Gensler Design Exchange

Creating a great workplace experience requires a focus not just on space and effectiveness. The best strategies align space, culture, interaction, and behavior to create a high-performance workplace experience that optimizes people's performance. On today's episode of the Gensler Design Exchange, Gensler's Brandon Larcom and Tim Pittman sit down to discuss major findings from the 2019 U.S. Workpla...

Few roles have as symbiotic a relationship with architecture and design as facilities management. The task challenges those carrying it out to think critically about space, its effect on people and productivity, and how it interplays with financial stewardship. Rosalie Mignano-Aste is the vice president of corporate real estate and facilities management at Endeavor . In her role at Endeavor, forme...

Lynn University first opened its doors to students in Boca Raton, Fla., over 50 years ago. But before it became what it is today, it was first a private all-women's school in what was once a sleepy South Florida town. Today, the campus is a vibrant and trailblazing educational institution in a fast-growing urban center.  The university has been consecutively named among the most innovative and int...

Growing up, our parents would tell us never to get into cars with strangers or take what isn't ours. Today, that's all the norm thanks to rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber and dockless bikes and scooters like Lime. As technology evolves, so do our cities and the ways we move around. How is that affecting our transportation systems and urban infrastructure? Today on the Gensler Design Exchange, Gen...

Coworking emerged as a popular trend for startups seeking budget-friendly workplaces and resources over the last few years — but this phenomenon hasn't only affected tech companies. Public Policy Holding Company (PPHC), for example, is a Washington, D.C., based public policy conglomerate that houses a constant flow of boutique PR firms from both sides of the aisle. Today, Gensler Principal & Desig...

When you think about flooring, what do you imagine? The sound of heels clicking on a surface? Tile, wood, carpet, and vinyl? Yes, flooring is the material beneath your feet, but it is also the footpath through your everyday life. It maps out our global cities and suburbs purposefully and effectively, and we evolve upon its surface, first learning to crawl, then walk and run upon it. Shaw Contract...

The holidays are a time of year for giving back and lending a hand to help those in your community. To honor this, this week on the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, we're celebrating issue advocacy through the power of design. On this episode, Elaine Asal , design strategist in our Gensler Baltimore office, talks with Ryan Cavanaugh (design manager, Gensler Atlanta), Michael Adkins (consulting str...

Recently, Gensler's Washington, D.C., hub hosted a panel discussion in partnership with the Washington Business Journal to discuss the state of the DMV region, what's on the horizon, and what that means for our local businesses and communities. Panelists: Victor Hoskins, Director of Arlington Economic Development; Emily Weems, VP and Head of Government and Policy Affairs at Capital One; Brian T. K...

Brandon Larcom, Director of Product Development for Gensler's Southeast Region, interviews Janet Pogue McLaurin, Principal at Gensler, about global trends in workplace design. Janet is a workplace strategist, researching how design can impact office effectiveness, wellbeing, and innovation. Brandon sits down with Janet to discuss what a healthy work environment looks like, how to measure productiv...

Today, Gensler Design Director Meena Krenek speaks with Red Bull's Southeast Vice President of Marketing Alastair Dickson. The two dissect the importance of 'why' – why Alastair was interested to the Red Bull brand in the first place, why Red Bull decided to move its new Southeast HQ into an abandoned warehouse in a burgeoning part of Atlanta, and why design is pivotal to cultivating customer expe...

In this episode of the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, Greg Plavcan sits down with Liz Resenic of Gensler's Washington office. Liz is a Sustainability Specialist and an active contributor to Gensler's WorkWell model as well as Gensler's internal wellbeing initiatives. In their conversation, Greg and Liz discuss the symbiotic relationship between sustainability and wellbeing, the history of Gensle...

In this episode of the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, host Gregory Plavcan talks with Gary Strehlke , the Wellbeing Navigator at Steelcase. Gary begins by describing wellbeing hubs at Steelcase as an accessible approach to HR. Rather than the "principal's office" HR tends to be, a wellbeing hub is an intentional space designed with a holistic approach: a place where employees can address concern...

