The Context
Reigersbos Facade Project
and its Social-Technical Challenges
There are infinite ways to solve liveability and energy efficiency challenges. Decision-making and planning are complex in any project. This is because there are often various decision-makers involved that have competing needs and priorities. Information is not equally available for all the people involved, and naturally, they can differ in their opinions and understanding of technical matters. In addition, all the groups involved have already existing internal processes to comply with, and the available resource will put an extra layer of complexity. Often projects become a collection of various individual actions and efforts without having a clear shared goal.
For effective decision-making,
the people involved need to speak a shared language
and unite all their individual efforts towards a shared plan.
The Case:
Reigersbos Facade Project
In the Reigersbos shopping area in Amsterdam Zuidoost, homeowners came together to plan the renovation of over 280 homes. The facades of the buildings, built in the 1980s, are in critical need of replacement. The heat is poorly retained in the apartments in winter, and they can become very hot in summer, as the facades are not well insulated. In some apartments, it leaks when it rains heavily, leading to damage inside the houses. Due to this condition of the homes, residents pay a lot for maintenance costs, and their gas bills are often high.
The VvEs (Owner's association) of the homeowners in Reigersbos act as the commissioners of the facade project. They seek solutions for the poor state of their facades and work on other energy-efficient measures, together with Stichting !WOON, the Municipality of Amsterdam, the social housing corporation Stadgenoot. The VvE's aim for improving their facade is complex.
The Reigerbos project aims to integrate a new facade system and renewable energy sources into an existing infrastructure; this added to requirements for acquiring the subsidies is already a complex technical challenge in itself. However, this is not just a technical challenge. The design needs to address the homeowner's needs, and the homeowners will have to adapt their behavior for these new technologies to work effectively. Moreover, in the process, the different groups involved in the project have different needs, priorities, financial possibilities, and technical understanding of the available options.
The Challenge we decided to address in the Living Lab
Communication Challenge
One of the critical challenges for the Reigersbos facade project is the urgent need to communicate effectively the needs, expectations, pains, thoughts, arguments, views, and understandings between the people involved. Clear communication and a shared understanding of roles, resources, and responsibilities are vital for effective decision-making in this facade process. This exchange is essential to align the interests and expectations in a clear and comprehensible shared vision of the project and to work together to improve the living conditions in Reigersbos.
- Click here to read about -
Our Proposal to address these challenges
a series of working sessions
and a manual to make them your own
If you are more curious about the process of the Reigersbos Living Lab
download our report here: