USER CENTRIC Solutions

We connect people, spaces, and technologies.

“How do we create future-ready work, living, learning, and experience environments?”

In short: by thinking about people, spaces, and technologies together—and by focusing from the very beginning on how these environments will ultimately be used and operated. We guide our clients through the entire process, from strategy to real-world implementation.

We help organizations address the following challenges

Strategic Value: The benefits of modern workplaces, learning environments, and customer spaces are often not always easy to quantify. We help demonstrate how your investment supports business strategy, improves organizational performance, strengthen competitiveness, and enhances the experience for employees, customers, and other users.
Profitability and ROI: Measuring the success of modern work environments can be complex. We develop business cases, calculate return on investment (ROI) and lifecycle costs, establish KPIs, governance models, and clear accountability to ensure your investment delivers long-term value.
Space Planning and Investment: Organizations are under increasing pressure to reduce costs while creating flexible, scalable real estate portfolios. We develop space strategies and concepts that maximize efficiency and remain financially sustainable throughout the entire lifecycle.
Organizational Change and Effectiveness: Modern, hybrid work, learning, and customer environments have a proven to have a positive impact on collaboration, organizational culture, and brand perception. However, many organizations struggle to manage the change required to realize these benefits. We design and lead change management programs that build engagement, encourage adoption, and inspire collaborations because successful transformation depends on as much people as it does data.
Operations and Sustainability: Rising occupancy costs, inefficient energy use, and inconsistent service delivery can limit organizational performance. We help create models that are efficient, sustainable, and centered on the needs of users.
Technology and Digitalization: Organizations are under pressure to embrace digital platforms and innovations that will remain relevant in the future. At the same time, they must seamlessly integrate audiovisual systems, IT infrastructure, workplace technologies, AI, and data platforms into existing environments in ways that are secure, scalable, and user-friendly. We help organizations navigate this complexity and implement integrated solutions that support long-term success.

At its core, User Centric Solutions is our approach to consulting, planning, and implementating high performing work, living, and learning environments with people and operations at the center.

Our experts address all of these challenges with integrated solutions. Because anyone aiming to transform physical and digital spaces will not get far with isolated planning.

Instead, we combine expertise in organizational consulting, architecture, digitalization and technology consulting, project management, sustainability, and change management.

Workplace

Create a flexible, modular, and hybrid system with us that equally enhances productivity, collaboration, and well-being.

Future-ready work environments are more than offices. They are tools for productivity, collaboration, and operational excellence.

Talent magnet: Work environments that create identity and foster acceptance through user experience
Space efficiency: Flexible, scalable concepts for activity-based working with optimized utilization and sustainable cost-efficiency
Hybrid collaboration: High-performance technological infrastructure for seamless, accessible hybrid collaboration
Adoption and implementation: Integrated change management to ensure productive use of the new work environment from day one

We think and act holistically and guide you from start to finish: from developing your workplace strategy through concept design, planning, and implementation to introduction, scaling, roll-out, and operations.

Education

Together, we create adaptive and inspiring environments where people can learn, collaborate, and sustainably develop their skills in hybrid settings.

Modern teaching and learning environments must make knowledge more accessible and simplify teaching—on-site and hybrid.

Contemporary learning: Environments that support educators and learners while enabling innovative teaching and learning formats
Hybrid excellence: Interactive presentation, communication, and collaboration technologies for in-person and remote participants in one space
Scalability: Standardized, cost-efficient concepts for sustainable operations and portfolio-wide roll-outs
Enablement and adoption: Integrated change management with targeted training for staff and educators

We develop solutions for hybrid education in modern learning environments—advising you on both strategic alignment and the implementation of innovative teaching formats to ensure long-term, cost-effective operations.

Brand Spaces

Together, we develop consistent, emotionally engaging physical-digital (“phygital”) touchpoints. This creates personal relevance, strengthens brand identity, and enables a seamless customer journey.

Customer and brand loyalty emerge where phygital spaces become measurable brand experiences.

Brand experience: Brand and retail formats that provide orientation, build trust, and support purchasing decisions
Customer journey: Seamless experiences through the integration of physical and digital touchpoints
Technological staging: Innovative technologies for impactful spatial presentation of brands and products
Scalability: Cross-location store concepts and standardized approaches for efficient roll-outs
Operational efficiency: Efficient organization of roll-out and operations

We develop holistic concepts for brand and retail spaces—from planning and implementation to roll-out and operations.

SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

With us, you create immersive, emotional experience spaces that increase fan engagement, strengthen your brand, and enable seamless live and digital experiences.

