Wikipedia

Gensler

This article is about Gensler, known more formally as M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc. For other uses, seeGensler (disambiguation).

Gensleris a global design and architecture firm headquartered inSan Francisco,California. It is the largest architecture firm in the world by revenue and number of architects.[3]

Gensler
Company typePrivate
IndustryArchitecture
Founded1965;59 years ago(1965)
San Francisco,California, U.S.
Founders
  • M. Arthur Gensler Jr.
  • Drue Gensler
  • James Follett
Number of locations
53 offices[1]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Services
[2]
RevenueUS$1.84 billion(2023)[1]
Number of employees
5,500+ (2021)[1]
Websitewww.gensler

In 2022, Gensler generated $1.785 billion in revenue, the most of any architecture firm in the U.S.[4]As of late 2023, Gensler operated offices in 53 cities in 17 countries worldwide,[5]working for clients in over 100 countries.[6]

History

edit

Art Genslerfounded the firm in 1965, along with his wife Drue Gensler and their associate James Follett.[7]They originally focused on corporate interiors,[8]for newly constructed office buildings including the Alcoa Building (1967) and theBank of America Building(1969), both in San Francisco.[9]The firm has since diversified into numerous forms of architecture and design, including commercial office buildings, retail centers, airports, education facilities, entertainment complexes, planning and urban design, mission-critical facilities, consulting, brand design, and other areas.[10]

Gensler grew rapidly with offices opening around the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s and then overseas in the 1980s and 1990s.[9]In 1972, the firm established an office in Houston to provide interior design services for Pennzoil Company's 600,000-sq-ft corporate headquarters.[11]In 1979, the firm opened its New York office to provide interior design and production services for Mobil Oil Corporation's corporate headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. In 1988, the firm launched its first overseas office in London, followed by new offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong in 1993.[12]In 2002, Gensler opened an office in Shanghai, establishing a permanent presence in China. By the early 2000s, Gensler was the largest architecture and design company headquartered in the U.S.[9]

In 2005, Gensler's board of directors extended the firm's collaborative leadership structure by namingAndy Cohen,Diane Hoskins, and David Gensler as executive directors/Co-CEOs.[13]Cohen and Hoskins continue their tenure as Co-CEOs.[6]In 2015, the firm celebrated its 50th anniversary.[14]After serving as Co-CEOs for nearly 20 years, Cohen and Hoskins became Gensler’s first Global Co-Chairs in 2024, and the firm named Jordan Goldstein and Elizabeth Brink as the new co-CEOs.[15][16]

Influence and industry impact

edit

As the firm's global footprint has grown, Gensler has launched megaprojects such asCityCenter(Gensler served as Executive Architect of the 67-acre, 18 million-square-foot “city within a city” in Las Vegas),SFO Airport(beginning with the Central Terminal project in 1980 and continuing with comprehensive T2, T3, and T1 renovations), andShanghai Tower(a 128-story mixed-use tower).[17]In 2013, the 2,073-foot Shanghai Tower became China's tallest building, and the second-tallest in the world.[13]

In 2023 Gensler undertook the office-to-residential conversion of 160 Water Street in Manhattan'sFinancial District.The project is expected to yield 588 residential rental units and has been applauded by politicians such as MayorEric Adamsas well as activists concerned with the city's lack of housing.[18][19]

Research

edit

In 2005, Gensler debuted its first U.K. Workplace Survey,[20]followed by a U.S. Workplace Survey in 2006, and the formal establishment of the Gensler Research program in 2007. The firm launched subsequent U.S. & U.K. Workplace Surveys in 2008,[20]2013,[21]and 2016.[22]Gensler's Workplace Surveys now encompass five continents, with surveys in Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, U.K., and the U.S.[23][24]In 2010, Gensler's research program secured a registered trademark for its Workplace Performance Index (WPI), a trademarked pre- and post-occupancy tool.[25]In 2017, Gensler celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Gensler Research Program (now the Gensler Research Institute) with the publication of Gensler's Research Catalogue, Volume 2.[26]In 2017, the firm launched the Gensler Experience Index, which quantifies the direct impact design has on experience,[27]followed by industry reports in the Education, Healthcare, Residential, Retail, and Hospitality sectors.[23][28]In 2020, the firm launched Gensler's City Pulse Survey,[29]surveying residents in four cities during lockdown due to COVID-19, followed by another City Pulse Survey in 2021,[23]surveying 10 cities to see how the pandemic has reshaped urban life.