In this episode of the Gensler Design Exchange , Gensler's  Gregory Plavcan talks with Gary Strehlke , Wellbeing Navigator at Steelcase. Steelcase's wellbeing hubs are an accessible approach to HR. Rather than the "principal's office" HR tends to be, a wellbeing hub is an intentional space where employees can address concerns both directly and indirectly related to work and where physical barriers...

In this episode of the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, host Gregory Plavcan talks with mindfulness meditation teacher Grace Ogden. Grace draws from 27 years of experience in mindfulness meditation and teaches at George Washington University and UMass Medical School Center for Mindfulness. In this conversation, Gregory and Grace discuss the difference between wellness and wellbeing, how and why to...

We're working on new content for our next few seasons of the Gensler Design Exchange. Catch up on all of our previous episodes on our  show notes page , and stay tuned for more design forecasts coming your way soon! 

Our Gensler Sports team has designed dozens of dynamic sports facilities across the world and across the college and professional leagues. From locker rooms to arenas, our work has created large-scale place making and branded destinations with the potential to revitalize communities and improve player performance. In today's final installment of the Gensler Design Exchange sports series, Ryan Sick...

If you've attended any sporting event in the last ten years, chances are you've walked through a metal detector or had your bag checked by a guard after you scan your ticket. Ryan Sickman, Gensler's sports practice area leader, spoke with Russ Simons, Chief Listening Officer and Managing Partner at Venue Solutions Group, about the top trends in sporting event security today and how venues can desi...

Today, the Capital One Arena has hosted 47 million people and more than 3,915 events. Its impact, however, far exceeds its walls. The neighborhood, once destitute, is now a lively mixed use district. Ryan Sickman, Gensler's sports practice area leader, spoke with Jordan Silberman and David Touhey, Vice Presidents of Operations for Capital One Arena, about the stadium's commitment to its local comm...

At Oregon State University, Gensler Sports is working closely with the athletics department to upgrade student-athletes' resources and player spaces. Ryan Sickman, Gensler's sports practice area leader, speaks with Scott Barnes, Vice President & Athletics Director at Oregon State University, to talk about how advanced technology is helping Oregon State increase recruitment while designing optimize...

With at-home technology making the view from a fan's couch as lifelike as being there in person, today's sports teams are evaluating how they can update their arenas to make attending games live – instead of in front of a TV – an unbeatable experience. In today's conversation with the Cleveland Cavaliers CEO, Len Komoroski, Gensler Sports Practice Area Leader, Ryan Sickman, talks about how success...

Professional sports teams and their staff are flexing their design thinking muscles to find new ways to keep fans buzzing about their brands for longer periods of time. In his interview with Ryan Sickman, Gensler's Sports Practice Area Leader, Antony Bonavita, Senior Vice President of Facility Operations at Cleveland Cavaliers/Quicken Loans Arena, speaks about his experience in the field of managi...

Kevin Kearney, Aramark's District Manager specializing in food service at Quicken Loans Arena, spoke to our sports practice area leader at Gensler, Ryan Sickman, to discuss why stadium concessions are an integral part of the game-going experience and how the redesign of the Q in favor of more social spaces with food accessibility is enhancing the community connection of fans with the arena. Show N...

In the latest episode of the Gensler Design Exchange, Gensler's residential practice area leader, Phil Esocoff, speaks to Tama Duffy Day, Gensler's firmwide health and wellness expert, on how today's elderly population is redefining what "active aging" entails and how residential communities can be redesigned to support more inclusive, multigenerational living that supports aging in place. Show No...

Urban planners are reimagining what cities can be by implementing solutions like smart parking and micro units to allow more and more people to move into cities comfortably. Today, Gensler's Residential Practice Area Leader, Phil Esocoff, speaks with Darryl Hemminger, Senior Vice President for ZOM, on how developers are assessing tenant needs across cities and suburbs and finding solutions that be...

Are Millennials Really Fueling the Amenities Arms Race|An interview with Peter Armstrong Millennials may have caused a 31 percent uptick in houseplant sales in 2016 , but are they also responsible for the "amenities arms race" happening in urban centers across America? According to Peter Armstrong, Vice President at The Georgetown Company, the answer is simply: no. It turns out that this much hype...