" Almost Home " - Growing, Sharing, and Collaborating in an Alternative Living Space.
Kyochon Chicken began its journey in Gumi in 1991 and has flourished over the past 34 years under the slogan of “righteous management.” The company’s business philosophy is distilled into three core principles: ‘righteousness, sharing, and customer-centricity.’ These ideals are further crystallized into four fundamental values: ‘honesty, mutual growth, humility coupled with consideration, and creativity.’ Through this philosophical framework, Kyochon has consistently delivered clean, safe food to its customers with unwavering integrity.
The brand name ‘Kyochon,’ which translates to ‘village of learning,’ encapsulates the essence of growth through shared knowledge. Over the years, Kyochon has sustained this ethos of ‘learning’ through customer service and research and now aspires to extend this ‘growth’ to include its team members. Honoring this brand ethos, we’ve crafted a workspace that embodies the spirit of Kyochon F&B for its corporate family.
We spend approximately one-third of our day in our work environment, often equaling the time we spend in the comfort of our homes. Recognizing this, we’ve designed the office space with ‘home’ as our inspiration, aiming to infuse the workplace with a sense of comfort while preserving Kyochon’s village-like philosophy. Moving beyond the conventional office layout, we’ve constructed a space that reflects Kyochon’s organizational culture: ‘horizontal, autonomous, flexible, and creative thinking.’
To evoke the warmth and comfort associated with ‘home,’ we’ve drawn inspiration from characteristic domestic spaces like the living room. We’ve employed wood and fabric finishes to create a welcoming atmosphere and allocated generous areas for relaxation to ensure a pleasant environment for Kyochon’s team members.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by the “pantry area,” which embodies Kyochon’s identity as an F&B brand. Strategically located at the heart of each floor, it naturally fosters communication between different departments. These versatile pantry areas, equipped with folding doors, are thoughtfully designed to accommodate various functions alongside photo studios, test kitchens, town hall spaces, and lounges on each floor.
The eighth floor, home to the main lounge, is a physical manifestation of Kyochon’s commitment to ESG management. The centerpiece, an art installation in the water feature, symbolizes Kyochon’s environmentally conscious paper packaging and metaphorically represents the spirit of mutual growth through the image of a shade tree, the central tree in traditional Korean villages. These trees were not only wish-granting symbols but also communal cultural spaces fostering harmony. Embodying this spirit, the main lounge is envisioned as a space where diverse team members can gather, communicate, and recreate their corporate culture.
“Meeting spaces” are strategically placed at both ends of the lounge for easy access from work areas, lounges, and OA rooms. Casual lounges complement these, addressing the shortage of meeting spaces in traditional offices. The “work area” designates 70% of seats as free-address, allowing team members to work from different locations daily. This isn’t merely about changing seats; it offers a variety of options tailored to different work needs – seats with nature views, two-person collaborative spaces, team collaboration areas, and individual focus zones. The space also features innovative seating options like recliner seats for relaxed work postures, figure-eight-shaped seats surrounded by plants, and bookshelf sofas in the library work area for quick reference checks. This diverse array of seating arrangements ensures that team members can work comfortably and efficiently anywhere, anytime, potentially sparking creative thinking through environmental changes.
The workplace transcends its role as a mere work location to become a “second home” where sharing, collaboration, and growth converge. With “home” as our design motif, we hope this newly born headquarters will truly embody the meaning behind the name “Kyochon,” becoming a “village of learning” where the multifaceted stories of Kyochon F&B unfold and flourish.
