In daily living, we sometimes get involved in social issues. But it is not always easy to know where to start to solve the problem. If that is the case with you, you might contact a community where real problem solvers come together instead of hesitating alone. It is the coworking space, ‘Heyground’ in Seongsu area created by those who want to change the world with a good heart, and also called ‘the home of change makers.’
A Place Where ‘Change Makers’ Meet
Heyground is a coworking space created by ‘Rootimpact’ to help social ventures to grow. But what makes Heyground distinct from others is that they only allow their space to those who try to solve social problems in a variety of ways, with the motto of being a change maker. Heyground uses the entire 8-story-building with offices for social ventures or businesses in a large scale from the 2nd to the 5th floor, while with small offices and single desks from the 6th to the 7th floor and a lounge on the 8th.
Hayground is located in Seongsu area, around the middle of Gangnam and Jongno area. At present, Seongsu is a hot place for young people because it’s highly accessible to the center of the city and new cafes and restaurants having been remodeled from old houses are constantly opening.
‘Heyground’ implies that they want to be ‘a ground’ where they greet each other by saying ‘Hey!’ In other words, the name clearly shows the nature of a coworking space where people with similar aspirations get together and grow.
Official Name: Hayground
Branch Office Address: Ttukseom-ro 1 Na-gil 5, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Homepage: https://heyground.com
Public Transportation: Seoul Subway Line 2 Ttukseom Station Exit 6 / Bundang Line Seoul Forest Station Exit 1, 5-minute walk
Parking Guide: 500 won per 10 minutes for the use of the building parking lot (or nearby Seongsu Art Hall parking lot and Seongdong Public Sports Center parking lot are also available)
A Place Created by Listening to the User’s Voice First, from the Space Design to the Interior
Before Heyground started the building, they made great efforts to listen to the opinion of potential users on the space composition and design the space.
p.3 Unlike usual coworking spaces which are made by renting a finished building, Heyground was created by fully reflecting the views of users just from the stage of building planning. So, even compromising the space efficiency a bit, a lounge is made up for every two floors so that the people in the building meet more often. There is a duplex type of communal space between the 2nd -3rd, 4th–5th, and 6th-7th floors each. You can realize the real value of this space only when you actually use Heyground.
Hey Lounge
Here is the Hey Lounge which connects 2nd-3rd and 4th-5th floors. In the Hey Lounge, you can find a simple and clean open kitchen which is easily accessible as it leads to a staircase. It’s a perfect location for you to come down to cook a simple dish and to go back to your place when you feel hungry while working. When not a mealtime, it is usually used to have a coffee break, and you’ll often come across other users here.
What’s interesting here is that the kitchen bar of Heyground is in the middle of space, like an island, without walls. This space built by collecting the opinion of users prior to the building design streamlines people’s movement and makes it more likely to have casual encounters with people.
Hey Lounge+
The spot where the 6th and 7th floors meet is called ‘Hey Lounge+.’ As shown in the picture below, it is made up of large staircases being able to accommodate up to 30–40 people, and big events like lectures, conferences, and talk shows are often held here.
From a functional point of view, the terraced space enables users to sit comfortably wherever they want, and powers equipped for each section make them to work charging their laptops and smartphones. Besides, you can sit down and enjoy the amazing views of the surrounding landscape through the window on the left. When you rent the place for an event, all the equipment such as a beam projector, an electric screen, and a sound system are ready, and you don’t need anything to prepare extra. Of course, at the usual time, the space is used for Heyground members to meet freely or have a tea.
Coworking Space
On the 6th-7th floors, there is a coworking space lined along the window. Out of the window, the view of the old Seongsu houses densely spread out makes you feel quite different from when you work in a skyscraper. And as a nicely designed coworking space, there is no shortage of lighting or power outlets for working. In particular, because of the lighting equipped in each place, your eyes may get less tired at night. When working at night in an office, you usually have to work only with a central lighting, but here, almost a light per person is installed, and you do not have to worry about if it’ll bright enough.
Small Private Office
If you go down to the 6th floor, you can find small private offices and dedicated desks for a person. p.6 Desks are two types: an open type and a cell type divided by partition bars, reflecting the fact that each individual has one’s own preferred environment to work. Normally, people dealing with accounting or complex figures prefer a structure that does not distract the attention away. So, they work in a cell-type desk and go out to the Hey Lounge to take a rest. This delicate detail can be covered by collecting business environment information from different potential users from the very initial planning stage.
Large Private Office
There are large private offices from the 5th to the 2nd floor, where you are one more floor down, with over 40 social ventures now inhabited. ‘Marimond’ is one of the largest companies among the members, which produces products and contents containing the stories of ‘comfort women’ in wartime during World War II. A total of 60 employees of Marimond work here at Heyground.
You might expect the company employing as many as 60 people to use an entire floor, but Heyground avoids letting a company use a whole floor alone. It’s because what Heyground has in mind is not a simple space rental business but a beautiful coworking space where people with a similar purpose meet to form a community. Heyground is very enthusiastic to arrange for different teams on each floor to mix and socialize with different members.
