Design Strategies for Transitioning Back to Reopening

March 08, 2022 | By Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen

Across many parts of the globe, we are seeing mask and vaccine mandates being lifted. All this signals positive news for individuals and companies looking to get back to something resembling life in 2019.

This presents an opportunity to create a series of design changes for how we experience the places we live, work, and play. We have seen a gap between preferences and expectations. As more places transition to reopening, research is consistently pointing to the fact that people say they value the spaces that provide the most choices for a variety of styles.

Recent findings from the Gensler Research Institute and our Design Forecast report highlight several themes for cities, work, lifestyle, and health that address how our clients can design to enhance both choice and inclusivity in the places they build:

Designing for choice and a new awareness of how people behave. The projects that are designed to be welcoming and inclusive to meet people’s diverse emotional and well-being needs will have the most value to people.

Creating empowered experiences for those who use our spaces. Dynamic offices, stores, and other settings that support autonomy and choice will be the biggest differentiator in making real estate a destination people seek out.

Shifting to a mixed-use model for business. The concepts of amenities and wellness have evolved. People require variety and choice in a range of everyday settings.

Prioritizing flexibility in how we design our real estate projects. Younger generations value places differently. The importance of third places drives new possibilities for urban planning and office design in the years ahead.

It all comes down to taking a holistic approach to our business. Design thinking can be applied to a variety of thorny challenges. This problem-solving process for defining ideating, prototyping, and testing will be the new normal for how we account for autonomy, choice, and improvements to the human experience.

As companies address complex challenges, they are identifying a model to success that synthesizes real estate strategies, research, and design thinking to meet the needs of those who use our spaces. We look forward to working with you to shape the future of our cities, communities, and buildings.

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Diane Hoskins

Diane is one of two co-CEOs of Gensler. For her innovative leadership, Diane, along with Co-CEO Andy Cohen, ranks on Business Insider’s elite “Creators” list, a who’s who of the world’s 100 top creative visionaries. As a hands-on leader, Diane oversees Gensler’s global platform and its day-to-day operations, with over 7,000 people networked across 53 offices, serving more than 4,000 clients in 140 countries. Diane is focused on Gensler’s global talent strategies, performance, and organizational development to ensure that we serve our clients with the world’s top talent.

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Andy Cohen

Andy is one of two co-CEOs of Gensler, the world’s top architecture and design firm. Since 2005, Andy and Co-CEO Diane Hoskins have exemplified collaborative leadership, overseeing both the long-term strategy and day-to-day operations of the global practice known for its award-winning design innovation and research. Under their guidance, Gensler has grown to become the largest in the field, with over 7,000 people networked across 53 offices, serving more than 4,000 clients in 140 countries. A registered architect in 41 states and 3 Canadian provinces, Andy is a champion of the power of design to enhance and enrich the human experience. In 2021, he was named to Business Insider’s list of “100 People Transforming Business.”