Modern sports and entertainment environments are far more than venues - they are platforms for emotion, interaction, and identification. Whether live on-site, hybrid, or digital, they connect visitor experience, operations, and monetization into one integrated system.

Fan experience: Holistically designed environments that create proximity, emotion, and identification—before, during, and after events
Immersive staging: Audiovisual and digital technologies for impactful storytelling and presentation of games, shows, and brands
Seamless touchpoints: End-to-end visitor and user experiences through intelligent integration of physical, digital, and mobile touchpoints
Operational and revenue performance: User- and operations-focused concepts for efficient management of operations, safety, hospitality, and monetization
Scalability and future readiness: Standardized, maintainable, and scalable solutions for multifunctional use, seasonal formats, and roll-outs

We support you holistically—from strategic experience and usage definition through concept, planning, and implementation to commissioning, ongoing operations, and continuous development.

HOTEL AND HOSPITALITY

Create personal, seamless, and multisensory experiences that enhance comfort, efficiency, and emotional guest connection at every touchpoint.

True guest experience emerges when comfort, flexibility, and experiential quality are combined with efficient operations—whether in modern hotels, co-working spaces, or event venues.

Guest experience: Comfortable, flexible hospitality and event spaces with distinctive character
Market positioning: From market strategy through concept and planning to roll-out and operations
Digital guest experience: Intelligent information and wayfinding systems, as well as in-room entertainment for greater comfort and security
Multi-format performance: Technology and usage concepts for events, meetings, conferences, and changing formats
Investment security: Sustainable operational concepts for long-term performance and cost-efficiency

We guide you through your entire project—from market positioning to concept, planning, implementation, roll-out, and operations.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

We create high-performance, secure, and intuitive work environments that enable situational decision-making, real-time transparency, and efficient collaboration in critical scenarios.

Modern control rooms, operations centers, and situation centers are the nerve center of organizational capability. They integrate information, technologies, and people into a unified decision and response system—meeting the highest standards of availability, security, and ergonomics around the clock.

Situational awareness: Intelligent visualization and information concepts for a shared, reliable real-time operational picture
Human-machine interaction: Ergonomic, user-centered workstations for sustained high performance in critical operations
Technological resilience: Highly available, secure, and scalable AV, IT, and control room technologies for mission-critical applications
Interdisciplinary collaboration: Spaces and systems that seamlessly connect leadership, analysis, decision-making, and operations—locally, hybrid, and across organizations
Operations and future readiness: Standardized, maintainable concepts with clear strategies for operation, updates, and scalability across the entire lifecycle

We support you holistically throughout your entire project—from strategic needs and requirements analysis through concept, planning, and realization to commissioning, training, operational organization, and continuous development of your command and control environment.

Our Approach

We take an integrated, strategic, and holistic approach partnering with clients from strategy development through implementation and ongoing operations.

People, places, and technology are inseparable and should never be considered in isolation. We take a comprehensive view that integrates people, organizations, environments, digital transformation, and technology to create effective, scalable, and economically sustainable solutions. The result is high-performing environments that deliver exceptional user experiences while supporting long-term business objectives.

Your Added Value

Real Estate and Space Strategy
We provide a clear foundation for decision-making on new construction, modernization, relocations, or portfolio rollouts. Our strategic guidance enables clients to plan with confidence, accelerate decision-making, and optimize investment.
Interior Architecture and Brand Experience
We translate user, customer, and operational requirements into environments that are both functional and inspiring, creating efficient workflows while reinforcing brand identity.
Technology and Digitalization
We integrate modern audiovisual and IT solutions with smart building technologies and data-driven planning to enable better decision making, optimize operations, and create future-ready infrastructure.
Change Management
We support organizational transformation at every stage with clear communication and structured engagement. By involving stakeholders throughout the process, we build understanding, encourage adoption, and help ensure lasting change.
Sustainability and Economic Performance
We align environmental and business objectives across the entire lifecycle to improve sustainability, reduce operating costs, and maximize long-term value.
User Project Management
We manage the entire user-side project lifecycle, from requirements definition and coordination with design and construction teams to change management, relocation, commissioning and operational readiness. This reduces complexity for stakeholders and helps ensure successful project delivery.

Press 07/05/2025

City of Stuttgart Promotes Simple Construction: Drees & Sommer Plans ‘Type E’ Building for Own Use at its Headquarters

At the Expo Real trade fair last October, Stuttgart's Mayor Frank Nopper and Steffen Szeidl, CEO of Drees & Sommer SE, held intensive discussions on how a pilot project based on “Building Type E” can set new standards for simple construction. © Drees & Sommer SE

Video statement: Steffen Szeidl.

