MANILA, Philippines?Unlike most of his colleagues, fashion designer Jojie Lloren thrives in a quiet environment devoid of 21st-century distractions. His shop in a secluded compound in Pasay City provides him with much-needed solitude.

?I don?t see the need for a TV,? says Lloren. ?I don?t even turn the sound system on while designing. I find the silence conducive to the creative process.?

The designer discovered the city?s best-kept secret, one of several two-story affairs built in the early 1950s, after attending a party hosted by one of the compound?s tenants two years ago.

When he moved to Pasay his clients initially objected.

?I simply prayed and took my chances,? he says. ?When my clients started coming here, not a few, to my relief, were pleasantly surprised that it wasn?t as remote as they thought. Some instantly fell in love with the place.?

Lloren?s office, which doubles as a fitting room, is set off from the rest of the ground floor by oyster-gray walls and wood-and-glass sliding doors. It has a Viennese-inspired couch, a small wooden table and a pair of green ceramic plant stands that serve as chairs.

Aside from tempering the sun?s glare, beige Roman shades provide a foil to the bright Machuca tiles. Accent pieces such as a gray Persian carpet and an antique wooden statue of the Virgin Mary add to the eclectic feel.

The shady, tree-lined compound on FB Harrison Street is turning into an artist?s haven.

The compound?s other tenants are gallery owner Albert Avellana, furniture designer Eric Paras and museum expert and culture researcher Ino Manalo.

Growing inventory

Lloren shares the rent with Avellana, who needs additional space for his growing inventory of art pieces.

Certain artworks and vintage furniture pieces in Lloren?s shop are on loan from Paras and Avellana.

?People think I?m the proud owner of a Lao Lian Bien,? says Lloren, pointing to it in the living room. ?And the best part is I didn?t have to spend a single centavo to ?own? one.?

Other items on loan are a mixed-media by Eugene Jarque and a vintage hospital bed, which Lloren turned into a sofa by outfitting it with a futon and several elongated throw pillows.

?I?ve been badgering Albert to sell me this,? says Lloren, as he sits on the converted metal sofa. ?I?ve had no luck so far.?

Tucked in a corner of the ground floor, beyond the receiving area, is a double door leading to the designer?s workroom.

It houses 10 people, six sewing machines and several dressmaker?s forms. No sign of a TV here either.