[LOOK] Turning junk into treasure

Alpha 245, a communications agency under the Publicis Groupe network, took over the current office space in 2011. It welcomes visitors with a creative signage and artistic mural made of quirky junks such as computer parts, brush palettes and electronics, to represent ideation.

Upon entering, the agency’s philosophy on the wall quickly reflects the office decor with its bespoke furniture produced from various recycled materials.

Terence Ooi, general manager of Alpha 245, said, the custom-made décors prove that salvaged items can be turned into something useful if you put mind and heart in it.

“It shows that we can find a more practical way of using things. Same concept applies when approaching clients; we have different ways of developing ideas and making things work,”

The reception and waiting area is filled with unique items ranging from roofing panels, gas tanks, gunny sacks and the multipurpose plastic pine tree to be decorated according to festive seasons. The mural element at the waiting area was designed with fun in mind, decorated with playful dinosaurs and bowling pins arranged in an organised clutter.

The main meeting room is wide, built on top of sleek timber and covered with pipelines from the previous tenant to function as lights and also as door handles.

The Dream Room is the famous brainstorming spot. It has grass element to mock an outdoor environment and equipped with high tech electronics for talents to play around with. The table as the centre focus is made by stacking up tyres, laid with a glass panel.

“The Dream Room is where people go to relax, dream of ideas, come out and say how we make it into reality. It’s not just about dreaming but also realising it,” added Ooi.

Ooi also explained on its philosophy of ‘Connecting Creative Minds’. As communication is Alpha 245’s strength, it leverages that in its branding strategies to go beyond creating advertisement.

The heart of the agency is lifted with the corporate colours—yellow, red and blue—and opens up to a wide walkway creating an open space.

Apart from having a great city view, Ooi shares the same space as the creative director, divided by the kopitiam door. The transparent room is infused with an Asian feel along with the iconic flour bag sofa. The coffee table is made out of beer barrel and the light fixtures are made using old wires.

To avoid from using conventional doors, the internal meeting room uses flaps while its chairs catches attention with creative use of t-shirts.

Ooi also reveals that it gets better at night as the lights that brighten up the office space twinkle like stars.