DB&B Phil. designs Trend Micro local HQ

MANILA, Philippines - DB&B Philippines, Inc. a leader in corporate interior design in the country and in the Asia Pacific Region reached another milestone when it was chosen to design and construct the new global headquarters of Trend Micro.

Trend Micro is a global leader in network antivirus and internet content.

The new premises of Trend Micro occupy five floors of the new Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas. It serves as global head office for TrendLabs, the company’s research, development and support center with 1,200 employees performing different functions of research and development, corporate support and information systems and business applications. This number is more than 1⁄4 of the company’s total personnel population worldwide.

Trend Micro’s mandate to DB&B is to create a work environment that is “clean and simple.” The company wanted a progressive, modern and minimalist inspired work environment. It wanted to promote more provocative personal exchanges among employees.

To this end, DB&B came up with a concept which is first and foremost utilitarian yet made unique by the inspired use of colors and textures.

The lobby located on one side of the 8th floor is sleek with frosted glass doors that open to a well lit reception area. Painted gypsum walls provide textural contrast. A graphic wall art behind the reception area contains words and pictures that depict the core functions of TrendLabs. This vignette somehow makes the area pop visually.

A small grouping of guest chairs in solid red and black provide a sharp contrast to the aesthetic feel of the section. The cushioned chairs are reminiscent of traditional winged back sofas and are comfortably covered in Italian velvet fabric. 

All five floors from the 7th to the 11th are outfitted with between 300 to 350 cubicles. DB&B cleverly used color to break the monotony of this set up. Each floor is drenched in a different color palette as reflected in the carpeting and cubicles. Huge structural pillars are likewise bathed in complimenting shades.

Thus, the 7th floor is in light blue, 8th floor in lime green, 9th floor in lilac, 10th floor in aquamarine and 11th floor in orange.

Break out areas are scattered in all floors with the appearance of the same winged back sofas in the same solid colors of black and red.

On the 9th, 10th and 11th floors is situated what the company calls its ‘command center.’ This is an elevated section that overlooks the work area with strategically placed wide screens at the back. The Quality Assurance Staffs occupy this area during operating hours. To make this area stand out, the low gypsum wall partitions were painted in dark grey.