ベトナムで起こりうる予期せぬ突然のオフィス移転のリスク Japan Pulp & Paper様のホーチミン駐在員事務所は、予期せぬタイミングでのご移転でした。事務所を構えていたホーチミン市中心部のThe LANDMARKが、ライセンスの更新に差し掛かり入居テナントへ2025年末までの退去を突然通知したためでした。ベトナムは貸し主が強い立場にあるため、こうした通知が出ればテナントは退去しなければなりません。   初回お打合せから新オフィス稼働までは2ヶ月半 オフィス内装の初回お打ち合わせ時にはご移転先物件を決定されておりましたが、新オフィスの稼働までの期間は残り２ヶ月半。この２ヶ月半の間にレイアウトデザインの確定、金額調整、工事、お引越し、原状回復を完了させるのは相当タイトなスケジュールとなります。ベトナム現地駐在者が駐在期間中にオフィス移転を経験されることは比較的珍しいことで、ましてやまだ赴任して間もない中、通常業務をこなしつつオフィス移転もハンドリングするのは大変なことです。予期せぬタイミングでタイトなスケジュールの移転計画を全うしなくてはいけなくなったところ、ある日系企業様のご紹介で当社へとお問い合わせをいただきました。   ホーチミンもこれから増える。オフィス計画と消防改修のジレンマ ようやく無事に日本本社の予算承認が下り、新オフィスを構えるSaigon Trade Centerビルの工事許可が下り、工事着工した数日後・・・オフィスのエントランスのガラスドアとその横の小窓について、耐火ガラスへの交換指導がビル側から突然通達されるハプニングがありました。設計変更と消防協議を重ね、なんとか最小限の対応に留め、大幅なコスト増となることを避けました。ベトナムでは着工後にオフィスビル側が事前に承認した内容と異なる施工指導をしてくるケースが稀にあり、今回はそうしたケースに該当します。   現在のホーチミンで起こりうるリスクが凝縮した計画 今回のJapan Pulp & Paper様のホーチミンオフィスのご移転計画は、ホーチミンで起こりうるオフィス移転のリスクが凝縮されたケースでしたが、そのような条件下でもトラブルなく、双方の連携によりスケジュール通りに計画を完遂することができました。このスピード感もベトナムならではでした。

Startup Growth: Reaching Our Office Limits Within a Year Our startup journey began in a 60m2 furnished office at the HP Building in Da Kao, Ho Chi Minh City. Initially, we planned to stay there for two to three years. However, having grown from a team of 4 to 13 in just one year, we quickly outgrew the space much sooner than anticipated.   Driving Forces for Our Office Expansion The primary reason for our relocation was the shortage of workstations for our site supervisors. Given the harsh, dusty, and non-air-conditioned environments they endure on construction sites, the office should be a place of respite. When we saw them working at pantry and meeting tables due to lack of space, we decided to relocate immediately, regardless of our remaining lease term. Living the Standards of Office Design Excellence Just as a good chef learns by tasting excellent ingredients, and a good sommelier builds expertise by experiencing fine wines, we believe that as professionals in office design, we ourselves should work in an environment surrounded by high-quality office functions and specifications. The work chair- being the only piece of furniture in constant, long-term contact with the body-was selected from Japanese manufacturers. All office staff, including management, use the same chair as the president. The lighting system adopts circadian lighting, which changes color temperature throughout the day, complemented by relaxing aromas from aroma diffusers and comfortable background music played through ceiling speakers. For efficient PC work, we designed simple group desks equipped with pop-up power outlets that allow wireless charging simply by placing a mobile device on them. In addition, height-adjustable desks were custom-designed and built for those who wish to work while standing. To verify convenience and functionality ourselves, we also introduced digital whiteboards in the meeting rooms. For air quality, we selected a German-made air purifier equipped with HEPA filters of the same performance level used in Airbus aircraft. By actively using and experiencing various office functions in our daily work, we deepen our understanding of the working environment and ensure that we can provide our clients with high-quality, reliable services.   The office is the most immediate testing ground for improving work productivity. Office productivity can only be enhanced when the “hard” elements—the physical office space—and the “soft” elements—management—are effectively combined. No matter how stylish or how simple an office may be, it is the “magic” of management that changes the faces and attitudes of the people who work there. At CRAFTEC, we begin each morning by cleaning the office together, allowing everyone to gain firsthand insight into the maintainability of finishing materials. Before the morning meeting, we ease tension with a game of darts. When a staff member arrives late or forgets to wear their uniform on Uniform Day, colleagues approach them with smiles and say, “Here you go—this is a donation,” placing a contribution into a donation box. In this way, negative feelings are shared lightly and transformed into something positive. The collected donations are regularly given to disaster relief efforts and orphanages. We have extended the lunch break by 15 minutes, from 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., to ensure time for a short nap after lunch. At the start of the afternoon work session, we perform simple stretching exercises that can be done while seated. By incorporating these small but thoughtful ideas into our daily routines, we continuously refine our own way of working in this new office—so that we can wholeheartedly support our clients in creating better, more productive office environments.

