Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse
We partner with developers, investors, and owners to transform buildings, unlock value, and create new destinations. From office-to-residential conversions to repositioning stranded assets of all types, we leverage our in-house conversion algorithm to discover opportunities.
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Tenants are looking for an ecosystem. They don’t want to build internal amenity spaces within their own leasehold and are keen to share spaces with other tenants to support social, innovation, and collaboration initiatives.
—Sheryl Schulze, Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse leader
27 Items
Pearl House (160 Water Street)
New York, New York
Vanbarton Group engaged Gensler to convert its downtown office building into a premier residential building to introduce new housing to New York City.
Franklin Tower
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PMC Property Group transformed a vacant, outdated office building in Logan Square into an amenity-rich residential building with ample outdoor and retail space.
135 West 50th Street
New York, New York
Seeking to strategically modernize elements of this existing office building, George Comfort & Sons enlisted Gensler to help reposition 135 W 50th Street by transforming the storefront and lobby, and creating a second-level amenity floor that brings the office tenants and community together.
The Residences at Rivermark
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Residences at Rivermark is a transformative project in the beating heart of downtown Baton Rouge’s growing and dynamic cultural scene.
1 St. Clair West
Toronto, Ontario
After determining that demolishing 1 St. Clair West was not viable, Slate Asset Management enlisted Gensler to reposition it as a mixed-use development.
One Post Office Square
Boston, Massachusetts
Gensler is transforming this prominently-located 1980s building into a premier office tower, with new standards for excellence in healthy environments, open...
Loffler Companies
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
With Gensler, the Loffler Headquarters successfully transformed a purpose-built static retail machine into a vibrant and flexible workplace home.
The Mart
Chicago, Illinois
With Gensler’s help, owner and operator Vornado Realty Trust have repositioned architectural icon The Mart as a marketplace of experiences and creativity.
The Gild
Dallas, Texas
The Campbell Centre towers have been repositioned into The Gild, featuring modern, flexible, desirable amenities that attract new tenants.
Esperson 17th Level Amenity Space
Houston, Texas
Cameron Management enlisted Gensler to convert the 17th level of the Esperson building, an iconic Houston office tower, into an indoor-outdoor amenity space for both future residents and current office tenants.
The Post Office
Chicago, Illinois
Through historically minded restoration and repositioning, the long-vacant Post Office has been brought back to life as a hub for business and commerce.
Western Market
Washington, D.C.
Western Market preserves its history while embracing modern-day demands via a bustling food hall and contemporary workplace entrance.
BizFlex
Multiple Locations, Japan
Drawing on its knowledge of the rental office business, Hulic launched “Bizflex”, a new series of medium-sized flexible workplace projects.
110 The Queen’s Walk
London, United Kingdom
Gensler has partnered with St Martin’s Property Investments Limited to develop plans to revitalise the former City Hall building at 110 The Queen’s Walk.
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.
1735 N Lynn St Repositioning
Arlington, Virginia
The repositioned office building at 1735 N. Lynn aims to be a sought-after hub for burgeoning tech companies located in the Rosslyn Innovation District.
100 North Tampa Building Lobby Renovations
Tampa, Florida
100 North Tampa is a premier Class A office building in downtown, with exceptional views and a grandiose scale unmatched in the market.
Gateway
Newark, New Jersey
In an effort to propel Newark’s revitalization, Onyx Equities partnered with Gensler to reimagine Gateway, a tired office complex built in the 1970s.
Marshside at Nowell Creek Village
Daniel Island, South Carolina
The repositioned Marshside at Nowell Creek Village transforms a headquarters building in Daniel Island, South Carolina into a multi-tenant office destination.
146 Nav
San Antonio, Texas
146 Nav, originally a single-tenant property that had not been updated in decades, features three levels of office space atop a parking garage with prime access to the River Walk in San Antonio.
the Ion
Houston, Texas
Located in the former Midtown Sears building, the Ion supports a tenant-driven collective of entrepreneurial, corporate, and academic collaborative communities.
Charlotte Plaza Repositioning
Charlotte, North Carolina
Gensler’s interior renovation of the Charlotte Plaza property is designed to project a new sense of light, with open spaces and gathering places that spark creativity and focused collaboration.