Programs and initiatives

edit

In 1990, Gensler established Gensler University, the firm's chief platform for leadership development.[25]Subsequently, the firm established the Diversity Scholarship, a juried program that recognizes emerging talent among African-American college students enrolled in an accredited architectural program, and the Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship Fund, which was established in 1999 as a memorial to Donald G. Brinkmann, a gifted interior designer and former partner at Gensler.[17]In 2007, the firm established its gServe community impact program.[17]Gensler's Community Impact program encourages offices to dedicate at least 80 percent of their Community Impact resources to one or more of four themes: Housing and Homelessness, Health and Wellness, the Environment, and the Next Generation.[30]

In 2015, Gensler signed the Paris Pledge for Action at theCOP21 conference,pledging to reduce carbon emissions to limit climate change to less than 2 degrees Celsius.[31]At the U.N. Climate Action Summit in 2019, Co-CEO Diane Hoskins announced the Gensler Cities Climate Challenge (GC3),[32]which challenges the architecture and design industry to eliminate all greenhouse gases associated with the built environment. To further that pledge, Gensler is launching new green specifications that focus on reducing high-carbon materials.[33]Gensler's “Impact Through Design” report, launched in 2016, explores strategies for architecture and design to play a greater role in global climate change strategy and mitigation,[34]reinforcing this commitment to sustainability with the firm's subsequent “Impact by Design” reports in 2017,[34]2018,[35]2019, 2020,[36]2021,[23]and 2022.[37]

In 2023, Gensler announced the launch of the Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards. Starting in January 2024, the standards will be required for all Gensler projects in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.[38]At COP28, Gensler partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to jointly expand low-carbon building certification and access to green finance.[39]

Recognition

edit
Shanghai Tower,Shanghai

Gensler was awarded theArchitecture Firm Awardin 2000 by theAmerican Institute of Architects.[40]

In 2009, Gensler became the first firm inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame.[12]

Gensler received the AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture for the HyundaiCard Air Lounge in 2012[41]and the Jackson Hole Airport in 2014.[42]

For the third year in a row, Forbes included Gensler among “America’s Best Midsize Employers” in 2018.[43]

Gensler received the highest ranking on Interior Design magazine's “Top 100 Giants” list.[44]

Gensler was included among Glassdoor's Best Places to Work 2020.[45]

TheNational Center for Employee Ownershipnamed Gensler the 21st largest employee-owned company in the U.S. on the NCEO 2020 Employee Ownership 100.[46]

The AIA Committee on the Environment named three Gensler projects winners of the COTE Top Ten Awards, recognizing the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, UPCycle, and Etsy headquarters for integrating design excellence and sustainable performance.[47]

Gensler received the #1 rank overall in Building Design's 2021 World Architecture 100 Rankings.[48]

For a decade, Gensler has topped Architectural Record's annual list of the Top 300 Architecture Firms in the U.S.[49]

For the third year, Fast Company named Gensler among the “World’s Most Innovative Companies 2021” as one of the 10 Most Innovative Companies in Architecture.[50]

Fast Company ranked Gensler among the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021, recognizing the firm's new proprietary NFORM Ecosystem.[51]

Engineering News-Record ranked Gensler as the #1 Top Green Design Firm for six consecutive years, from 2016-2021.[52]The firm was second in the latest ranking in September 2022.[53]The firm regained the #1 ranking in 2023.[54]

For the 42nd consecutive year, Gensler received the highest ranking on Interior Design magazine's “Top 100 Giants” list in 2023.[55]

In 2023, Gensler maintained the top position on Architectural Record’s Top 300 Architecture Firms[56]for the 12th consecutive year.

The AIA honoured Gensler’s repositioning of Willis Tower with the 2023 AIA National Interior Architecture Award[57]and awarded adaptive reuse project 633 Folsom the 2023 AIA National Architecture Award.[58]

The Center for Active Design awarded Gensler with as the company with the “Most Ambassadors” (All Time), as the company with the most Fitwel Accredited staff, in the 2023 Best in Building Health Awards.[59]

For the ninth consecutive year, Gensler received the #1 rank overall in Building Design's 2024 World Architecture 100 rankings.[60]

Notable projects

edit
Houston Ballet Centre for Dance,Houston, Texas.

