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More than Just a Bank Counter: Drees & Sommer develops Future-Proof Branch Offices for the Savings Bank Sparkasse zu Lübeck

© Sparkasse zu Lübeck
With its new branch concept, Sparkasse zu Lübeck is converting its branches into lively neighborhood meeting places.

The user behavior of clients has changed considerably in all sectors in recent years. Among those affected are German savings banks, which focus on the retail client business. Digital offerings are coming to the fore, while traditional branch banking is on the decline. How can banks deal with this transformation, and what kind of design creates sustainable branches that can remain a part of society? All these and other questions have been addressed by Sparkasse zu Lübeck and the Hamburg-based sector experts of Drees & Sommer SE, a consulting company focusing on construction and real estate. Together they now create future-proof branch offices.

Before embarking on the project, Sparkasse zu Lübeck looked closely at the role that the branch can play in a digital world. Convinced that the branch should continue to be a part of society, Sparkasse zu Lübeck engaged Drees & Sommer to develop and roll out a future-proof branch concept. Comprehensive strategic project planning and lean takt planning enabled the restructuring phase to be completed within a tight timeframe.

‘What is unique about the implementation of a new branch concept is the wide range of target groups to be considered: saving bank branches are visited by everyone, from parents accompanied by children opening their first account, to senior citizens who have been clients for decades. The concept has to reach all these people and create meeting places for them. However, the new branches were designed not only for the comfort of existing clients; a further challenge was to find a way of attracting new clients into the branch. Additionally, the project team had to address the needs of the staff who work in the branch offices every day, while achieving the objective of using spaces sustainably and adapting them to new ways of working. Sometimes this involves consolidating office and branch space to design future-proof spaces that reflect the concept of New Work,’ explained Tasja Schneider, head of team at Drees und Sommer’s office in Hamburg.

Find more information in our press release.