With the new normal finally here, co-working spaces have also started to reopen as restrictions ease and more people regain mobility. The latest to do so is CO & CO Works, located in JSO Building in Katipunan Ave., Quezon City. Coleen and Charisse Ong of interior design and architecture firm Studio ONG designed it according to their vision for a timeless, elegant, and versatile space for all types of clients.

As with its home building, the project features features linear lines and low-key, neutral tones to make the interiors more calming to the eyes. According to Coleen, they also added dark green accents to create a sense of a healthy and professional workspace.

Coleen, who is both the Designer and Co-Owner of CO & CO Works, found that balancing aesthetics and function vs. cost implications was really challenging since she was working on her own. “Since this was a new business venture, I was very hands-on, from the conceptualization, schematic, design development, down to the construction and running the numbers. During the design process, I would do different layouts with varied furniture types and seating capacities. I had to balance the overall design, and at the same time, maximize the space to make sense of it business-wise.”

“We believe that the co-working scene is vastly growing and accepted by people. Though coffee shops are still options for people, some still would want to work in more reliable and convenient locations like co-working spaces. It is somehow a mix of an office and café vibe, with the different seating options available. The hybrid work setup has really changed the way people work and the pandemic opened the eyes of employers to commit to a more hybrid setup. Some people still miss being in the office, and just do the work and meet their colleagues.”

Coleen Ong

Coleen strongly believes that co-working spaces ”will be the preferred office setup in the present and future of freelancers, entrepreneurs, and companies because of the flexibility that can cater to the hybrid lifestyle.” They make it possible to work near where they live and save time spent in traffic. She also raised a good point in saying that nearly everything can be done online and we’re not yet completely done with Zoom meetings. Why would we need to go all the way to the main office?

Read more about this space, download BluPrint’s latest E-Mag , Vol.1 2022 via Readily, Magzter, Zinio, and Press Reader.

Photo credits: Ed Simon