Gensler

Published by Gensler, a global design firm with 5,000 practitioners networked across five continents, GenslerOn features insights and opinions of architects and designers on how design innovation makes cities more livable, work smarter, and leisure more engaging. Our contributors write about projects of every scale, from refreshing a retailer’s brand to planning a new urban district, all the while explaining how great design can optimize business performance and human potential. For more blog posts, visit: http://www.gensleron.com.

How the built environment can help the climate crisis

Courtesy Pixabay

Sustainability | November 05, 2018 | GenslerOn Anthony Brower

How the built environment can help the climate crisis

Our buildings and cities will have to experiment with new climate responsive forms, and in many cases, the built environment will require dramatic...

The G.T. "Mickey" Leland Federal Building in Houston. Image © Joe Aker.

Sustainability | October 03, 2018 | GenslerOn Chris Mundell And Maria Perez

Introducing sustainable design early leads to more resilient projects

Many companies are influenced by the misconception that only some projects can qualify as sustainable.

For Comcast Studio Xfinity's new flagship in Washington, D.C., Gensler created an engaging experiential brand program that informed the store's interior design and created a warm, social, and inviting environment. Image © Chris Leonard.

Retail Centers | September 17, 2018 | GenslerOn Ryan Cavanaugh

Iteration vs disruption: Designing for a great customer experience

One way to solve for the future is to disrupt the expected.

Office Building Design | August 27, 2018 | GenslerOn Janet Pogue McLaurin

The open office isn't dead

The degree of open or enclosed doesn't matter in high-performing work environments. If the space is designed to function well, all individual space...

The CSU Northridge Sustainability + Recycling Center

The CSU Northridge Sustainability + Recycling Center includes a rooftop photovoltaic system, which offsets the energy required to support the building's administrative functions. Glazed, north-facing overhead windows bring in natural light that enhances the work environment for staff and creates a daylight autonomous environment. The design eliminates the need for artificial light in the building during daylight hours. Ryan Gobuty, Image © Gensler.

Energy | August 06, 2018 | GenslerOn Anthony Brower

Will California lead the way to energy independence?

The architecture, engineering, and construction industry will have to make major adjustments in the years ahead now that many state, city and local...

A mix of sit-stand stations and collaboration areas support agile working. Image © Gensler/John Ryan.

Office Building Design | July 18, 2018 | GenslerOn Jane Stull

A day in the life of an ‘agile worker’

When our Gensler La Crosse office relocated last year, we leveraged the opportunity to support an agile workplace strategy (aka, no assigned seatin...

Education Facility | June 25, 2018 | GenslerOn Santiago Rivera

Behind the whiteboard: Collaborative spaces set teachers up for classroom success

Known as the Teacher coLab, the rejuvenated space takes inspiration from academic incubators in higher education.

Green | May 25, 2018 | GenslerOn Alicia Gomez Jimenez

The healing power of green spaces

The healthcare community is looking at adopting integrated care systems in which outdoor healing and therapeutic gardens are an essential complemen...

Image: Gensler

Architects | May 03, 2018 | GenslerOn Audrey Handelman

Designing innovative solutions for chronic homelessness

What’s stopping us from creating more Permanent Supportive Housing?

The shared amenity space at the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech

The shared amenity space at the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech. Image © Max Touhey

Architects | April 19, 2018 | GenslerOn Tom Vecchione And Erin Saven

From fitness to bowling alleys: How commercial office buildings are differentiating themselves through amenities

Here are five ways that amenities can help developers and building owners attract and secure tenants by appealing to their inhabitants.

Healthcare Facilities | March 28, 2018 | GenslerOn Ahmed Zaman

Sound health: How tranquility rooms can heal caregivers

Sound can also be healing. It promotes a culture of quietness and enhances environments, not just for patients but also for caretakers.

Architects | March 26, 2018 | GenslerOn Lorraine Morgan, CID, NCIDQ and Evgeniya Chadovich

Designing for homeless facilities: Critical spaces to consider

The City of San Diego is home to the fourth largest homeless population in the U.S.

Office Building Design | March 13, 2018 | GenslerOn Johnathan Sandler And Luke Rondel

Using workplace data to create connected communities

Workplace data is being put to use by corporate service groups to provide a better employee experience and empower the businesses that are their cu...

Architects | February 27, 2018 | GenslerOn Debora Novarini And Circe Mendez

But first, let me take a selfie: Designing sharable moments

The concept of “selfie walls” has been around for years, but with their growing popularity they have begun to evolve and take on a life of their ow...

BankUnited defines itself as a Network Bank by creating a cohesive multifunctional environment that integrates meeting and event space with traditional banking functions. Photo © Christopher Payne.

Architects | February 20, 2018 | GenslerOn Ryan Cavanaugh

Is there a future in retail banking? Part II

It is critical to not view the physical branch as just another sales channel, but as an important touchpoint along a customer’s journey.

Interior of the new Legacy Hall in Plano, Texas. Image © Gensler.

Architects | February 14, 2018 | GenslerOn Joe pobiner

6 urban design trends to watch in 2018

2017 saw the continuation of the evolution of expectations on the part of consumers, developers, office workers, and cities.

