Addressing Climate Change Is the Moral and Business Imperative of Our Time
University of Hawaii, Academy for Creative Media, O'ahu
Now is the time to prepare for a resilient future.
A recent study by the Gensler Research Institute found that 72% of adults in the U.S. believe that climate change is an urgent issue, but only 18% feel as though their communities are prepared to tackle it. Design resilience strategies offer a clear roadmap for how to prepare and take action against the worst effects of climate change, including the impact it will have on business, human health and wellbeing, and issues of equity. Gensler is committed to a net zero future for our clients, our communities, and our industry.
Leading the Industry Toward Net Zero
We touch over 1.25 billion square feet every year. We are leading the industry to change the industry.
Desert Harbor, Las Vegas
The Gensler Cities Climate Challenge (GC3)
Environmental stewardship is at the core of our brand, and GC3 — or the Gensler Cities Climate Challenge — is our roadmap for how we intend to help our clients reach their carbon targets and our goal of making every building in our portfolio net zero carbon.
5 STRATEGIES TO NET ZERO CARBON
How We Help Clients
Gensler offers sustainable consulting services and strategies for every type and scale of project.
Converge West Falls, Falls Church, Virgina
Climate Action & Sustainability Practice Area
We offer sustainability consulting services and strategies for developers, building owners, and tenants who want and need to minimize their operational and embodied carbon for new or reused buildings.
Performance Assessment & Analytics
We provide insights and analytics so that clients can understand their carbon impact, energy consumption, performance, and ESG goals.
Certification Services
We advise and assist clients looking to achieve third-party certifications such as LEED, Fitwel, ILFI Zero, and BREEAM.
Sustainability Strategies
We help clients identify environmental and climate-related goals and develop climate action plans.
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS
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Meet Our Design Resilience Community
We embed professionals in every practice and every office to achieve sustainable strategies at scale.
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DESIGN RESILIENCE LEADERS
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Anthony Brower
Global Climate Action & Sustainability Leader
Anthony creates cascading design impacts by connecting patterns that scale from space planning to urban design. His unique approach to sustainability strategy establishes...
Kirsten Ritchie
Global Climate Action & Sustainability Leader, Community Sector Leader, Principal
As a global leader of Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability practice, Kirsten serves as one of the firm’s leading sustainability ambassadors. She focuses on championing...
Gail Napell
Global Design Resilience Co-Leader
With over 32 years of experience, Gail is a licensed architect who is passionate about optimizing the performance of buildings today to help create resilience for tomorrow. Her...
Rives Taylor
Global Design Resilience Co-Leader, Principal
Rives directs our Global Design Resilience teams and initiatives at Gensler. He is a recognized global expert in resilient, high-performance, and sustainable design and has...
Rhiannon Laurie
Climate Action & Sustainability Leader
Rhiannon serves as the Climate Action & Sustainability Leader for Gensler’s Europe region, helping promote responsible design at every stage of the process and embedding...
Trevor To
Design Resilience Leader, Design Manager
Trevor is a dedicated architect who is focused on all stages of architectural projects, from concept design to project coordination and construction management. As the Global...
Jim Stanislaski
Design Resilience Leader, Studio Director, Principal
As a Principal and Studio Director based in Gensler’s Boston office, Jim leads a multi-disciplinary team of designers focused on creating innovative developer and life sciences...
Amanda Zaitchik
Design Manager
As a Design Manager in Gensler’s New York office, Amanda specializes in designing experiences at the intersection of brand, digital, and interior design. A certified interior...
Chris VanderWeyden
Design Resilience Leader, Senior Sustainability Specialist
Located in the Gensler New York office, Chris is a Global Design Resilience Leader for the firm’s Consumer Goods practice and has a great passion for delivering resilient...
David Briefel
Sustainability Director, Climate Action & Sustainability Leader, Principal
David is a Climate Action & Sustainability Leader for Gensler’s Northeast region and a Sustainability Director based in Gensler’s New York office. Inspired by the intersection...
Mallory Taub
Sustainability Director
As a Sustainability Director at Gensler, Mallory collaborates across disciplines to lead the development of sustainability strategies to improve the ecological and health...
Oliver Schaper
Cities & Urban Design Leader, Design Director, Principal
Oliver is an inter-disciplinary Design Director and Cities & Urban Design Leader for the Northeast region whose expertise is developing holistic, civic-minded, and sustainable...
Michael Townsend
Mixed Use & Retail Centers Leader, Design Director, Principal
Michael is an award-winning Design Director and Mixed Use & Retail Centers Leader for Gensler’s North Central region. A Principal based in Gensler’s Chicago office, he brings...
Benjamin Holsinger
Design Resilience Leader, Sustainability & Wellbeing Consultant
As Global Design Resilience Leader of Gensler’s Product Development practice, Benjamin provides guidance on sustainable qualities for our design teams and partner manufacturers...
