We Want To Be the Example for a More Diverse and Inclusive World
The Platform at Gratiot, Detroit
We are focused on ending systemic racism in the architecture and design profession while also taking decisive steps to address diversity, equity, and inclusion at Gensler through a global lens. We are leading this change by taking action that creates opportunities for the Black community, BIPOC communities, and other underserved people across the world.
Since establishing our Strategies to Fight Racism in 2020, we continue to evolve our efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Over the past two years, we created our Global Race and Diversity Committee, hired a Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, launched a student design charrette with seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities, introduced Black Lives and Design research grants, and recruited and hired more Black professionals.
These initiatives build upon our inclusive people-first philosophy. More than ever, we are taking on a more localized and nuanced approach in each of our communities. From partnering with our clients in designing equitable spaces, to creating opportunities in our industry for diverse talent, we have made measurable progress on all fronts and continue to take action to create purposeful, inclusive, and resilient spaces for everyone.
2022 Gensler Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
We are a constellation of stars and every voice counts. In order to create equitable and inclusive places and spaces, we strive to build a firm that includes and empowers people who represent the diversity, authenticity, and local culture of the global cities we help reimagine. Our annual Gensler Diversity Report represents our commitment to strategic initiatives at multiple scales across the firm and in the work we accomplish with our clients around the world. The publication measures our progress in our ongoing actions and programs to support diversity, equity, and inclusion and identifies opportunities for continued growth.
Gensler Global Workforce
87
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
101
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
1000+
UNIVERSITIES ATTENDED
52
OFFICES
10
REGIONS
54.9%
FEMALE
.2%
NON-BINARY
44.9%
MALE
Strategies to Fight Racism
Our 5-part “Strategies to Fight Racism” is a blueprint for accelerating our action plan to address systemic racism. It outlines key strategies that we are using to make positive and lasting change across our firm, our industry, our client relationships, and the cities where we live, work, and play.
- We will increase racial diversity within Gensler by recruiting and hiring more Black professionals and supporting the Black professionals in our firm to achieve and exceed their full potential.
- We will create education opportunities for Black students by expanding our scholarship program and mentoring middle and high schoolers in our communities.
- We will pursue equitable design solutions in our cities and communities to create positive experiences for Black communities.
- We will create job opportunities in the architecture and design industry for Black professionals and serve as an active partner with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and the ACE Mentorship Program.
- We will partner with our clients on diversity and inclusion initiatives in order to integrate and amplify efforts across our networks.
We’re focused on making incredible progress towards a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.
MEET OUR GLOBAL RACE AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Jason Pugh
Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Design Manager, Principal
As the Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Jason promotes Gensler’s commitment to its Strategies to Fight Racism while furthering the firm’s efforts to address...
Jean Anderson
Design Synergy Community Co-Leader, Design Director, Principal
Jean co-leads Gensler's global Design Synergy Community and is a Design Director based in New York. She is focused on design excellence, working across the firm to ensure that...
Andre Brumfield
Cities & Urban Design Leader, Design Director, Principal
Andre is a global leader of Gensler’s Cities & Urban Design practice. A Design Director in the firm’s Chicago office, he is focused on and committed to revitalizing and...
Nayan Parekh
Consulting & Real Estate Services Leader, Principal
As a global leader of Gensler’s Consulting & Real Estate Services practice, Nayan brings two decades of experience in partnering with clients on their future of work. Nayan has...
Allison Brooke Tomlinson
Northeast and Latin America Regional Legal Counsel, Principal
As the Northeast and Latin American Regional Legal Counsel, Allison is responsible for multiple offices across regions. She developed the firm’s first compliance program, which...
EXPLORE RELATED STORIES
38 Items
California College of the Arts Receives $4.7 Million From Gensler, Amazon, and Others to Support Diversity in Design
The new M. Arthur Gensler Jr. Center for Design will provide scholarships, mentoring, and career counseling to students with the goal of making design education more accessible and equitable.
Gensler Voices: Francisco Gonzalez on Why It’s Vital to Design Inclusive Spaces
Francisco Gonzalez, co-managing director, Gensler Washington, D.C., discusses his career path, and the impact design and architecture can have on our communities and the human experience.
