New Work at City of Ravensburg — Scenarios for the relocation of the Technical Townhall
The role and function of office buildings is changing. What are the new work-life-balancing-models that will emerge with the remote first generation? How might a townhall stay attractive as an employer in the war for talents? In what ways do processes, tools, office interior shape a new culture? What does New Work post-pandemic look like in a public administration?
Context
The city administration’s technical offices – the so called “Technical Town Hall” – are changing location when the lease on the current buidling expires in summer 2024. The Speicherhaus, a warehouse building from 1922, has valuable advantages for citizens and employees e.g. proximity to the railway station and the city centre, yet offers less office space and less parking.
Scenarios and Value Negotiation with Design Futuring
To determine the most important features of the new space but also to enter a deeper discourse on ways of working, leadership styles, trust and team work etc., a participatory design futuring process was initiated that was nested in a larger change process. Together with representatives of all departments we explored trends and signals and systematicately developed future scenarios which we then translated to narratives of personas that employees could relate to. These Images of the Futures, in the form a short illustrated scenario videos, where then used to enter a value negotiation of preferrable futures with the entire staff.
Results
- Scenarios adressing critical uncertainties in the ways of working
- Personas representing different teams and departments
- Shared image of preferrable future
- Goals for ways of working
- Wishlist for features of new office space