Climate Action & Sustainability
We offer sustainability consulting services and climate action strategies for developers, building owners, and tenants. Focusing on certification, strategy, and analytics, we help organizations and communities achieve carbon targets and sustainability goals.
Volvamos a la Fuente rainwater collection concept, Mexico City, Mexico
“
We should be designing so that all of life can flourish. This is what regenerative design and architecture is all about: being additive to the environment in which a building project exists.
—Juliette Morgan, Climate Action & Sustainability leader
27 Items
Google at St. John’s Terminal
New York, New York
St. John’s Terminal is a sustainable 12-story workplace designed as Google’s Global Business Organization headquarters located in Hudson Square in New York.
NVIDIA
Santa Clara, California
The Silicon Valley pioneer NVIDIA sought a corporate headquarters that reflected its core belief in people as its greatest asset.
First United Bank
Fredericksburg, Texas
First United Bank wanted to create an open, inviting environment that serves the community with a design that is sustainable, timeless, and long-lasting.
The Lighthouse
South San Francisco, California
The Lighthouse is a shared amenity space for a community of biotech companies in South San Francisco, that is targeting net zero energy.
San Francisco International Airport, T1 Net Zero Program
San Francisco, California
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has set the goal of becoming the first airport in the world to achieve zero carbon, zero waste, and zero net energy.
Under Armour Global Headquarters
Baltimore, Maryland
Under Armour’s new global headquarters building in Baltimore’s Port Covington reaffirms the company’s long-term resilience commitment in a building, constructed almost entirely of mass timber.
10 Gresham Street
London, United Kingdom
Gensler partnered with CBRE IM to reimagine 10 Gresham Street, an office building transformation that will usher in a new sustainable future in London.
Sustainable Shade Structures
Tirrases, Curridabat, San José Province, Costa Rica
This research initiative focuses on the relationship between extreme heat and vulnerable communities and creating actionable steps to offset climate injustice.
Rancho Los Amigos – Harriman
Downey, California
For over a century, the 212-acre Rancho Los Amigos campus has been a cornerstone of the Downey community, supporting the physical and mental health and wellb...
Springdale Green
Austin, Texas
Located on the site of a former brownfield, the reimagined Springdale Green represents a new kind of office campus designed to attract the creative workforce.
LinkedIn Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
LinkedIn partnered with Gensler to design its new 200,000-square-foot campus in Omaha, Nebraska — the first portfolio project embracing LinkedIn’s Future of Work Strategy, developed alongside Gensler.
American Physical Therapy Association Headquarters
Alexandria, Virginia
The new headquarters of the American Physical Therapy Association empowers employee collaboration and promotes mobility, accessibility, and sustainability.
CSULB Parkside North Residence Hall and Housing Administration Building
Long Beach, California
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) enlisted Gensler to help reach the university’s goal of achieving net-zero status by 2030.
The Link
Denver, Colorado
The Link is a creative mixed-use office tower in downtown Denver that transforms an existing building into a modern, amenity-rich environment.
The Acre
London, United Kingdom
Gensler transformed an inward-looking, closed off building into a modern and sustainable workplace that connects The Acre’s past with its future in the heart of London’s Covent Garden.
Torre Universal Sustainability
San José, Costa Rica
Torre Universal, a modern, class A+ corporate office and retail center in San José, strives to be a benchmark of sustainable development, multimodal mobility, and vertical urbanism.
Café Britt Headquarters
Heredia, Costa Rica
Café Britt tapped Gensler to design a highly sustainable headquarters that mirror its company values and embodies its environmental responsibility ethos.
citizenM
Seattle, Washington
Located in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, citizenM is the city’s first fully modular hotel and a model for sustainable hotel design.
Walmart Home Office
Bentonville, Arkansas
Walmart’s new 350-acre home office will be fully integrated into the community, and inclusive of the natural beauty of Northwest Arkansas.
Holt Renfrew Sustainable Guidelines
Toronto, Ontario
Canadian luxury department store chain Holt Renfrew tapped Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability consultants to develop its sustainable design and construction guidelines.
UPCycle
Austin, Texas
Guided by the concepts of upcycling, adaptive reuse, and a sustainable design approach, Gensler repositioned a dilapidated old warehouse into creative offices.
Centro de Convenciones de Costa Rica
Heredia, Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s first convention center sustainable design milestone in a country that pioneered eco-tourism and is committed to a forward-looking green ethos.
CSU Northridge Student Sustainability Center
Northridge, California
Through net zero consulting and LEED certification management, Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability consultants helped the Center achieve LEED Platinum status and become the completed net zero energy building in the CSU system, with a 24KW rooftop photovoltaic array with a glazed overhead window that offsets the building’s entire energy needs.
Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC)
Houston, Texas
Gensler designed the Houston Advanced Research Center to embody its sustainability mission and serve as a prototype for affordable, high-performing buildings.
Etsy
Brooklyn, New York
Etsy’s 200,000-square-foot headquarters is one of the largest Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal-Certified buildings in New York City.
U.S. General Services Administration, Federal Office Building
Miramar, Florida
Along with Hensel Phelps, Gensler is managing a design-build team that will deliver this new GSA office building to meet the 2030 “net zero” objectives of...
Santa Monica College Core Performance Center
Santa Monica, California
This new building at the heart of the Santa Monica College campus serves as a focal point for the physical activities of the student population.
INSIGHTS
Blog
How a New Vision for Flexible Co-Living Conversions Can Support Housing Affordability
Gensler and The Pew Charitable Trusts studied building typologies in seven cities to better understand the potential in this unique office-to-residential conversion model.
Blog
How to Design for Resilience
Resilient design is no longer a nice to have; it’s good business. Gensler’s Resilience Design report uncovers some key resilient design strategies.
Sustainability
Resilience by Design
Our Resilience by Design Report presents solutions for transforming the built environment to achieve a net zero carbon impact across our portfolio and the design industry.
Insight
Gensler Product Sustainability Standards Overview
Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards™ is an open-source tool that empowers architects, manufacturers, and clients with product-specific standardized criteria for the most used materials to move toward more regenerative building materials.
Blog
Creating a More Resilient Future With Green and Thriving Cities
As the demand for sustainable and liveable cities grows, urban planners and architects are adopting innovative strategies to harmonise built and natural environments.
Blog
Why Low-Carbon, Healthy Materials Are an Imperative for the Building Industry
Gensler’s updated Product Sustainability Standards™ aim to reduce the environmental impact of the building material supply chain, while driving industry change.
Blog
Introducing the Gensler Product Sustainability Standards™
We’ve set a new standard for all our projects to help increase demand for more regenerative materials in the building industry.
Blog
Why Resilience Planning Is Crucial to Safeguard Health Systems
Investing in proactive resilience planning, rather than reacting to weather and climate disasters as they unfold, will ensure uninterrupted, quality care.
Blog
Biodiversity as the New Frontier for Achieving Resilience in Real Estate
The biodiversity crisis is a fundamental challenge that impacts life, the global economy, and the real estate industry.
Blog
The Uncertainty of Electric Power: A View from Houston
Through innovative design, regulatory support, and community participation, we can enhance our resilience to extreme weather events and ensure a more stable energy supply.
Blog
How Repositioning Houston’s Astrodome Can Serve as a Model for Aging Sports and Entertainment Venues
A proposal to redevelop and repurpose the iconic stadium into a multi-use venue would preserve the building’s historic integrity while giving it new life.
Blog
3 Ways Gensler Is Designing for a Zero-Carbon Future
The most successful buildings of the future will contribute to the well-being of the environment while bringing their carbon emissions to zero.
Research
Vulnerable Communities & Climate Change: Building in Resilience
Resilience hubs, which offer community spaces, disaster preparedness, and self-sustainability, can improve insurability, lower insurance rates, and enhance the resilience of vulnerable cities.
Blog
Design for Laboratory Resilience: A Compliance Approach to Climate Risk Assessment
Innovative sustainable design of laboratory buildings must factor in risk of regional natural disasters and affected communities.
Blog
The Urgent Need for Adaptation and Resilience Being Addressed at COP 16 and COP 29
International conventions such as COP 29 and COP 16 underscore the need for global accord to address challenges ranging from biodiversity preservation to climate financing.
Trends in Climate Action & Sustainability
Certifications and life cycle assessments drive change.
Businesses that undergo life-cycle assessments and lean into the LEED® certification processes can realize their carbon goals by identifying opportunities to reduce energy, reduce waste and water usage, and incorporate low-carbon materials.
Low- and no-carbon materials feature prominently in decarbonization strategies.
In response to regulatory pressure, investor expectations, and consumer expectations for environmentally friendly products, demand grows for more integration of lower-carbon materials and solutions.
AI supercharges data analysis, insights, and action.
AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics make it easier to gather, interpret, and take action on data for carbon footprint measurement, scenario modeling, and impact assessment.
CLIMATE ACTION & SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP
Juliette Morgan
ESG Consultancy Director, Principal
Juliette Morgan is an ESG Consultancy Director and a global leader in Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability practice who leads ESG Strategy for clients.