References

edit
  1. ^abc"Gensler Fact Sheet 2023"(PDF).
  2. ^"Gensler Services".
  3. ^"WA100 2023: The big list".Building Design.RetrievedOctober 27,2023.
  4. ^"Top 300 U.S. Architecture Firms of 2023 | Architectural Record".architecturalrecord.RetrievedOctober 27,2023.
  5. ^"Firm Profile".Gensler.RetrievedOctober 27,2023.
  6. ^abGorman, Peter (November 8, 2018)."Gensler Co-CEOs Bring an Architect's Mindset to the Corner Office".Chief Executive.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  7. ^Cassidy, Robert (January 3, 2012)."Art Gensler: Still Making a Difference for Clients Every Day".Building Design+Construction.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  8. ^Ikenson, Ben (July 2013)."Gensler's Secret Sauce".Metropolis.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  9. ^abc"Arthur Gensler Oral History – Building a Global Architecture and Design Firm – (Regional Oral History Office; Oral History Center of The Bancroft Library)".bancroft.berkeley.edu.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  10. ^"Gensler Services".gensler /about/services.December 4, 2018.
  11. ^Henshaw, Barbara (September 1, 2011)."Design powerhouse has put its stamp on Houston's skyline".Downtown Houston.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  12. ^ab"Timeline: 50 Years of Gensler".Interior Design.December 3, 2015.
  13. ^abBradley, Ryan (August 19, 2013)."Gensler's Power of Three".Fortune.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  14. ^"Timeline: 50 Years of Gensler".Interior Design.RetrievedMarch 18,2022.
  15. ^Klein, Kristine (October 4, 2023)."Gensler promotes Andy Cohen and Diane Hoskins to global co-chairs".The Architect’s Newspaper.RetrievedFebruary 14,2024.
  16. ^Klein, Kristine (June 25, 2024)."Gensler promotes Elizabeth Brink as co-CEO and Julia Simet as the firm's first global talent officer".The Architect’s Newspaper.RetrievedOctober 16,2024.
  17. ^abc"ARTHUR GENSLER AIACC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE"(PDF).aiacc.org.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 21, 2018.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  18. ^Relman, Eliza."Architects are cutting big holes in the middle of skyscrapers and adding more floors to turn empty NYC offices into apartments".Business Insider.RetrievedNovember 28,2023.
  19. ^"160 Water Street's Residential Conversion and Expansion Progresses in Financial District, Manhattan".New York YIMBY.July 4, 2023.RetrievedNovember 28,2023.
  20. ^abJana, Reena (October 21, 2008)."Read It Here First: Gensler's 2008 Workplace Survey Links Office Satisfaction and Financial Performance".Bloomberg.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  21. ^Fairs, Marcus (July 31, 2017)."Bad workplace design means most employees are" struggling to work effectively "".Dezeen.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  22. ^Caulfield, John (July 13, 2016)."Latest Gensler survey links innovation with workplace flexibility".Building Design + Construction.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  23. ^abcd"Gensler Annual Report 2021".gensler.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  24. ^Napier, Steve (May 29, 2017)."Gensler's Workplace Surveys".Cardigan Row.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  25. ^abCassidy, Robert (January 3, 2012)."Gensler: 'The One Firm Firm'".Building Design + Construction.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  26. ^Barber, Christine (February 6, 2017)."Hidden Truths and How to Find Them".GenslerOn.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  27. ^Budds, Diana (November 1, 2017)."Tech Is Transforming Our Spaces, And We're Just Beginning To See How".Fast Company.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  28. ^McLaughlin, Robin (October 4, 2018)."Four Takeaways from Gensler's Hospitality Experience Index".Lodging Magazine.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  29. ^Cohen, Andy."Council Post: Human-Centered City Design For A Post-Pandemic World".Forbes.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  30. ^"2018 Annual Report".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 11,2018.
  31. ^Hoskins, Diane (June 6, 2016)."Designing for the Year 2030".LinkedIn.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  32. ^"Doubling down on our commitment to resilience | Building Design + Construction".bdcnetwork.October 17, 2019.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  33. ^Perspectives, Opinion by Diane Hoskins for CNN Business (September 27, 2021)."Opinion: When it comes to cutting carbon emissions, the real estate industry is running out of time".CNN.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help)
  34. ^abHoskins, Diane (October 4, 2017)."The Solutions to Climate Change Are Already at Our Fingertips".Building Design + Construction.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  35. ^Caulfield, John (October 2, 2018)."Gensler, in latest report, highlights where resilient design could make the greatest impact on the built environment".Building Design + Construction.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  36. ^"Gensler Annual Report 2020"(PDF).gensler.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  37. ^"Climate Action Through Design 2022".GRAPHIS.
  38. ^"Gensler creates Product Sustainability Standards for building industry".Sustainable Biz Canada.RetrievedFebruary 22,2024.
  39. ^"IFC's EDGE Buildings and Gensler Join Forces at COP28 to Support Buildings Decarbonization, Sustainable Finance".International Finance Corporation.
