Q. Ju-hye, could you please introduce yourself briefly?

Hi, I'm Ju-hye Hur, the Community Manager of Mangrove, a shared housing brand. I'm the first employee at MGRV. (Smile) It's almost been two years since I joined the company.

© Eum Jong Hun

Q. What does a community manager do?

As a community manager at Mangrove, I handle all aspects of managing our offline spaces, essentially the residential spaces. From the moment members become aware of the Mangrove brand and show interest until the time they move in and eventually out, I am there for all face-to-face interactions. Members have to fill out a consultation form made by the community team when booking a visit on the Mangrove website. Based on their responses, we identify their preferred room type, lifestyle needs, and budget range. During the visit, we showcase individual and shared spaces and give an introduction to the Mangrove brand. The community manager oversees everything from consultations to contracts and providing guidance on the day they move in.

In addition to managing the move-in and move-out processes, we also plan and conduct house programs like Social Club and address any facility-related inquiries from members. We do everything to ensure our members can fully enjoy life at Mangrove. (Smile)

Q. It sounds like you play the role of both a hotel concierge and a community moderator. How do you find the balance between these roles?

The role of a community manager varies a bit across every brand. Even among co-living brands, the scope of the role is different. For Mangrove, I find it to be somewhere perfectly between that of a concierge and a moderator. However, one major difference from a concierge is that it’s not about delivering a one-sided service. Although Mangrove has its fundamental principles, there is always room for communication and coordination with members. This is why the community team tries to be out in the field rather than in the office, to frequently greet and converse with members. When you know each member personally, it creates a sense of connection, making it easier to handle unexpected situations smoothly.

For instance, if there's a problem like a bad odor in a specific room, the cause could vary from construction issues to personal usage problems. To locate and resolve the issue, open and honest communication with the community team is necessary. Our team is still establishing role criteria between a concierge and a moderator on a case-by-case basis, thus frequent interaction with members is essential for building trust.

Q. What is the most important value you focus on when taking care of the members?

At Mangrove, there's more to enjoy than a typical home. We offer content like Social Club, or you can enjoy ten free cups of coffee a month.

Despite all the extras, the most crucial part is ensuring that the basic functions of a home work properly without issues.

For instance, when cooking in the kitchen, there should be no issues, or being able to take a warm shower every day without problems. Without these basics being met, no amount of additional offerings hold any meaning. After all, a co-living house is still a ‘home.’

Q. While planning the first branch at Sungin, what were the most important considerations?

As the first branch, the priority was not on having grand plans but rather ensuring everything runs smoothly without losing direction. Basic things such as not having absurd clauses in the contract, preventing water leaks from the facilities, and ensuring inquiries don’t pile up in one spot were essential.

While Sungin may be a home for 24 members, the goal for MGRV is large-scale co-living, meaning our small house for 24 should serve as a scalable module. Once we establish this operating system as an ecosystem, it could expand to three, ten, or twenty-house modules. For example, does the Sungin for 24 members with two sets of kitchen tools become twenty sets for a 240-member place?

© Choi More

Q. Every element in the modular system must have a 'reason to try.'

Indeed. We had lots of discussions with our architectural office over what the layout of the lounge seating on basement one should look like, what should be the line of sight when entering the door, how the kitchen should be laid out, and whether the pantry storage boxes should be transparent or opaque.

© Brique

As for the lounge seating, since it's a place for strangers to gather, having just one seating type could increase awkwardness and reduce its use. Therefore, we provided variations like long table seating, sofa tables, and round tables.

Also, at Sungin, when you enter the entrance, you can see the common area lounge slightly over the horizon. This gives a choice even before entering—whether to join the common area or go straight to your room. Moreover, there's a separate entrance for entering directly into the room without passing through the common area. Some days you might just want to retreat to your room without seeing anyone.

The idea is to create a co-living house where you can join others whenever you want but also have the freedom to be completely alone when you desire, without any awkwardness.

This vision is deeply ingrained in all our spaces and was meticulously researched and reflected upon. After opening, I lived there for a while too, and when I saw the original purpose in action, it was quite rewarding. (Smile) As we prepare to open the 2nd and 3rd branches, we are contemplating more about how to establish this modular operating system.

© KIM JAE HOON STUDIO

Q. I heard there’s a second branch opening soon. Could you give us a brief introduction?

The first branch at Sungin was a small house for 24 members. The soon-to-open second branch will be a massive co-living house for about 300 members. Unlike Sungin, which is 100% residential, the second branch will operate separate floors for short-term stays as well.

