HEYGROUND Seongsu Starting Point

A Space Shared by Diverse Members

HEYGROUND announced that it received the Seoul Design Foundation CEO Award in the private environment-creation category at the 3rd Seoul Universal Design Award hosted by the Seoul Design Foundation.

Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and organized by the Seoul Design Foundation, the Seoul Universal Design Award is a competition that seeks out outstanding examples of design that anyone can use regardless of disability, age, or nationality. Now in its third year, the award aims to present inclusive standards for universal design and to broaden social awareness. Winners are selected across a total of five categories: public and private environment creation, service, product, and the Jury's Special Award.

HEYGROUND Seongsu Starting Point, this year's winner, is a community office that opened in 2017. It is a workspace where around 100 organizations that tackle social and environmental issues—including social ventures, social enterprises, and nonprofit organizations—come together.

From April to December 2022, over a period of nine months, HEYGROUND carried out a "Universal Remodeling Project" so that diverse members, including wheelchair users, could use the space without inconvenience. It remodeled BRICKS Seongsu, a dedicated event space on the first basement level, as well as the office spaces on the 1st through 8th floors above ground, to create a more inclusive work environment.

First, BRICKS Seongsu was reborn as a space equipped with a variety of amenities for wheelchair users. A wheelchair ramp was installed on the central stage so that wheelchair users can go up and down with ease, and a dedicated wheelchair charging station was set up within the space to improve convenience for electric wheelchair users. In addition, the height of the sink in the event kitchen area was adjusted to suit wheelchairs, and the reception table was installed at a lower height.

In its reasons for the selection, the Seoul Design Foundation stated that HEYGROUND received high marks for discussing and deriving improvements through user workshops, as well as for its universal design ideas, interior finishes, and construction work.

Noh Yu-ri, team lead of HEYGROUND Workspace, said, "Because HEYGROUND is a space where people who solve social and environmental issues gather, we launched the remodeling project so that this meaning could be better put into practice in everyday life," adding, "We will continue to strive to create spaces that embrace even greater diversity."

▲ A view of HEYGROUND Seongsu Starting Point