The Resilient Workplace is Purposeful, Inclusive, and Collaborative
We polled CoreNet Global members worldwide, who told us their organization’s top priority was attracting employees back to the office. But what attracts employees to an employer or workplace has shifted.
Optimizing Hybrid Meetings for Neurodiversity and Inclusion at Work
Here are some inclusive design guidelines for hybrid meetings to benefit all participants — whether they’re virtual or in person, and regardless of their age, disability, gender identity, race, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, culture, or workstyle.
17 Emerging Designers Receive 2022 Gensler Scholarships
Gensler is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 Rising Black Designers Scholarship and the Brinkmann Scholarship.
Driving Inclusivity in Digital Content
We engaged an array of diverse content creators — experts who work with digital content from many angles — to collaboratively explore the topic of inclusivity and help us create a shared perspective on how we can evolve both the way we work, and the work itself. Here is what we heard.
Inclusive Product Design: Everyone Has a Seat at the Table
With careful planning and thoughtful design, the conference room experience will be seamless for all users, no individual will feel singled out, and everyone will get the most out of the space. Everyone will have a seat at the table.
How Inclusive Design Supports Resilience and Climate Preparedness
We have an opportunity to design places that are inclusive for all people that can also promote resilience and make preparedness more accessible in the face of natural disasters and other climate change events.
Gensler Voices: Eric Knowles on How Design Can Create a More Sustainable, Just, and Equitable World
We sat down with Eric Knowles, technical designer, Gensler Charlotte, to ask him about his career path and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities and the human experience.
Gensler Voices: Heidi Davis on Why Diverse Teams Can Create New Narratives
We asked Heidi Davis, HR Director, Gensler’s North Central Region, to reflect on her career journey and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities and the human experience.
The Future of the Museum Experience: Diverse, Inclusive, and Digital
In this episode of the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, we explore how museums are adapting to changing visitor expectations in an increasingly digital world.
How Architects and Designers Can Continue to Prioritize Inclusivity in 2022
Roger Smith and Lisa Cholmondeley, co-directors of Gensler’s Center for Research on Equity and the Built Environment, talk about designing for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and what lies ahead.
Why Inclusive Design Is a Critical Advantage in the War for Talent
For companies who are looking to compete in the war for talent by delivering a positive employee experience, inclusive design is a critical consideration.
Reflecting on the First Year of Black Lives and Design Grants
Gensler’s Black Lives and Design grants fund research dedicated to addressing systemic racism, unconscious bias, and social justice.
Justice, Equity & Design Dialogue Series: Conversations with Eden Robinson, Greg Hoffman, and Lesley Lokko
Our Justice, Equity & Design Dialogues are a call-to-action to take a leadership role in driving change within our firm and industry, and with our clients and in our communities to create lasting impact.
Why Understanding the BIPOC Student Experience Is Critical to the Future of Education
With a research grant from Gensler’s Center for Research on Equity and the Built Environment, this research aims to understand the complexities of urban education and its impact on the BIPOC student experience.
Creating a Destination for Pride, Diversity, and Inclusion in San Jose
With the city's first LGBTQIA+ district, the city of San Jose has created a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming new place that showcases the history, culture, and diversity of the queer community.
How D.C.’s Community of Hope Family Health and Birth Center Supports Black Women
Birth centers offer a promising way to level the playing field for low-income women and women of color.
The Inclusion Utopia: Promoting a More Equitable and Inclusive Experience for Athletes
With over 100 anti-trans bills across the United States, we sought to understand how design can create opportunities for an inclusive and safe locker room experience — and to imagine what an inclusive utopia can look like for all athletes.
Bridging the Gap to Bring More Diverse Voices Into the Design Profession
Here are six lessons from our HBCU Student Design Charrette for bringing more diverse voices and talent into the design profession.
Designing a Black-Owned Gallery to Elevate Artists of Color
At Gallery 90220, a new Black-owned art space in South L.A., Gensler's designers leveraged the power of design to literally create a platform to share the stories of artists of color.
