Hakuhodo DY ONE Tokyo Office

concept「chit-chat STREET」

❶Background

The Hakuhodo DY ONE Tokyo Office brings together multiple subsidiaries on a single floor, creating a new environment where employees who previously had limited interaction now work side by side. In this shared workplace, the challenge was to foster connections beyond organizational boundaries while allowing each individual to maintain a comfortable sense of personal distance.

We believed that the first step toward meaningful relationships begins with the most casual moments of everyday life — spontaneous “chit-chat.”

❷Design

Inspired by the urban character of the “STREET,” we explored how the qualities of a city could be translated into a workplace. Streets naturally encourage encounters between diverse people and activities, creating opportunities for unexpected conversations, informal gatherings, and moments without a specific purpose.

To bring this behavior into the office, we designed a series of small “buildings” formed by walls and frame structures, connected by a network of “STREETS.” These dispersed spaces encourage people to move, pause, encounter one another, and initiate conversations naturally.

Rather than creating a uniform office landscape, we embraced the richness of a mixed urban environment where new and old elements coexist. This approach allows reused furniture to blend seamlessly into the space, giving each area its own character, atmosphere, and sense of belonging.

Employees can choose where to work not only based on function, but also according to their mood, preference, or unexpected encounters throughout the day.

❸Outcome

By arranging various functional “buildings” — including meeting rooms, lounges, and collaborative spaces — like a cityscape, we created a workplace composed of diverse materials, scales, and spatial identities.

Between these buildings, different types of places emerge: open areas resembling street corners where people naturally gather, and quieter “back alleys” where individuals can focus and relax. These varied environments connect seamlessly, offering multiple ways to work and interact.

As people walk through the “STREET,” the scenery and presence of others subtly change, allowing connections to develop naturally over time.

Through this approach, the office becomes a living urban landscape — a workplace where spontaneous “chit-chat” emerges and where relationships are continuously nurtured through everyday encounters.