Sky Lounge
The 8th floor at the top of Heyground is a sky lounge. As the lounge wall is entirely made of glass, you can rest in a bright atmosphere during the day and enjoy an amazing night view in Seongsu area at night. Members of Heyground may have casual meetings and take a break here. As the patio can be opened, there can be great community events on weekdays evenings and weekends.
People Walking Together Heading for the Same Goal
Just working hard does not always mean good results. To be efficient, proper resting and energy charging from the outside is also instrumental. In this sense, Heyground seems to be particularly stress on the ‘joy’ among communities and individuals. At least every other week, there’s an event that people can do together, including an outdoor music party, a yoga class, and a table tennis tournament. In these events, a lot of companies in the building participate in games, sharing gifts and promoting friendships.
Out of different events, what makes Heyground members most delighted is ‘HeyNight.’ In this community event, members have a great time introducing new tenant companies, listening to what they do, and competing in a game with each other and sharing gifts. Literally, it’s time to enjoy ‘Hey! It’s a great Night!’ grabbing a beer. After participating in the community events like this, even a new member can mingle in the group of members as a fellow worker resulting in a community as firm and solid as they get close.
You won’t miss education programs either. Members residing in Heyground can participate in the various free programs by partnering with professional pro bono groups in each field, such as law, patent, accounting etc. Last time, a networking event and social gathering were held with CSR representatives of each company. These kinds of event allow member companies to share information which practically help their businesses. And that’s exactly what we expect from a coworking space.
A Coworking Space Selecting a Tenant through an Interview
Not like other coworking spaces, you should go through an interview to be a member of Heyground. As Heyground is a coworking space for a team willing to solve a social issue, the nature and direction of business is the top priority for Heyground. So, a company can’t buy a membership simply because it can afford a monthly fee. On the contrary, companies that are compliant with the intent of Heyground and interested in social issues may also get discounts based on application materials, after social influence and contract duration being considered.
Hayground Membership Subscription Process
- Space Tour: Make sure to check the Heyground spaces and communities through the Space Tour. <Applying for a space tour>
- Application Submission: When you submit an application for membership, you will be informed of the interview schedule after the necessary review.
- Interview: You will have an interview based on the application, and be informed of whether you’ll be a member or not, including the terms of the contract.
- Conclusion of the Contract: After confirming the membership fee, time and place to move in, you should register as an online member.
- Moving In: An orientation for a new member of the community is waiting for you after you move into our space.
Private Office: 360.000 won a month (with a deposit of 8 months)
Private office A: It is an individual office for an organization at its growing stage of 10–101 people. Office modules accommodating 10, 12, 13, and 22 people are ready. And for a team over 22, an instant office combination is also available according to its size, so it is highly recommended for a team of its initial stage.
Private office B: It is an individual office appropriate for a small team or a startup of 2–6 people. It suits those who put emphasis on privacy even in a small team. Desks, chairs, and drawers are provided.
Dedicated Desk: 240,000~300,000 won a month (with a deposit of 2 months)
Dedicated desk membership A: The member can use a cell-type desk on the 6th-7th floor. You can freely use cell-type space partitioned by every 4, 6, or 8 desk units. Even a small team can use this.
Dedicated desk membership B: The member can only use an open-type desk on the 7th floor. The space is wide open without any walls or partitions. This space is convenient for those who prefer free and friendly atmosphere like in a café. An open-type desk is also provided with a drawer so as to store private belongings.
Lounge: Rental hours are 19:00~22:00 on weekdays and 10:00~22:00 on Saturdays.
Hey Lounge: 100,000 won an hour
It is a terraced-type of lounge space on the 6th floor for 30–40 people. It’s appropriate for lectures, conferences, and talk shows. Equipped with a beam projector, an electric screen, and a sound system
Sky Lounge: 150,000 won an hour and 300,000 won an hour with the terrace included. It is a lounge located on the 8th floor, being able to accommodate up to 80 people. But you can have up to 200 people, if you open the folding door to the terrace. This place is mainly for seminars, workshops, or casual lectures.
A Coworking Space Going beyond a Simple Concept of Space Sharing
Heyground is a coworking space which has a clear goal and direction to develop. It is a community of people who are willing to solve various social problems and supports the integration and progress of those who strive for a solution of a social issue. If you readers possibly have a same idea with Heyground, you will feel like you have full support just by working together in a building with the people who are relevant with you.
A company with a grand vision of solving social issues, especially any companies which have just started the mission may get cold feet to go ahead. But with a similar group of people, and when people with a similar goal are working in the same building, you will get more confident in what you’re going to do. You’ll get energy you never expected seeing tenant companies of Heyground are going toward a bit every day.
Yes, that’s the spirit. That’s what a coworking space is supposed to be. It should be more than a mere space sharing and become a space where you can share good and warm energy with each other.
Reporter | Wellxcome
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