Tabor Center Amenity Suite
Denver, Colorado
Gensler created a multi-modal amenity space to serve and support the tenants of the Tabor Center office building located in the heart of downtown Denver.
633 Folsom
San Francisco, California
Embodying a dynamic building reuse story, the reimagined 633 Folsom reduces both embodied and operational carbon and breathes new life into the Folsom Street corridor.
The Amp
Denver, Colorado
1580 Logan Street, now named The Amp, highlights the unique identities of Denver’s Uptown neighborhood in a building with vibrant, hospitality-focused amenities
The Book Depository
Detroit, Michigan
Ford returned to its roots in Detroit as a launchpad for shaping the future of mobility with the adaptive reuse of The Book Depository as a new Mobility Center.
730 Third Avenue
New York, New York
Nuveen Real Estate and development advisor Taconic Partners enlisted Gensler to transform 730 Third Avenue—TIAA’s headquarters since the 1950s—into a sophisticated Class A office and retail building.
INSIGHTS
Insight
Office to Residential Services
Our office-to-residential services and conversion algorithm can quickly determine if an underused office building is a candidate for residential conversion.
Blog
What We’ve Learned by Assessing More Than 1,300 Potential Office-to-Residential Conversions
We’ve developed a process for evaluating existing office buildings to determine if they are candidates for multifamily residential conversions.
Blog
From Pilots to Policy: Exploring Office-to-Residential Conversions in Boston
There are clear steps that can be taken to address the housing shortage, and we believe there is huge opportunity in office-to-residential conversion.
Blog
How Office-to-Residential Conversions Could Revitalize Downtown San Francisco
One of the easiest ways to create diversity in office-centric downtowns is to convert existing office buildings to other uses. Residential is an obvious choice.
Blog
Unlocking Hidden Value: How Cities and Developers Are Partnering to Turn Vacant Offices into Residential
Vacant office spaces are a burden for cities and developers. Here’s how to convert vacant office buildings into new housing.
Blog
How a New Vision for Flexible Co-Living Conversions Can Support Housing Affordability
Gensler and The Pew Charitable Trusts studied building typologies in three cities to better understand the potential in this unique office-to-residential conversion model.
Blog
The Perpetual Asset: Design for an Evolving Market
What if we could diversify a real estate portfolio with just one building?
Blog
Quantity and Quality: Leveraging Office-to-Senior Living Conversions to Increase Capacity and Lifelong Wellbeing
Office-to-residential conversions have helped reduce vacancy rates and unlock housing. It’s time to repurpose the solution to meet the growing demand for senior living.
Blog
Office-to-Residential Conversion: A New Value Proposition for the German Market
This adaptive reuse strategy represents a value proposition that could help the country meet housing demand and achieve decarbonisation goals.
Blog
Navigating Federal Resources for Office-to-Residential Conversion
As building owners in the U.S. face the prospect of defaulting on office buildings, many are turning toward the federal government for a financial lifeline.
Blog
Pearl House: Explore the Transformation of New York’s Largest Office-to-Residential Conversion to Date
Gensler and Vanbarton Group detail how they partnered to convert a 1970s office tower into a thriving residential community in New York’s Financial District.
Blog
What Can San Francisco Learn From Successful Building Conversion Programs in Other Cities?
By taking cues from other cities, San Francisco has an opportunity to make it easier to repurpose buildings, address the housing crisis, and revitalize downtown.
Blog
A Fresh Take on the Corporate Workplace, With Inspiration From 19th Century London
With its historic character, Francis House provided the perfect platform to create a dynamic, engaging, and holistic employee experience for Edelman’s London office.
Blog
Three Considerations for Repurposing Stranded Assets for Education
In many instances, abandoned buildings can be converted into thriving schools when they prioritize sustainability, focus on community impact, and offer urban revitalization.
Blog
Now More Than Ever, Quality of Place Matters
Thoughtful, strategic placemaking will ensure successful investments in truly durable places within our cities.