Liz Resenic
Design Resilience Leader, Sustainability Strategist
Liz is a Global Design Resilience Leader for Gensler’s Healthcare practice area. As a Sustainability Strategist, she advances projects that are sensitive to their environment...
Gregory Plavcan
Design Resilience Leader, Sustainability Strategist
Gregory is a Global Design Resilience Leader for Gensler’s Media practice area. He leads the firm’s Washington D.C. resilience strategy team and has worked as a sustainability...
Lina Khan
Design Resilience Leader, Sustainability Specialist
Lina is a passionate advocate in creating a better world through the power of design with sustainable integrity in her role as a Global Design Resilience Leader for Gensler's...
Sandy Mendler
Studio Director, Education Leader, Principal
Sandy is a nationally recognized architect and planner focused on creating inspiring new models for healthy, sustainable living. She brings deep expertise as an Education...
Jacqueline Zuhoski
Design Resilience Leader, Technical Director
As the Design Resilience Leader for Gensler’s Technology practice, Jacqueline helps our teams and our firm move the resilience conversation to the forefront of every project...
Peter Muller
Design Resilience Leader, Design Manager
As Design Resilience Leader for Gensler's Brand Design practice area, Peter leads in sustainable brand design solutions, client advocacy, talent development, and...
Jacqueline Salterio
Design Resilience Leader, Design Manager
Extreme attention to detail makes Jacqueline adept in designing projects that meet the most stringent design guidelines and programmatic needs. In her role as Design Resilience...
Josh Rosenthal
Design Resilience Leader
Serving as Gensler’s Critical Facilities Design Resilience Leader, Josh specializes in the planning and management of complex technical projects that require particular...
Maria Perez
Climate Action & Sustainability Leader, Sustainability Director
Maria is a Climate Action & Sustainability Leader for Gensler’s South Central region and a Sustainability Director, based in Gensler’s Houston office. She serves as one of the...
Audrey Handelman
Studio Director
Audrey is an experienced architect, designer, and project leader who is a Studio Director in Gensler’s Los Angeles office and serves as the Community Impact Leader for...
Roger Sherman
Design Director
Roger is a Design Director and leads the Urban Impact group at Gensler Los Angeles. Since he joined the firm, the group has won a PA Award (Architecture Magazine) and...
Steven Shinn
Sustainability Director
As a Sustainability Director at Gensler, Steven focuses on design excellence, sustainability, and personal service for projects that promote social, cultural, and educational...
Stacey Olson
Wellness Leader, Director of Sustainability
As a Global Wellness Leader at Gensler, Stacey provides a hands-on approach to delivering holistically integrated design with a focus on sustainability, health and wellbeing...
Jennifer Cardinal
Design Director
Jennifer is a Design Director in Gensler’s Los Angeles office and experienced interior architect with a passion for design. She holds a successful 24-year track record of...
Rene Cedillos
Design Resilience Leader
Rene is the Design Resilience Leader for Gensler’s Latin America region. He brings more than 15 years of experience in sustainable and added value implementations in real...
HEAR MORE FROM OUR LEADERS
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Webinar: Climate Action Through Design
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Gensler co-CEO Diane Hoskins addresses the carbon footprint of concrete and explains how we’re using our status to push the concrete industry to reduce carbon emissions through innovation.
Is Mass Timber the American South’s Best Kept Secret? Not for Long.
The southeast United States is emerging as a serious contender in the mass timber market, where several large-scale campus projects are poised to redefine sustainable architecture.
How Local Governments Are Transforming Green Building Policies — and How to Prepare
Here is a primer on where green building policies came from, what they mean, and where they’re likely to go in the future.
5 Ways ESG Can Influence Design and Create Opportunities
Here’s how we’re expanding our understanding of ESG metrics so we can tangibly quantify the positive impacts design innovations can bring.
U.S. Climate Action Survey 2022
We surveyed U.S. residents to understand how climate change effects were already impacting their lives and what actions they felt were being taken on a personal and community level to address future events.
A Framework for Fostering Climate Resilience and Preparedness in the Built Environment
Within Gensler's U.S. Climate Action Survey 2022, we introduce a new roadmap for climate action through design that is anchored by four pillars: environment, economy, experience, and equity.
The Case for Mass Timber: How First United Bank Is Creating a More Sustainable Future
Gensler’s design for several First United Bank projects in Texas and Oklahoma highlight the potential of mass timber as a sustainable, low-carbon material.
5 Things Developers Should Know About Mass Timber
With its inherent structural integrity and positive impact on carbon emissions, mass timber can make a big impact in tackling climate action in the built environment.
The Next Phase for Climate Action: An Embodied Carbon Revolution
We are working to influence the building industry by sparking greater demand for sustainable building materials and products to trigger a sea change by decreasing carbon emissions and improving the resilience of global supply chains.
