Optimizing function and public intake for San Mateo County public agencies
Before:
After:
KRJ provides a wide range of services for the County of San Mateo’s various agencies’ offices as well as state agencies in County offices.
A common need is reorienting spaces to guide the incoming public to proper intake counters to reduce wandering and engagement with other staff members. Our work for the County HSA offices has been noted by the County Board of Supervisors.
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CASE STUDY
Improving public-agency visitor intake and staff collaboration with
zone-based design
For several San Mateo County agency departments, KRJ Design created more public-usable layouts with zones for public use and agency staff use
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The Human Services Agency director’s vision was to improve the 25,000-s.f. facility, making it more inviting, comfortable, and efficient in its processes for the public as well as provide a comfortable and secure environment for the public, children, and employees.
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Challenge:
San Mateo County faced a common public agency problem: With many offices’ floor plans, the visiting public could not immediately see how to navigate to the services they sought or where to wait. At the same time, growing staffs were fitted into mazes of cubicles with no obvious coherence and no easy way to interact with teams. The County sought to improve intake of the public for the Human Services Administration departments.
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KRJ was consulted to assess needs, create more public-facing layouts, choose design elements and furniture (FF&E), and manage the redesign with minimal interruption of services.
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Solution:
KRJ reoriented layouts and fixtures to make the most of daylight and window views, improving the working experience, increasing productivity, and even reducing lighting costs. The new plan created a coherent grouping of functions and group spaces so staff members could more effectively collaborate.
Solutions provided: space planning, inventory, standards, procurement and installation oversight, relocation management
Our projects for the County of San Mateo include facilities of Public Works, the Controller’s Office, Information Services Department, Information Services Department, Human Services Agency, Human Resources Department, Health Services offices, Human Services Agency, Department of Housing offices, District Attorney Family Support, Tax, Treasurer, Assessor offices, and Planning and Building offices