7 Ways Creative Leaders Can Build Inclusive Organizations and Solutions: Lessons From a CMO
We invited Greg Hoffman, former Chief Marketing Officer and innovation leader at Nike, to share his thoughts about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the design industry.
The HBCU Student Design Charrette: A Study in Inclusivity and Hope
Gensler's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Student Design Charrette is a bridge to academia that offers pathways to success within the architecture and design field.
Gensler Voices: Mustapha Williams, Gensler Chicago
Mustapha Williams, a technical designer at Gensler Chicago, shares what first sparked his design passion, how winning the Gensler Diversity Scholarship impacted his career, and why mentorship drives him.
Gensler Voices: Chardae Adams, Gensler Houston
We sat down with Chardae Adams, designer, Gensler Houston, to ask her about her career path and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities and the human experience.
Towards Justice, Equity, and Design
To bring diverse voices together around issues related to race and diversity, Gensler's Justice, Equity & Design Dialogue series aims to ignite a movement within the firm to actively participate in the global fight to abolish structural racism.
Designing Schools for Equity and Engagement
To design the equitable and engaging post-pandemic school, we looked to three recent projects that exemplify the ideas of connectivity, adaptability, and choice.
Gensler Voices: Rhandi Green, Gensler New York
We sat down with Rhandi Green, job captain, Gensler New York, to ask her about her career path and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities and the human experience.
Wellness Design at the Intersection of Equity and Sustainability
Enhancing the wellness for the future of our cities requires a twofold approach — creating more equitable and accessible spaces across underserved communities, as well as focusing more on wellness design projects that are specifically designed by BIPOC and minority professionals.
Embracing Multiculturalism With Michael Marshall, AIA, NOMA
Michael Marshall, design director and principal of Michael Marshall Design, talks how diversity is an important investment in the future.
How the New Hybrid Workplace Can Support Equity for All
The future workplace must evolve to serve new needs, support flexible, hybrid working styles, and promote equity for all workers.
A Workplace With Heart: Inclusive, Connected, and Unmuted
The future workplace must be built on an ecosystem that brings people, place, and technology together, giving agency and equity to all work modes. Let’s journey through the future workplace.
The Slow Streets Movement Needs More Black Voices
Even before the pandemic and recent civil unrest, it was clear that communities of color were struggling with urban health, safety, and wellness issues. We cannot talk about "Slow" or "Safe" Streets without also talking about race.
Equity, Interrupted: How a Return to the Office Is Needed to Rebuild Equity
We believe that the workplace offers far more equity than working from home, literally putting us on equal footing with ample desk space and ergonomic chairs, highspeed Internet access, and vast opportunities for creative collisions and social encounters.
Designing More Inclusive, Accessible Transit Systems for All
To create healthier, more inclusive cities, we must promote more equitable mobility services and make transit more accessible to all users.
7 Questions About Equity and the Design Profession for the Incoming President of NOMA
Jason Pugh, the incoming president of the National Organization of Minority Architects and a practitioner at Gensler's Chicago office, answers 7 questions about equity and the design profession.
What Not-for-Profits Can Teach Us About Equity and Inclusion
Not-for-profits are leading the way on issues of inclusion and equity because they understand that the work they do is part of something greater than themselves.
Designing Cities That Are Open and Equitable
In the face of the complex system of racial injustice, it can feel daunting to try to make a difference, but as designers, we have the unique power to apply our solution-based skills and expansive creativity to create inclusive and inspiring experiences and public spaces in our cities.
BROWSE RELATED PROJECTS
Jackie Robinson Museum
New York, New York
Located in a landmarked building in Lower Manhattan, the Jackie Robinson Museum presents the life of the first African American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in a dynamic setting, designed by Gensler, to educate, inspire, and challenge visitors of all ages. The space explores and...
Newark Community Museum of Social Justice
Newark, New Jersey
The Newark Community Museum is a symbol of the community’s historied movement for justice and aspirations for the future. Gensler worked closely with the City of Newark to convert the 1st Police Precinct, the flashpoint of the 1967 Newark Rebellion, into a community museum for learning, healing...
