ALONG Chino Roces Avenue in Makati is an unassuming building that houses perhaps one of the most unusual offices in the city. Dubbed Hectare One, this office might not be as massive as Googleplex or as futuristic as Apple Park (the corporate headquarters of two of the world’s most renowned tech companies), but what it lacks in square footage is definitely more than what makes up for in sheer coolness.
It is also no coincidence that Hectare One is the office of entrepreneurs Erwan Heussaff and Nico Bolzico, more commonly known as the other halves of celebrities Anne Curtis and Solenn Heussaff, respectively. And it is so named as it best represents the businesses of these two gentlemen. “Most of the businesses that operate here are agricultural or based around food. So we thought, ‘Food or agriculture is talked about having hectares in mind.’ That is why it is called Hectare One, the first hectare,” explained Erwan.
Hectare One’s overall design is industrial, but it is deliberately devoid of that cold, almost forlorn feel the design principle is most associated with. Instead, it exudes a casual, warm and not overtly opulent interior that makes it more akin to a cool millennial hangout than an office.
According to both Erwan and Nico, the principle behind Hectare One is simple and logical: The 40-hour workweek is inevitable, so rather than clocking in at strictly 40 hours a week, why not make those 40 hours as enjoyable as possible, so that work actually becomes fun.
“I think it is a case in point. We bring our dogs here and we spend maybe too much time at the office, way more than we would in our respective houses,” shared Erwan. “So we wanted to create a space where we can feel comfortable working and also comfortable socializing in.”
In fact, Hectare One’s communal spaces look more like modern living rooms than office lounge areas, while the open-layout work areas are work conducive and feature walnut-colored desks, lots of greens, and colorful rugs and chairs. The office also houses Erwan kitchen studio, where episodes for his very popular blog “The Fat Kid Inside” are filmed.
As with any significant endeavor, building Hectare One was no easy task, which is why Erwan and Nico are grateful that they partnered with Mundo Design + Build. Getting solid professional advice from a builder and contractor is very important, something that Erwan was very appreciative of. He said that every time he and Nico came around with suggestions, it was always met by the guys at Mundo with “Yes, but,” which to them was very important.
“I hate working with people who just say yes to everything I want and then at the end of the day you realize that’s not really going to work. You need professionals to keep you in check.”
In the end, Hectare One was well worth the hard work. “We have been here now for eight months. Both of us have felt an incremental jolt in our businesses [and] our everyday work habits. We are always very excited to come to work,” said Erwan.
Nico added, “We are extremely satisfied I think, for both of us it was a game changer in our business. The moment we had Hectare One all our vision became more real.”
A design firm and general contractor that specializes in the fit-out phase of design and construction, Makati-based Mundo Design + Build was founded in 2009, and in a very short time earned a reputation for completing projects with the highest degree of professionalism. The firm was the contractor and/or designer of some of the trendiest spaces in Metro Manila, including the 2Go Group offices in Pasay, the Microsoft headquarters in 6750 Ayala Avenue and Linde Philippines in Cyber Sigma in Pasig, to name just a few.