

An informal office space that blends an anti-corporate and fun environment with traditional Filipino roots to promote creativity and work performance.

We were approached by Migo, a start-up foreign firm last year, to design a space for their first office in the Philippines.  We wanted to give them a workspace that not only reflected the company's young, energetic and creative office culture, but would also give them a Filipino flavor to inspire them as they worked towards conquering the Filipino market.  

Inspired by the traditional home and neighborhoods in the barrio, our playful interpretation incorporated familiar and traditional materials, elements and furniture into the modern workspace design.  

Bangkal Street turned out to be the one stop shop for almost everything we needed.  We repurposed what might have initially seemed like scrap into beautiful capiz sliding doors for a wall of storage, nostalgic mismatching wooden chairs for meeting and breakout areas, and a giant nara door and old glass windows for partitions.

If you haven't been yet, Bangkal street is a neighborhood in Makati made up of a few small streets lined with flea market type shops selling garage sale items.  Although you have to dig through a lot of trash to get to anything decent, there are sometimes treasures to be found for the lucky ones at bargain prices.  

We had to rummage our way through the piles of dusty and grimy capiz windows to select the sizes that were most similar to our 4 panel module design for the storage sliding doors.  A good wash and scrub, which I eagerly waited for, brought out the sheen of the capiz shells once again and the color of paint underneath. Joined together to form sliding doors, they create a patchwork of Filipino nostalgia that is modern and unexpected.

Old wood planks sourced from stockpiles in Bulacan from old houses, add warmth and texture to the space.   Repeated use of GI sheets are both functional, as they become magnetic and white board surfaces, and a playful reminder of a common sight seen all over the Philippines - the inexpensive GI sheet construction site fence, abandoned lot fence, makeshift homes, roofs, etc.

The open plan was designed to encourage interaction and teamwork amongst the Migo employees.  Various breakout areas all over the space and GI sheet cladded walls and columns allow for meetings and brainstorming to be held just about anywhere.  

Here we used old wood planks to clad all pantry cabinet doors in this open kitchen. By using salvaged materials and second hand furniture we were able to keep the project cost low while reducing our carbon footprint.  

Thanks Elle Decoration Philippines for sharing the photos from the lovely feature on H Residence and thank you to At Maculangan for taking all of these wonderful shots.

A few months ago we had our very first photo shoot with the magazine Elle Decor which came just in the heels of their foray into the Philippines via Summit Media.  There aren't enough players in the local interior design and architecture publishing scene for my taste so I was excited about an International Design Magazine coming to town and even more so about being invited to be a part of one of their first issues.  

Our project came out in the November issue just a few months after the photo shoot.  The shoot itself was exciting and it gave me a taste of how the magazine is raising the bar on local design publications' commitment to its content, contributors and readers.  It lasted the entire day with Elle Decor's dedicated team - consisting of the amazing photographer, At Maculangan, and his assistant, the writer, Clifford Olanday, and the magazine's Editor and stylist queen, Devi De Veyra - putting out no stops at repeating shots and fussing around with the angles and styling until perfection had been reached, or, at least, as close to as possible that day.

Coco, the owners' dog, undeniably stole the spotlight that day.  Prior to being plopped on the couch for the living room shots, he had been running around friskily leaving behind yellow puddles wherever he pleased.  As soon as he nestled into the couch he proved to be an excellent model.  Quiet and perfectly still as a mouse with his face straight on at the camera, he's now given his owners' an idea that perhaps his life was meant to be more than just running around at home.

The photo shoot was a crash course in styling 101 for me.  I watched how rooms were transformed to look lived in, yet strategically composed for vignettes and tight shots so that they still looked neat.  I went in thinking bedsheets had to all be tucked in neatly - hotel style.  Instead, I watched as each tidy room was slightly deconstructed to exude a more relaxed feel.  Styling is indeed an art form that I hope to learn with time and experience. 

Dinner last night at Pylos had me walking into a restaurant that surprised me with its wonderful modern take on rustic Greek design by renowned designer Tony Chi.  

Just a peek alone through the store front window had me ooghing and aaghing over the clay pot-clad ceiling that extends from the window all the way to the far back of the restaurant.

Stepping in, the interiors are warm and richly ethnic yet modern and chic at the same time.  Few elements anchor the space - crumbling exposed brick along the front wall, textured whitewashed walls along the back, and, of course, the canopy made with over a hundred clay pots that dangle prettily (or precariously, to some) over diners' heads.

The atmospheric lighting creates an overall dim and relaxed environment with strategic lighting to highlight the architectural elements of the space. 

1,360 (yes, we asked) handmade unglazed clay pots cover the ceiling, suspended with wires connecting each one to a metal frame.  Each clay pot's hole for the wire is made on a different location on its surface so that each one hangs down at a different angle.  The result is incredibly inventive and absolutely stunning.

The food at Pylos was equally memorable.  We filled ourselves up with delicious meze dishes, a variety of their meat and fish platters, 2 bottles of Greek wine and copious slices of their warm, soft pita.  Hands down the best Greek restaurant in NYC and the best Greek food I've had since our meals at the Vassiliades household.  

Ioanna, if you're reading this, trust me!  The food and restaurant interiors would make you and your mom proud!