Mensgericht Design: Stadskantoor Gent

The administrative offices of any city are traditionally a public space that attracts a very diverse audience. How do you design such administrative offices for a city like Ghent, known for being inclusive with a people-focused mentality? The starting point for this was a radically different design approach with human-centered design at its core, which became the guiding principle for all the implementation parties. The result is an extremely people-oriented and inclusive administrative office that can hopefully serve as inspiration for other organisations thinking about designing spaces.

The jury on Human-Centered Design: Ghent City Hall:

From a dull, hard-to-read building, the Ghent City Hall have morphed into a very people-oriented space that is accessible to all Ghent residents. Here, inclusive design simply feels natural and human, just as it should.

What does this award mean to you?

We see this award as confirmation from the design sector that our vision of designing spaces is shared by many and is widely supported. That, by designing with people in mind instead of bricks and stones, we can build a more people-centred infrastructure and, by extension, a more inclusive society. Obviously, this means a lot to GELO - Human-Centered Design studio, its partners and the City of Ghent. It encourages all of us in our quest to pursue this path with even more enthusiasm.

What makes your project so special?

The uncompromising conviction of all the parties - from the City of Ghent as client to the design studios involved - that we can break the status quo around designing public and other spaces with a unique human-centered approach and methodology.

How does it contribute to a better world?

We hope this will, in part due to this award, set an example for other organisations, businesses, and local governments. It is an invitation to embrace human-centered design in designing spaces so that we can exponentially magnify its positive impact on people.