Welcome to your project website. Here we will document where we are in the timeline, share any upcoming details and action items and share our process with you as we work together.
Jump To Project Schedule
discovery workshop
Learning and exploring possibilities
During our discovery workshop, four different departments came together and spent time uncovering culture, learning about modern workplaces, participated in hands-on activities and dreamed big about their future workspace.
22
Workshop Attendees
4
City Departments
2
Gallons of coffee
View Workshop Participant Survey Responses
- Individual Offices
- Open area with screen for group meetings
- Windows and natural light
- Clustered teams
- Easy to walk between teams
- Private strategy rooms
- Varied meeting spaces
- Shelving space
- Oversized offices
- Disparate city planners
- Bad technology
- Dozens of doors between divisions
- Bland colors
- No good public meeting space
- Unmovable table in board room
- Hand-me-down furniture
- Break room near public entry
- Outdoor spaces
- Versatile furniture
- Natural lighting
- Larger, welcoming entry
- 2-3 person huddle rooms
- More collaborative spaces
- Plants
- Bright, warm colors
- Shared fitness area
- Better break room
- Dedicated training space
- Locate Fire Marshall’s next to Building officials
- More front desk space
- Fitness lockers and changing rooms
dig into the details
Kalamazoo Crosstown Staff Survey Highlights
What workgroups are represented in the survey results?
“Everyone has a part to play.”
Almost 75% of participants voted this as being a key part of the City of Kalamazoo’s culture.
Prioritize being physically connected with their team
Want access or views with natural daylight
Want secure access between public and private areas
Want a comfortable outdoor space to recharge.
top rated images
Visual Preference Results
These images were voted on by the workshop group on a scale of 1-5. We aggregated all of the results and found the leading visual preference for your future workspace
Open and welcoming
Variety and creative
Natural light in office
U-Shaped layout
Natural lighting
Tells a story
Large whiteboard and multi-use
Great space
Health and fitness
Map of Kalamazoo
Programming – Places Needed
Blue Sky Thinking
- Community landmark – inspiring, accessible + welcoming, “curb appeal”
- Election accessibility
- Community access to parking
- Leading / changing the landscape for future developments – green, energy efficient, “walk the walk”, biophilic
- Supportive tech – consider lobby space: ability to scan permits, pay with credit card
- Proud to work at the Crosstown facility and support the public effectively
- People would thank us for the work that we are doing
- One entry point for departments and community
When asked to sort through a pile of 25 images, our workshop participants had to agree on 8 cards they felt best described their internal culture.
Every photo solicits a different reaction or keyword for each person. Their collaboration to narrow down, agree and define resulted in this selection.
- Family
- Creative
- Cooperative
- Isolated
- Collaborative Ideation
- Interwoven
- Trust
- Working Together
What we heard about CPED’s culture
- Can do attitude!
- Everyone has a part to play
- “GO TEAM” mentality
- Individual gears working together
- Patience
- Maintain standards + zoning – portray with love
- Ideation over implementation
- Bending over backwards for others
- Reliant
- Family
- Inclusive
- Intentional
project vision
Maximize the benefit of utilizing the building as a resource to departments and the community with consideration of the present and future.
The space is to be thoughtfully and efficiently designed to seamlessly accommodate a variety of uses including different ways of working and supporting the public.
A variety of people will want to use the space as they will be naturally drawn to how happy, healthy and connected they feel to the City of Kalamazoo.
setting our sights
Goals and Considerations
Initial Goals
- Additional office space and training center for KDPS
- Relocate the entire CPED and IT departments
- Community gathering space for 100 people
- Record retention storage
Developed Project Goals
- Better organize the workplace layout and calibrate to required tasks
- Enhance connection / teamwork within workgroups
- Enhance connection between City and Community
- Create more + better places for collaboration
- Utilize branding to reinforce the story
Considerations
- Balance efficiency + hospitality
- Leading / changing the landscape for future developments
- Green / energy efficient
- “walk the walk” • Biophilic
- Consider the taxpayers mentality
- ie: pride in working here, but fields complaints regarding tax paying dollars, etc.
Exploring our
Plan Diagram Options
Plan diagrams are loose illustrations of space and adjacencies from an overhead view. They define space needed, but without much detail as to what is in that space.
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
Overall Project Process
Discovery Workshop
Completed on August 8, 2023 – A set of engaging activities that educate and help you tell us about who you are, what you do and the things and spaces you need.
All Team Survey
Completed on August 30 – We sent out a 25 question survey to over 100 participants across 10 departments to gather workplace preferences and understand day to day needs.
Workgroup Programming
Complete the week of September 25 – Meet for around 30 minutes each with key members of each workgroup separately to discover unique needs and work style of each group
Meeting 3 - Report Back and Initial Planning
Completed on November 17, 2023
Download Full Report Back Presentation- Review the goals, vision and visual character preference results
- Review the program of spaces and adjacency / experience diagram
- Initial planning diagrams: 2-3 test fit plans of how the spaces might be reconfigured
Meeting 4 - Final Concept Direction
- Single conceptual floor plan diagram – verify the direction achieves the general goals
- Visual Character design direction of finishes and elements.
- Discuss budget process and components
Meeting 5 - Final Package and Budgeting
Present total project cost budget. This will be a magnitude of cost budget based on the conceptual plan. We will also help you budget for all potential project cost items in order to set a total project budget target.