Stuttgart, Germany, May 7, 2025. The first project for the construction of a Type E building in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg will be implemented at the headquarters of the consulting firm Drees & Sommer SE in Stuttgart’s Vaihingen district. It is also the largest office complex ever built in line with this future-oriented approach in Germany. “For its pilot project, which was devised as a Type E building, we are providing support for Drees & Sommer as it strikes out in a new direction. The letter ‘E’ stands for ‘easy’, ‘efficient’ and ‘experimental’ Other builder-owners and planners will benefit from the experiences gained in the pilot project in order to make construction in Stuttgart simpler and faster,“ comments Peter Pätzold, Mayor for Urban Development, Housing, and Environment of the State Capital City of Stuttgart.

The intention with the planned Type E building is that it should be possible to deviate from many standards and regulations of the construction sector. For deviations from recognized technical rules in particular, clients and planners can agree that for the construction of this type of building these standards do not have to be followed. Peter Pätzold says: “Rules originally intended to guarantee safety and quality are indeed making things quite complex. A maze of construction regulations and standards is often more of a hindrance than a help, and leaves little room for innovative approaches to affordable and climate-friendly building design.” In Germany, many aspects of construction are regulated in detail, from the thickness of the walls to the number of electrical sockets or the height of hand rails. There are currently around 20,000 construction standards that have to be complied with on a construction project.

Flagship Project for Construction with Recycling Materials

Peter Pätzold, Stuttgart’s Mayor with responsibility for construction, sees Drees & Sommer’s plan as a very good pilot project. He believes it will highlight areas where there can be issues regarding warranties and the approval of materials for use in construction – especially recycled building materials – which have to be resolved later. Even the application of lower construction standards can show what is possible and justifiable.

Triple Role of Owner-Builder, Planner and User as an Ideal Starting Position

Currently more than 6,000 employees of Drees & Sommer are involved in around 6,500 construction, real estate and infrastructure projects. So, Stuttgart-based consulting company Drees & Sommer is very well prepared for the pilot project. Steffen Szeidl, Executive Board Member of Drees & Sommer, point out: “We are owner-builder, planner and later also user of the new office building. This is an ideal starting position for the building Type E approach. With this project, we intent to demonstrate feasibility and economic viability of ecological construction. Our triple role in the project dispenses with tedious coordination processes, but also the liability issues that arise with the Type E building when the focus is on new solutions.“

The very first draft of a design for the new building, which is named THE NEW 22, was obtained by means of an internal architecture competition in which several design teams competed against each other. Thomas Berner, project head of the construction project, explains: “It was organized as professionally as any external competition for a client. The construction site is predefined due to the presence of the adjacent buildings. The new complex will be located on Drees & Sommer’s campus, in the middle of other buildings. The aim is that the new building should be connected to the existing buildings in terms of its design as well as fitting in with the urban development plan. The central requirement was therefore that the idea of a networked campus be apparent all aspects of the design: from the architecture through to aspects such as circularity within the meaning of the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ principle, energy transition and autonomy, and modularity. We are currently in close communication with the building control office to determine what can be implemented innovatively. When everything is in place, we will publish the details,“ adds Thomas Berner. However, it is sure that the complex will offer a flexibly designed, modern event area with a modern cafeteria for staff members and guests. Offices and workplaces will be located on the upper floors.

High Benchmark

“When the neighboring flagship project OWP12 was realized on the campus all participants very constructively worked together. So, there is an excellent basis of trust for our new project,“ says Steffen Szeidl. In close collaboration with the City of Stuttgart and the building control office, Drees & Sommer has already set new standards outside the federal state for OWP12, the new building completed on its campus in 2021. Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg hailed the consistent focus on the sustainable design of the OWP 12 complex as an inspiration of future construction projects: “Landmark projects such as Drees & Sommer's new building show how the transformation to a sustainable and climate conscious construction culture can succeed.“ The net plus-energy building, which has earned several awards, generates more energy than it consumes in operation, supported by a highly insulating façade, photovoltaic systems and geothermal energy. The green façade covers more than 100 square meters and works also on the northern side of the building. In addition, the materials have been selected in line with the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ principle. This ensures the building's recyclability and the absence of harmful substances. “One thing is for sure: the benchmark of the new Type E building is high,” underlines Drees & Sommer Executive Board Member Steffen Szeidl.