Fair Park Fitzhugh Parking Structure
Dallas, Texas
A revision was issued to the masterplan of Fair Park, a registered National Historic Landmark that’s home to the Texas State Fair and a variety of cultural institutions. The updated Fair Park masterplan includes a 14-acre community park and a parking garage to capture displaced surface parking...
The Center for Pursuit
Houston, Texas
The Center for Pursuit, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting choice, growth, and independence for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, worked with Gensler to design its new campus, prominently situated in Houston’s East Downtown (EaDo), an emerging community within a...
Holcomb Family YMCA
Spring, Texas
As a community-serving facility that was reconceptualized and designed during the pandemic, the Holcomb Family YMCA is unlike any other of its kind. Envisioned as an inclusive destination where people can find hope, fellowship, and healing, the facility’s innovative design provides members with...
Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Los Angeles, California
Gensler partnered with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy to design its new Shonda Rhimes Performing Arts Center, a top-tier arts venue that supports the nonprofit organization’s commitment to expanding the reach of dance and theater arts to enrich the lives of young dancers in the Greater Los...
REACH LA
Los Angeles, California
Gensler Los Angeles partnered with REACH LA to design a vibrant and welcoming space where the nonprofit organization can engage and empower LGBTQ+ people of color through creative arts, health and wellness, personal development, and social enterprise. REACH LA provides resources and enrichment...
Community of Hope Family Health and Birth Center
Washington, D.C.
Located in Northeast D.C., Community of Hope provides quality healthcare services to under-served and underrepresented communities. With a mission to improve health outcomes and support the needs of individuals and families, Community of Hope worked with Gensler to utilize an existing building...
Lupita’s Corner
Los Angeles, California
In partnership with the LA Food Policy Council’s Healthy Neighborhood Market Network program, Gensler Los Angeles helped transform a local neighborhood market, Lupita’s Corner, into a community hub that helps address the issue of food inequity in a bright, modern space that offers nutritious...
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
New York, New York
Completed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates in 1968, the Ford Foundation’s building was hailed as an architectural icon. A private, not-for-profit organization established in 1936, the Ford Foundation partnered with Gensler for a mission-driven redesign of its Manhattan headquarters...
Infill On The Cut
Detroit, Michigan
This transformational development will challenge the conventional mixed-use approach and create a new gateway to downtown that is inclusive, welcoming, and equitably prosperous. The Platform at Gratiot is a mixed-use development that will encompass 350 residential units, 80,000 square feet of...
Town Hall Apartments
Chicago, Illinois
This mixed-use senior housing facility includes street-level retail, parking and 79 apartments and is an adaptive re-use of the historic decommissioned Town Hall police station. Developed jointly by Heartland Housing and the Center on Halsted, Town Hall Apartments showcase the concept of “aging...
DISCOVER MORE FROM THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON EQUITY AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Models for Co-Creation and Partnership with the Black Community
We investigated how Gensler can empower and engage Black communities with inclusive design models of partnership.
Design Equity Through Policy Action
We documented where systemic racism has led to led to design injustice and the existing policies and practices that create equitable design solutions.
Beyond the Stone: Giving Voice to an Inclusive South
An investigation into how to address the design of Confederate Monuments in the U.S. to reconcile symbols of oppression with a need for racial justice.
Inclusive Design and the Black Experience
A study in how our inclusive design strategies can be expanded to include discussions of race and inclusion.
A Strategy to Optimize Minority-Owned Food & Beverage Businesses
A study in the unique challenges facing Black-owned businesses and our insights create a strategic outlook to improve the F&B landscape.
Education and the BIPOC Experience
We surveyed BIPOC students to understand how they perceive and experience education spaces in order to find new ways to design schools that make all students feel safe and included.
Building Trust: Black Experiences in Healthcare
We investigate the drivers of mistrust in Black communities regarding healthcare and outline how to build trust going forward.
Achieving Inclusivity in the Design Process
Exploring how we can design great experiences for users