In this retail bank, concierge style service desks allow service professionals to have a one-on-one meeting with clients that feels personalized to their needs, rather than a long, transaction-oriented teller line. Photo (C)Tim Griffith.

Retail Centers | February 06, 2018 | GenslerOn Ryan Cavanaugh

Is there a future in retail banking?

Retail is embracing new generations. For the last 10 years, all the chatter has been about millennials and how to appease their desire for ease of...

Sustainability | January 16, 2018 | GenslerOn Katie Mesia

The nation's capital of sustainable design

Major cities, like Washington, D.C., make up less than 2% of the world’s landmass, but they contribute 77% of the world’s CO2 emissions.

Office Building Design | December 15, 2017 | GenslerOn Jennifer Gebhardt

How environmental graphics can inspire culture and creativity in the workplace

Once you secure outstanding talent, how do you keep the creative juices flowing and help employees feel more connected to their company’s culture?...

District Winery, one of DC’s latest waterfront amenities

District Winery, one of DC’s latest waterfront amenities. Image © Prakash Patel

Architects | December 01, 2017 | GenslerOn Brenden Jackson

The third wave of urban waterfront development

The nature of waterfront redevelopment has been evolutionary, in the truest sense of the word.

Architects | October 30, 2017 | GenslerOn Joe Pobiner

City 2050: What will your city look like in 2050?

What do we think the future will look like 30 years or so from now? And what will City: 2050 be like?

University of Kansas Capitol Federal Hall

University of Kansas Capitol Federal Hall. Photo: Garrett Rowland.

Green | October 04, 2017 | GenslerOn Diane Hoskins

The solutions to climate change are already at our fingertips

To keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius of warming, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that the global buildings sector...

A newly developed waterfront space in London

London is creating and redeveloping spaces with strong cultural offerings. Image © Mike Stezycki.

Architects | September 19, 2017 | GenslerOn Hiro Aso

What we talk about when we talk about placemaking

What does Good Growth mean and how do we set about achieving it?

Image Jeff Sheldon, unsplash.com

Senior Living Design | September 07, 2017 | GenslerOn Laura Latham, Tama Duffy Day, and Lee Lindahl

BoomTown: A Future for all ages

Despite our enhanced understanding of how integral socialization and engagement are to long-term health, we continue to perpetuate a senior housing...

Photo: Eastridge Center 2017 – A Pacific Retail Property

With a 30-foot interior digital wall, large-scale exterior murals, and pocket parks, Eastridge Center isn’t your typical mall. Photo: Eastridge Center 2017 – A Pacific Retail Property

August 24, 2017 | GenslerOn Rose Hung

More than a mall: A collection of experiences

Find out how Gensler transformed one of Silicon Valley’s largest shopping destinations into an immersive lifestyle destination.

People sitting in an indoor collaboration space

JLABS @ TMC, part of a network of life science incubators meant to catalyze discovery in the field. Photo: Shau Lin Hon, Slyworks Photography.

Healthcare Facilities | August 11, 2017 | GenslerOn John J. parman

Healthcare's digital evolution

Healthcare exemplifies how technology innovations like digital connectivity and artificial intelligence are playing out in ordinary life.

The Hub on Causeway. Rendering courtesy of Gensler

Retail Centers | July 27, 2017 | GenslerOn David Glover

The “New Hybrid” experience: Beyond the mall

Consumers expect more from retailers and brands than ever before.

Image © The Student Hotel, Photography by Kasia Gatkowska

Architects | July 19, 2017 | GenslerOn Jonathan Breen and Diana Lee

Student housing trends: The transformation of co-living in college

The Student Hotel is representative of a new model for delivering housing solutions for students globally.

Architects | June 29, 2017 | GenslerOn Tama Duffy Day

Uniting healthcare and community

Out of the many insights that night, everyone agreed that the healthcare industry is ripe for disruption and that communities contribute immensely...

AEC Tech | May 23, 2017 | GenslerOn William Ringer

A funny thing may happen on the way to AI

As AI proves safe, big business will want to reduce overhead.

Main lobby of Hyatt Hotel's headquarters

The main lobby of Hyatt Hotels’ 240,000-sf headquarters in Chicago, which has achieved WELL Silver certification. This open office space gives its occupants choices for noise and temperature levels. Gensler was the interior designer, Power Construction the GC. Courtesy International Well Building Institute.

A healthier perspective: Office developers bet on wellness amenities to attract top-notch tenants

Gensler designs Texas’ first full mass timber building

The $171 million, 475,000-sf John S. Oishei Children's Hospital of Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo. The project team: Shepley Bulfinch (architect), Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SE), DiDonato (CE), CannonDesign (MEP), CT & Associates (logistics/planning), HB & Associates (medical equipment planner), and Turner Construction (GC). Photo: Laura Peters/CannonDesign

Call for entries: 2019 Giants 300 Survey

Norman Foster (right), Founder and Executive Chairman of London-based Foster + Partners, discussing sketches of the three-arched entrance for his design team's proposal for O'Hare International Airport's new global terminal. Image: Foster + Partners

Chicago searches for the right design to expand O’Hare Airport and make passenger connections less stressful