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Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Korean architects Khan Project have designed themselves a laboratory-like studio in Seoul where staff wear doctors' gowns and walk barefoot (+ slideshow).

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Apart from the wooden desktops and chair legs, every surface is white, including the walls, ceiling, floor and bookshelves.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Fluorescent tubes create bright white stripes across the ceiling, while items on the bookshelves are stored inside white folders and storage boxes.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Staff dress as doctors and the practice's philosophy is "to fix space like doctors cure people".

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

"Sometimes neighbours in the next office are laughing at us," says design director Han Kwang-Hyun. "We just walk barefoot or wear slippers in this space."

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

If you like all-white interiors, see our story about an abandoned office block where British designer Dominic Wilcox painted every item white. See the results here.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

See more stories about office interiors »

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Photography is by Lee Pyo-Joon.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Here's a little more information from Khan Project:


Khan Project Office
White Within White

Khan project is the brand new design office made by Mr.Han, Kwang-hyon of m4.

The office is space that we need to stay longer than house. We think of the better environments for co-workers. How can we make this space more convenient for them?

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Khan project office is made by those questions. The space is all white, even floor, wall, ceiling and furniture…

We always test and research the space and come up with novelty. Therefore this space is like laboratory and we might make mutation here. We have doctor gown individuals. We have same mental attitude to fix space like doctors cure people. We need to rely on each other even though tight situation and we want something new and fresh idea so we have own gown.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

This is just psychological effect but we have to fix something when we are wearing white gown. What is the first thing to make office same as house? Why the house is comfortable to us?

We have many reasons but I thought the first time. The comfort after the work at home. We think the first action is to feel comfortable when I take off shoes. So we take off shoes at Khan project office. Sometimes neighbours in the next office are laughing at us. We just walk barefoot or wear slippers in this space.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

We thought it is the first consideration to people working and living here. We want to focus on people not for visitors but people who use. We can feel something comfortable from the body. But we see white gown and laugh.

We think the bookcase, cross-legged and “X” is the basic for design. We express this Frame “X” We want to use basic Frame “X” for communication and experiment. The reason why we choose only white is our philosophy. Kahn means one room. The room in imagination or dream.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

We are expert. We see people’s thought so we communicate and understand each other. We will express various colors through our projects. We expect the colors created here.

We can communicate coexistence in people’s khan (room) in white. And this space will be the place that our dream come true. We’re excited to work and live here.

Khan Project Office by Khan Project

Project: khanproject office
Design director: Han kwang-hyun
Design Office: khanproject
Design team: Park, Chang-hui / Yun Na-ri / SeonBi-oh
Constructor: khanproject

Location : Sam-yang b/d 202, 751-4Bang-bae, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Use: Design Office
Area: 36 m2
Design Period: May 2012
Completion Period: May 2012
Floor finish: white epoxy
Wall finish: lacq paint
Ceiling finish: concerte, lacq paint, wastebasket lighting