Kirsten Ritchie
Global Climate Action & Sustainability Leader, Cities Sector Leader, Principal
As a global leader of Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability practice, Kirsten Ritchie serves as one of the firm’s leading sustainability ambassadors.
NEWS
In The Media
![]()
Microsoft
How Microsoft Is Building Its First Datacenters With “Superstrong” Hybrid Mass Timber
Designed by Gensler and Thornton Tomasetti, Microsoft’s two Virginia datacenters will significantly reduce their embodied carbon footprint by 35% compared to conventional steel construction.
October 31, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Reuters
Reuters’ The Switch Interviewed Design Resilience Leader Rives Taylor About How Architecture Is Adapting to Climate Change
Taylor shared solutions for locales experiencing extreme heat and flooding, including passive cooling via building orientation and the use of green roofs to absorb rain and help shade surrounding areas. Watch the episode.
October 10, 2024
Press Release
Gensler Product Sustainability Standards Reduce Environmental Impact of Architectural Interiors
Updated standards advance Gensler’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of the building material supply chain while prioritizing individual wellness and driving industry change.
September 24, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Forbes
How Gensler Is Reshaping Cities To Withstand Environmental, Economic, and Cultural Changes
Forbes interviewed Design Director Roger Sherman, who leads Gensler’s Urban Impact Group. The group fosters urban transformation through innovative solutions including Urban Awning, a new housing typology that reduces construction costs and delivery time.
May 28, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Interior Design
Interior Design Named Gensler the #1 Firm on Its 2024 Sustainability Giants List
For the second year in a row, Gensler topped the list of firms with revenue from projects with measurable sustainability goals.
April 19, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Commercial Observer
Gensler’s Juliette Morgan Leads The Way on Designing for Impact
Commercial Observer interviewed Gensler ESG Consultancy Director Juliette Morgan about designing for impact, the opportunities for biogenic solutions, and a pattern of women occupying sustainability leadership positions.
April 17, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Curbed
Curbed Featured the Recently Revealed Google’s St. John’s Terminal in NYC
Architecture critic Justin Davidson noted that “Gensler has designed an indoor city with looping streets, unexpected plazas, and rooms for every work style, from the conference-table meeting to the slouch-and-hang.”
February 26, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards
The 2024 Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards Recognized Gensler Sustainability Director Mallory Taub
Mallory Taub was honored as one of ten sustainability leaders making significant positive changes to the planet. At Gensler, she is committed to turning climate goals into strategic action across multiple scales of impact.
February 16, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Worklife
How Companies Are Prepping for California’s New Climate Emissions Law
Worklife noted how “Gensler has long been at the forefront of helping design sustainable workplaces” in reference to Gensler’s Product Sustainability Standards.
February 07, 2024
In The Media
![]()
MEED Middle East Business Intelligence
Gensler’s Andy Cohen on How the Buildings and Cities of the Future Can Achieve Net Zero
MEED featured an exclusive interview with Andy Cohen at COP28, who discussed why sustainable design is key to cutting carbon emissions.
January 16, 2024
In The Media
![]()
Green Building & Design
The Pros and Cons of Building With Precast Concrete
Gensler’s Jackson Metcalf shared the surprising benefits of precast concrete as a sustainable building material in the short- and long-term.
October 24, 2023
Recognition
![]()
Engineering News-Record
Gensler
Gensler ranked #1 on ENR’s 2023 Top 100 Green Design Firms list.
September 13, 2023
In The Media
![]()
Fast Company
How To Mitigate Extreme Heat in Vulnerable Communities
Gensler designed an adaptable shading structure that can be configured to fit different kinds of public spaces.
September 07, 2023
In The Media
![]()
Ten Across
What Sustainable Cities of the Future Could Look Like
Ten Across interviewed Gensler Mobility & Transportation Leader Dylan Jones at Gensler’s Los Angeles office about what the sustainable cities of the future could look like. Watch the video.
August 04, 2023
In The Media
![]()
Urban Land Institute
Why Embodied Carbon of Building Materials is Key to Achieving Net Zero Carbon Emission Targets
ULI explored why focusing on building materials is key to delivering healthy, sustainable communities, with quotes from Gensler’s Diane Hoskins and Taylor Coleman.
August 03, 2023
In The Media
![]()
Axios
Gensler’s Katie Mesia Highlights a Growing “Tidal Wave” of Interest in Mass Timber Construction
With news of Swedish developers building the world’s largest wooden city, Design Resilience Leader Katie Mesia is optimistic about more mass timber projects across Europe and the U.S.
July 10, 2023