  40. ^"Gensler Wins AIA Firm Award".Architecture Week.June 7, 2000.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  41. ^Mays, Vernon (May 17, 2012)."2012 AIA Honor Awards: HyundaiCard Air Lounge".Architect magazine.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  42. ^"AIA Announces the 2014 Honor Awards: Architecture".Architect magazine.January 10, 2014.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  43. ^Valet, Vicky (May 1, 2018)."America's Best Midsize Employers 2018".Forbes.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  44. ^"Giants 2021".Interior Design.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  45. ^"Best Places to Work".Glassdoor.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  46. ^"The Employee Ownership 100: America's Largest Majority Employee-Owned Companies | NCEO".nceo.org.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  47. ^"AIA Announces 2020 COTE Top Ten Award Winners".architecturalrecord.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  48. ^"WA100 2021: The big list".Building Design.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  49. ^"Top 300 U.S. Architecture Firms of 2021".architecturalrecord.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  50. ^Fast Company (March 9, 2021)."The 10 most innovative architecture companies of 2021".Fast Company.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  51. ^"Best Workplaces for Innovators 2021".Fast Company.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  52. ^"ENR 2021 Top 100 Green Buildings Design Firms".enr.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  53. ^"| Engineering News-Record".enr.RetrievedOctober 7,2022.
  54. ^"ENR 2023 Top 100 Green Design Firms and Contractors: A Green Market Growth Spurt".Engineering News-Record.
  55. ^"Interior Design Unveils the 2023 Top 100 Giants".Interior Design Magazine.RetrievedFebruary 22,2024.
  56. ^"Top 300 U.S. Architecture Firms of 2023".Architectural Record.RetrievedFebruary 22,2024.
  57. ^"Project highlights: Willis Tower Repositioning".AIA.org.American Institute of Architects.
  58. ^"Project highlights: 633 Folsom".AIA.org.American Institute of Architects.
  59. ^"Fitwel's 2023 Best in Building Health Awards Announced".Fitwel.org.
  60. ^"WA100 2024: Back to reality for the world of architecture".Building Design.RetrievedFebruary 22,2024.
  61. ^"Bayonne's planned 1888 Studios granted site reconfiguration - Hudson Reporter".January 13, 2023.
  62. ^"21st Century Fox Headquarters - New York City".Office Snapshots.September 10, 2018.RetrievedOctober 7,2021.
  63. ^"2000 Avenue of the Stars | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  64. ^"Banc of California Stadium | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  65. ^Jacobs, Sarah."A look inside The Boston Consulting Group's stunning New York office, which has an in-house cafe and workout rooms".Business Insider.RetrievedOctober 7,2021.
  66. ^"Four Seasons Hotel, Burj Alshaya Centre | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  67. ^"Centro de Convenciones de Costa Rica | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  68. ^"Condé Nast | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  69. ^"DreamWorks Animation Campus | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedAugust 17,2022.
  70. ^"San Jose International Airport, Terminal B".Gensler.RetrievedSeptember 10,2021.
  71. ^"The Avenues – Phase III".Gensler. Archived fromthe originalon December 29, 2016.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  72. ^"The Avenues | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  73. ^"NVIDIA | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  74. ^"Gensler Unveils a Redesign of the Ford Foundation's New York City Headquarters Focused on the Visitor Experience".Gensler.RetrievedOctober 7,2021.
  75. ^"Incheon International Airport | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedOctober 7,2021.
  76. ^"Century City mall goes deluxe with $1-billion makeover to entice online shoppers".Los Angeles Times.September 27, 2017.RetrievedOctober 7,2021.
  77. ^Widner, Cindy (March 6, 2018)."Peek inside Fairmont Austin, opened just in time for SXSW".Curbed.RetrievedDecember 27,2019.
  78. ^"Johnson Controls Headquarters, Asia Pacific | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  79. ^"E. & J. Gallo Winery Dry Creek Building | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  80. ^"Hyatt Corporation | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  81. ^Kellogg, Craig (December 10, 2016)."Coca-Cola Headquarters Reimagined by Gensler".Interior Design.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  82. ^"The Washington Post | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  83. ^"Westin DEN Hotel and Transit Center | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  84. ^"Jackson Hole Airport | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  85. ^"Shanghai Tower".Genzler.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  86. ^"Tower at PNC Plaza".Genzler.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  87. ^"The Tower at PNC Plaza | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  88. ^"Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Gratz Center | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  89. ^"San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 2".Genzler.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  90. ^"The Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residences and JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  91. ^"JetBlue JFK, T5i/T5 Expansion | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.
  92. ^"The Gate Building | Projects".Gensler.RetrievedDecember 4,2018.

Further reading

edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related toGensler.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gensler&oldid=1258901431"