A co‑working space especially for ‘designpreneurs’ in New Manila

Swatches are important for every kind of artist. Those who work with paints and colors can get palette samples and inspiration from everywhere, and there are online tools that can pull palettes from photos. Those who work with cloth can easily get swatches from retaso and from their neighborhood cloth shop.

Those who work with tiles and paneling however might have a more difficult time in getting swatches. Presenting photos from the internet to your client just won’t do when you’re proposing to redesign a studio condominium. You have to show them the actual material, let them feel a sample of their future home.

That’s where Paperwork PH comes in. A co‑working space in New Manila, easily accessible by any jeep passing by E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, it provides its customers access to a library of material swatches and product catalogues that they can use as inspiration, present to their clients, and avail with the help of the Paperwork staff. They have a smorgasbord of materials available, from lighting fixture, furniture and fittings, to different kinds of flooring, panelling, wallpaper and surfaces. You can check out their library online, but this is one of those cases where feeling, not just seeing, is believing.

Paperwork also doubles as the office of PaperSpace, a design consultancy company founded by designers from three Southeast Asian countries: Karen Calalec from the Philippines, Sombat Ngamchalermsak from Thailand, and Narita Cheah from Singapore. “The three of them met and worked together in Singapore,” Janine Jayme, general manager for Paperwork PH, told SparkUp. “They got together and formed PaperSpace. It’s our core business, a design consultancy, and it has offices in Singapore, Bangkok and the Philippines. This happened February last year”

“What happened was they needed a physical office and thus we had Paperwork,” Jayme continued. There are currently two Paperwork branches—Bangkok and New Manila—and a future branch in Singapore that will open this March.

“What makes us different from other co‑work places is that we’re for designpreneurs,” said Jayne. “We have a materials library from all our suppliers. We get preferred rates from those suppliers so if you’re a member here—that means that you have a monthly subscription—you have access to our design library and we can help you get preferred rates from our suppliers. Our suppliers are regional.” An individual or starting designer would have difficulty procuring samples otherwise. They can be expensive, and suppliers might be less enthusiastic in dealing with individuals compared to companies that can buy materials in bulk.

There’s an additional perk for freelancers and fresh graduates. “Our partner architects and interior designers love to mentor, and they encourage freelancers, fresh grads and those taking their practicum to go here,” Jayne explained, adding that Calalec enjoys guiding students. “She loves to mentor people… she has the patience to sit down with students and explain the whole design process.”

“We encouage collaboration,” Paperwork Digital Marketing Manager, Arturo Navarro told SparkUp. “Our tagline is ‘make ideas come to work’. For PaperSpace it’s ‘do what you love with people you trust.’” Paperwork refers their tennants to each other to grow the community, with the advantage of connections to other Paperwork and Paperspace branches.

Even the Paperwork office was made through collaboration. Most of the furniture in the space are also from the suppliers Paperspace uses. If a designer or a client wants to use the furniture in Paperspace in their project, then they can buy it through the co‑working space.

The art in display in Paperwork (this January they have the black and white photography of Marlo Roxas) is also for sale. “We’ve sold a few of her works, and we’re bringing her exhibit in the opening of the Sigapore branch.”

“If you’re with us, we will see your potential, and we can see if you can work with our regional offices as well.”

Renting a space at Paperwork costs ₱500 per day, with full internet access and unlimited coffee, or ₱6000 per month. They also have meeting rooms, virtual offices, and workshop venues for rent.