Phibious advertising agency's offices combine wide-open public spaces with smaller private conference areas.

"It's pretty important, I think, how we built the office," explains managing partner Mervyn Cheo."We wanted to design the space to be much more open so that people would interact more with each other. We minimised the space that people had at their desks and tried to maximise the spaces where people can get together, as opposed to having a really big desk and just staying put at your cubicle."

The chic office has undergone some major transformations under Phibious' gaze, including the enclosure of the reception area, the sales and administrative offices, and the creative space on the main floor. Most of the rooftop terrace was also remodelled into individual offices.

The interiors are either red or white, depending on the use of the particular space. "One of our core colours is red because it's passion, it's fire, it's creative, so it kind of flows throughout the space," Cheo says.  

But the main conference room was decked out in white to ensure it was both comfortable and functional. "We kept it pretty white because we didn't want any form of distractions when we actually present stuff," Cheo says. "It makes it easy for our clients to really just focus on the work. That should be the main focus, and therefore we kept it really minimal."

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BY MELANIE BREW/PHOTOS BY TRACEY SHELTON