How the Building Industry Can Respond to the Terrible, No-Good, Very-Bad IPCC Report
The solutions we must embrace are not aimed at the 1% of iconic sustainable buildings, but rather they are intended to help us return to basic strategies across 99% of existing and future developments.
Why Designing for Climate Action and Sustainability Is an Imperative
In this interview, we sat down with global leaders for Gensler’s new Climate Action & Sustainability practice to discuss what’s next for climate action and sustainable design.
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.
The Future of ESG in Architecture
A team at Gensler is changing the challenge of measuring the impact of ESG goals by developing design guidance and strategy to add clarity and specificity to ESG metrics.
The Lab Building of the Future is NEXT
The traditional method of designing new science buildings needs to evolve from what the building looks like, to how it needs to be optimized for each tenant.
A Resilient Office Is an Occupied Office
In order to thrive, our downtown cores and buildings need to become more resilient, adaptable, and multiuse — considering efficient use of space and time as valuable factors in the resilience equation.
Fighting Climate Injustice: 10 Strategies for Action
Gensler and the American Institute of Architects are both committed to an ambitious agenda in the fight against climate change. Climate justice refines that approach to ensure that no one community is unfairly impacted by the burden of climate change.
The Case for Adaptive Reuse: How The Link Drives Sustainable Design Strategies in Downtown Denver
Through the tactical use of design, we transformed a dated, 1960s-era telecom office tower into a creative, modern, mixed-use office building at a fraction of the embodied carbon cost compared to building new.
The Morphable Office: Envisioning the Future of the Office Through an ESG Lens
What does the future office building look like? Gensler's "Morphable Office" concept creates a compelling environment that draws people back to the office, but also appeals to their desire to address equity and climate change.
An 8-Step Model for ESG and Wellness in the Workplace
Helping people thrive at work through wellness design and initiatives may seem like an idealized goal. It’s not. It’s achievable and fundamental to the notions of ESG and wellness.
Net Zero Design Is the Key to Building a Resilient, Post-Pandemic Future
As we re-envision the way that buildings, developments, and even cities promote health, we must reimagine how the built environment supports the long-term resilience of our communities, livelihoods, and resources.
Redefining Resilient Spaces Through Smart Material Selection
In this conversation with Armstrong World Industries, we discuss how we can decrease embodied carbon levels in the built environment simply by making smart choices about materials.
Climate Action Through Design
Addressing the built environment’s impact on climate change is both a moral and business imperative. At Gensler, our goal is to make all the buildings we design net carbon zero by 2030. Explore our strategies for designing a resilient and equitable future.
Accelerating Momentum Around Climate Action With Every Person, Every Project, and Every Place
As designers, builders, and creators of the built environment, at Gensler we are committed to leading the charge in climate action by ensuring that every project in our portfolio is net zero carbon by 2030.
Gensler Honored As First Firm to Win Three AIA COTE Top Ten Awards for Sustainable Design
Three Gensler projects were recognized for excellence in sustainable design at the 2020 American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Awards, including the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, UPCycle, and Etsy.
A Different Kind of Climate Change: How Global Migration Will Shape the Next Century
A new age of migration, as entire regions of the world begin an environmental pilgrimage, will bring climate refugees right to the front door of developed nations.
Assembly at North First: Putting Resilient Design to Work in the Wake of the Pandemic
Completed in 2019, Assembly at North First was originally intended to be leased as a single-tenant campus, but the developer asked Gensler to demonstrate what the post-COVID workplace would look like in practice.
Are Our COVID-19 Responses Missing the Big Picture?
As we plan for a new normal, we must keep the climate costs of our post-COVID workplaces and consider how changes we make to deal with the virus might influence the climate.
Could Low-Tech Design Prevent Climate Change-Influenced Pandemics?
How should we think about the coronavirus pandemic in the context of climate change? Is there anything we can do differently in the built environment to fight these two urgent problems?
Developing the World's Tallest Net Zero Timber Building with Sidewalk Labs
Working with Sidewalk Labs and a network of engineers, environmental specialists, and other partners, we have collectively spent the past year exploring timber’s potential impact on building design, manufacturing, and sustainability.
DESIGN RESILIENCE NEWS
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Urban Land Institute
2022Urban Land Institute covered a panel discussion from the 2022 ULI Fall Meeting, featuring insights from leaders, including Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen, on the right path forward for the commercial real estate industry. -
AIA California
2022AIA California honored Gensler’s design of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at San Francisco Airport with the 2022 Climate Action Award, recognizing the project for excelling in both design and performance. -
Commercial Observer
2022Gensler ESG Consultancy Director Juliette Morgan discussed how the real estate industry is impacted by findings in the latest IPCC report and reflected on prioritizing energy performance and better building materials.
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