Located in Deutsches Haus, a Grade A building in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, the new ASICS VIETNAM office is a sophisticated space comprising two dedicated work areas for the ASICS and ONITSUKA TIGER teams. The facility features a professional B2B Showroom, two modern meeting rooms, two private online booths, and a spacious warehouse. In Asia, ITOKI is the trusted partner for most ASICS stores and offices. As the designated interior contractor for ITOKI in Vietnam, CRAFTEC collaborated closely with the ITOKI Thailand and ITOKI Indonesia teams for this relocation project. The project presentation was delivered to ASICS’s Regional Headquarters in Singapore. This project stands out in the Vietnamese market as a prime example of cross-border collaboration, involving seamless project management across four countries.

This was a plan to expand and relocate the office from The LANDMARK to the Japanese building, The Nexus. DHG was introduced to us by a major Japanese consulting firm with whom we have an ongoing business relationship. DHG is the Vietnamese subsidiary of Taisho Pharmaceutical and is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Vietnam. As a large enterprise, the review of quotations, contract documents, and construction drawings required communication with various specialist teams, including architecture, legal, and accounting. Therefore, we always received cooperation from the expatriate staff and aimed to achieve a smooth relocation.   The design requirements for DHG’s new 530 m² office At the initial stage of the planning, we presented a design matrix and shared the overall design direction appropriate for a pharmaceutical company. The goal was to create an office that conveys a bright impression, interiors that evoke a sense of safety and trust, and a suitable level of formality for visitors (never too heavy). In addition, as this new office supports business expansion in urban areas of Vietnam, we introduced a casual, café-like atmosphere with a bright impression in the pantry area so that employees could feel comfortable in the new office environment. Office relocation projects offer a different kind of appeal compared to new market entry offices. This lies in achieving overall satisfaction by balancing usability, layout, and design, while clearly differentiating the new office from the former one.   From the property selection stage, including site visits to candidate properties and advisory comments Although the relocation project began in this way, we conducted site visits and prepared test layouts even before the destination property had been narrowed down to a single option. As we repeatedly reviewed and discussed together whether there were any issues with the potential relocation sites, the required image of the office gradually became clearer. Through multiple test layout studies, we believe we were able to assist in appropriately determining the tenant area, ensuring that the leased space for this relocation was neither too large nor too small.   Increasingly stringent fire inspection requirements and handover schedule risks Ho Chi Minh City has a limited number of Grade A office buildings. As The NEXUS is a newly constructed building completed in November 2023 and owned by Tokyu Land, its fire safety standards are among the most stringent applied to office buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. As tenants are not permitted to move into a new office unless a fire safety inspection certificate is issued, we explained in advance to the client the necessity of allowing approximately three additional weeks, in addition to the standard construction period, for the issuance of the fire safety permit. By expediting the commencement of construction, we were able to hedge the risks to the overall schedule, including the completion of the relocation   A 90 m² large conference room It is extremely rare for an office in Ho Chi Minh City to have a meeting room of this size. For the design of this large conference room alone, we conducted detailed studies equivalent to planning a 100 m² office, and held thorough discussions covering every aspect, including interior design, furniture, fixtures, electrical systems, and network infrastructure.