Workplace strategies: growth in Asia during a recession
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Narita Cheah
CEO & Co-founder,
Paperspace Asia
Narita Cheah is a trailblazer in the world of workplace design, with a career spanning over 25 years. As the co-founder and director of Paperspace Asia, a regional multidisciplinary design collective, she has revolutionized the way office spaces are conceived and executed. Narita’s vision is rooted in the belief that collaborative partnerships and diverse perspectives are essential for creating truly people-centric spaces. Her pragmatic approach balances real-world challenges with strategic goals, enabling projects to progress seamlessly from vision to reality
Today, Paperspace Asia continues to create stunning spaces that transcend the boundaries of conventional office design, with a mission to accelerate business performance through workplace strategy and design. Narita’s passion lies in unlocking the secrets of bridging diverse talents and believing that magic happens when they collaborate.
Her story
Cheah’s journey began with her first startup, Think Inside Out, where she pioneered the collaborative working model that later became the foundation of Paperspace Asia. Her ability to assemble teams based on relevant skill sets and foster an environment where individuals could thrive by doing what they love was a game-changer.
The rise of technology enabling agile working and the demand for blended live-work-play environments led Narita to recognize the need for integrating different expertise and perspectives to achieve optimal design solutions.
Today, Paperspace Asia boasts an impressive client portfolio, including industry giants like Transferwise, Facebook, Group M, Thailand Development Research Institute Foundation, Skyrocket, Philip Morris, and Norton Rose Fulbright.
Her career
Narita’s journey as a trailblazer in the world of workplace design began with her first startup, Think Inside Out, in 2010. It was here that she pioneered the collaborative working model that would later become the foundation of Paperspace Asia. Her ability to assemble teams based on relevant skill sets and foster an environment where individuals could thrive by doing what they love was a game-changer.
Her vision took shape in 2016 with the establishment of Paperspace Asia, a regional multidisciplinary design collective. Headquartered in Singapore, with branches in Bangkok and Manila, the collective comprises 140 consultants and designers from diverse backgrounds, including workplace design, hospitality, F&B, retail, entertainment, project management, and change management.
At the core of Paperspace Asia’s success lies Narita’s innovative approach of assembling the most appropriate team for each project, ensuring an optimal outcome by harnessing the collective’s distinctive strengths. This model not only fosters innovation but also elevates user experience through space. Narita’s pragmatic ability to balance real-world challenges with strategic goals enables projects to progress seamlessly from vision to reality.
Her passion
However, Chrissie felt that something was missing in her life. She came to the realization that she desired to utilize her skills and talents to make an impact on others.
That’s when she decided to enroll in a program called Ultimate Self Mastery led by Peter Sage — a speaker, author and mentor. This program is designed to empower individuals to achieve their goals and aspirations by mastering their emotions and mindset. Using these acquired skills, she now helps other people learn techniques for overcoming obstacles like procrastination, self sabotage and negative thought patterns that hinder success.
Her dedication extends beyond personal growth. She is also an environmental enthusiast, diver, and loving mother of two. Committed to making a difference, she aspires to be part of the solution in turning the state of climate change around for future generations or, at the very least, to make the world a friendlier place while trying.
That’s when she decided to enroll in a program called Ultimate Self Mastery led by Peter Sage — a speaker, author and mentor. This program is designed to empower individuals to achieve their goals and aspirations by mastering their emotions and mindset. Using these acquired skills, she now helps other people learn techniques for overcoming obstacles like procrastination, self sabotage and negative thought patterns that hinder success.
Her dedication extends beyond personal growth. She is also an environmental enthusiast, diver, and loving mother of two. Committed to making a difference, she aspires to be part of the solution in turning the state of climate change around for future generations or, at the very least, to make the world a friendlier place while trying.
Recent Projects
Narita's career
2021 | Feature | RICE Medoa
Let’s talk about burnout culture and the hybrid office we need
You recognise this too, I’m sure. It’s been more than a year since life has felt bleh, a state of being sian in a limbo of stagnation and emptiness ...
2021 | Podcast Series | CNA
Companies ... to place emphasis on mental wellness in 2021
Narita Cheah gets together with Channel NewsAsia to discuss the changing role of the workplace in Phase 3 and beyond. As #workfromhome conditions are ...
2020 | Feature | HR In Asia
Future of Workspaces Post-Pandemic: Q&A with Narita Cheah, Co-founder & Director of Paperspace Asia
Singapore authorities recently announced that more people will be allowed to go back to the workplace from September 28, given the low cases of Covid-19 ...
2018 | Feature | Portfolio Magazine
Calling itself a co-creation space, Paperwork offers creative and design professionals an innovative workplace
After months of scouring the market for a co-working space that was well suited to the requirements of creative service businesses, Ms. Narita Cheah was prepared ...
Recommendations
Paperspace Asia has impressed with insights on the work that they do from the get-go. This was already evident from the initial meeting with them, where it already felt like they were resonating very closely with our company’s personality and knew deeply the concerns we were facing.
Sheri Quek
Engagements & CommunicationsVF Corporation
Paperspace provided a space people enjoyed coming back to it is conducive to learning, to collaborating and to producing really great output. I think it’s important that when you talk about culture, you also talk about an office that promotes human interaction.
Amelia Hocson
Former HR DirectorGroup M & Mindshare
We enjoyed the enthusiasm ... and their ability to capture and translate the design brief into the actual final design itself. In addition, the way the presentations were structured during meetings really helped the Design Committee to understand the direction the designs were taking.
Lionel Koo
Project Executive SEAConfidential Tech Client
