District office: 9 ideas for "Accessibility +"

The challenge

The district authority is planning a new administrative building for over 700 employees on the so-called Wandsbeker Zollinsel. The special feature of the new building is the specialist department for integration assistance, which takes care of the needs of people with disabilities centrally in Hamburg.

An innovation process begins with a vision. The Wandsbek district office clearly formulated this vision before participating in the Cross Innovation Lab: "The new Wandsbek administration building will be the most barrier-free administration building in Germany". The issue of accessibility is defined nationwide by various regulations and standards. The aspirations of the Wandsbek district authority go beyond the legal requirements - but how do you develop new solutions in a subject area that is almost exhaustively regulated?

The approach was to create new added value under the heading of accessibility+. Firstly, of course, added value for people with disabilities, but also added value for accessibility that goes beyond the legal requirements and added value for the building through exceptional accessibility.

Output

In collaboration with experts from the fields of architecture and product design, the employees of the district office developed nine elements. The following solutions and prototypes are available:

Customer wayfinding: Customers of the five specialist offices in the new administration building arrive at the Wandsbek Markt stop by train or bus, provided they are travelling by public transport. From there, an intuitive guidance system consisting of information boards, tactile elements and signs will direct them to the public administration services and the relevant district office buildings.

Forecourt: Once in front of the building, customers arrive at the forecourt. This incorporates elements of accessibility from the building and includes an induction loop for hearing-impaired people, tactile elements in combination with a wayfinding system, clearly visible entrance and functional areas, grab handles, benches and seating for accompanying animals.

Guidance system: The guidance system should not only incorporate the aspects of DIN 18040-1, but also the different service packages (help for families, help for socially disadvantaged people, help for reintegration, etc.) with colours and symbols and guide people to the appropriate places in the building.

"Tüpfelchen": The "Tüpfelchen" is a device that welcomes visitors and guides them through the building. It is possible to walk behind this robot or to sit on it.

The following other ideas have been developed: the +Pass, the Employee+ (what good is the best technology if the employees don't live the accessibility plus?), an audio+video guide and customisable flexible rooms. In addition to these technical and structural solutions, products that already exist have also been listed. These include: Cane holders for the blind, an acoustic door sign and mobile phone charging stations.

Team: Annika Fitz, Felix Jung, Philipp Schürmann, Jan Meisner, Oliver Pitsch, Mario Schau

Format & method

In the Cross Innovation Lab, companies come together in changing constellations over a period of six weeks to work together on product developments in a stimulating environment. Experts from the creative industries are specifically involved in the process.

• Field research: At the beginning, the challenges of the companies are explored in a new kind of depth in collaboration with creative professionals - and their fresh perspective from the outside.
• Workshop phase: In a total of four workshop/lab days, the companies develop new solutions together with selected creative professionals.
• Feedback loops: Between the labs, a concept review takes place with all participating companies in order to further improve the products through joint feedback and exchange.

In the iterative work process, companies develop new products or product adaptations in a significantly reduced amount of time.