Q. It’s not just about scaling up. What are the biggest challenges you face while preparing to open new branches?

Well, we consider those staying short-term as living members within Mangrove, albeit briefly. Our team is preparing with the hope that those visiting for ‘accommodation’ may also be curious about the Mangrove brand. We hope to foster a community where members inspire each other and also where healthy lifestyles are encouraged between Mangrove and its members.

However, short-term residents change often. Therefore, we ponder a lot over whether to separate the service experiences of those living long-term and short-term under the Mangrove brand name, and if so, how to do it. You can’t offer higher service exclusively to short-term members, nor can you focus solely on the intimacy among long-term residents.

Since the facility accommodates around 300 residents, we also hope to plan social clubs of a larger scale, engaging not only Mangrove members but also local neighbors and friends of the residents who have shown interest.

Q. What did you do before becoming the Community Manager at Mangrove? I’m curious about how people typically find their path to this role.

I majored in architecture. I interned for about a year and a half at an architectural design firm, where I gained deep experience, akin to being a full-time employee, and learned a lot about architectural design. During various projects, I began questioning whether there was a disconnect between the planning stage and the actual user, the consumer. Once a project is completed and handed to the client, the design firm's job is finished. However, how the owner manages it greatly affects the user’s understanding of the space.
I believed that not just the planning, but the role of the manager was incredibly important. I thought the role of operators who deeply understood both the planning intent and architecture would become increasingly crucial. Thus, without much thought about a career path, I joined MGRV, aiming to use my architectural studies and experience as an operator. (Smile)

During our recent workshop, a shared realization among our team members with diverse paths and careers emerged—each dreams of operating a space-related business someday. The work we do in the community team is quite extensive and, unlike the development or marketing team where planning stages are crucial, doesn't show immediate results or impacts. For example, in tasks like placing signs for coronavirus guidelines in the building's various locations, we meticulously consider where to place them, what words to use, and what size to make them. Though it requires a lot of detailed work, the results aren't immediately visible, so it can be tough if you don’t have a clear reason for doing it inside your heart. If you’re not clear about what you’re learning from this work and what it means to you, it’s hard to continue.

It's about stacking small achievements each day for a bigger, future dream than immediate visible outcomes.

Q. As more colleagues will be needed, what kind of coworkers does MGRV’s community team want to work with?

All current team members work with different personal motivations, for their dreams they want to achieve someday. For me, though my initial work was design, I endeavor to do better in space creation, so I aim to develop capabilities from planning to operation. Another member writes books and holds meetings around home stories and continuously creates content. Yet another is a master of event planning, very enthusiastic about weight training, and frequently conceives health and fitness programs within Mangrove.

The myriad motivations lead to a team where everyone’s individual charm is distinct. I believe if someone has a clear understanding of their charm, the aspects of the job that bring them satisfaction, and their accomplishments, they can become a good community manager.

Q. What kind of people do you envision living at Mangrove, and in what ways do you hope they live?

When first creating the name Mangrove, we envisioned a safe haven in the Mangrove tree, where birds, turtles, and fish of various life forms could live together harmoniously.

In reality, the residents here are incredibly diverse. Their fields of work, areas of study, styles, and reasons for choosing to live here vary greatly. Some freelancers moved in for the co-working space, while others wanted a sanctuary away from the company. Some are studying fashion with the intent to be close to sewing factories in Sungin-dong. While the reasons for choosing to live here differ, many are related in some way to work or study.

It’s a living space not just given, but actively chosen as a result of a close connection with one’s identity, work, or study.

Given that members choose Mangrove based on such considered criteria, they seem to engage well with one another. It’s heartwarming and sometimes even enviable to see them interacting, building relationships, and exchanging influences. It’s fulfilling to see our initial dreams coming to fruition. I hope these dynamics continue. I anticipate that as our numbers grow from 24 to 200 or 300, the chemistry and exchanges of inspiration will occur on a much grander scale.

Q. What does ‘living together’ mean to you?

I have always lived with someone else. After becoming independent, I lived with friends and at a share house. Initially, it was because living alone was scary, and financially, I couldn’t afford the deposit on my own. More than anything, when I was finally independent and living alone, I didn’t know where to start. By living with friends, I felt I faced fewer challenges and rebound faster from setbacks. It felt like there was less to handle when exploring things together. To me, living together meant being independent of family but having someone to rely on.

Living together at Mangrove holds a slightly different meaning. It doesn’t feel as though it’s a matter of having no choice. Mangrove offers spaces for exercise, programs to enjoy with others, cafe spaces, workspaces, and even a place for BBQs. It might sound a bit exaggerated, but it’s like having a small village inside a building. (Smile) Choosing to live at Mangrove might be more than choosing a house; it’s like selecting to be part of this ‘village’.

© EARTH

Written by | Kim Jin-young

Photos by | Eum Jong Hun, Choi More, EARTH, Brique