Blog
How Tomorrow’s Workforce Will Shape Future Workplace Design
By taking cues from higher education and integrating insights into workplace design, we can create spaces that attract talent and empower tomorrow’s workforce to succeed.
Blog
Redefining Class A Office Space in Charlotte: A Prototype for Emerging Cities
Through thoughtful repositioning of Class A buildings, emerging cities can create and sustain vibrant, thriving urban centers that attract workers and businesses.
Blog
Thinking Outside the (Big) Box
To elevate former retail shells into inspiring and efficient workplaces, several major considerations must be addressed to achieve successful results.
Blog
Office-to-Everything: A New Path for Revitalizing Downtowns
In the local New York City market, there is huge potential to return stranded assets back to their highest and best use by embracing diverse conversion types.
BUILDING TRANSFORMATION & ADAPTIVE REUSE TRENDS TO WATCH
Cities continue to amend regulations to meet the demand for building conversions.
As city and local governments recognize the opportunity to add more housing while also addressing stranded office building assets, they are amending local building codes and change-of-use regulations to support the demand for a more varied mix of uses in CBDs. The changes will also open the door to conversions for many types of spaces.
Public-private partnerships and government incentives are driving building and neighborhood transformation.
Cities have realized that single-function central business districts no longer serve them. To drive investment and encourage a new mix of uses, cities are creating public-private partnerships or offering other government incentives that can help ease the approvals process and tight margins on attainable housing projects.
The demand for sustainable, high-performing retrofits intensifies.
ESG goals, decarbonization targets, and emerging policies and regulations are increasing demand for adapted or retrofitted buildings that can be modified into high-performing assets at much lower carbon costs to comply with emerging policy requirements around lifecycle carbon analysis.
BUILDING TRANSFORMATION & ADAPTIVE REUSE LEADERSHIP
Matthew Holt
Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Leader
Matt is a Global Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Leader based in Gensler’s London office. His particular interest lies in solving complex repositioning projects...
Steven Paynter
Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Leader, Principal
Embodying the philosophy that diversity fosters innovation, Steven is widely recognized as an industry leader and an invaluable resource for market expertise to developers...
Sheryl Schulze
Co-Managing Director, Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Leader, Principal
Sheryl is Co-Managing Director of Gensler Columbus as well as a Global Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Leader. With 40 years of experience, she is widely recognized for...
NEWS
In The Media
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Urban Land Institute
ULI Published Insights on the Best Candidates for Converting Office Buildings to Residential Use
Gensler developed a scoring criterion for evaluating suitability to conversion. Building Transformation Leader Steven Paynter contributed to the report.
October 21, 2024
In The Media
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Calgary Herald
Why Calgary’s Office-to-Residential Program Remains “The Standout Program in North America”
Calgary Herald interviewed Gensler Building Transformation Leader Steven Paynter about why Calgary’s successful office-to-residential program has attracted widespread attention.
September 04, 2024
In The Media
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The Real Deal
The Real Deal Profiled Gensler’s Office-to-Residential Conversions and Building Analysis Tool
The feature highlights Pearl House, Franklin Tower, the upcoming conversion of Pfizer’s former headquarters, and Gensler’s scorecard developed during a study for the City of Calgary.
September 03, 2024
In The Media
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i+s
i+s Featured a Video Tour of Gensler’s Office-to-Residential Conversion of Pearl House
The project “offers a realized example of how to transform an underutilized office building into a thriving residential community that positively impacts its surrounding neighborhood” in New York City's Financial District.
July 11, 2024
In The Media
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Commercial Observer
Use Design to Turn Office-to-Residential Challenges Into Opportunities
Commercial Observer shared ideas from Gensler Principals Robert Fuller and Peter Wang about leveraging the power of design to recast architectural challenges as residential opportunities.
June 10, 2024
In The Media
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The Globe and Mail
Gensler’s Analysis Found Nearly Half of Federal Government Office Spaces Are Suitable for Conversion
Gensler Building Transformation Leader Steven Paynter explained why converting into housing is the best option for federal buildings.
June 03, 2024
In The Media
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The New York Times
Gensler Transformed a 1970s Office Building Into Pearl House, a “Hip New Rental” Property in Lower Manhattan
Working with developer Vanbarton Group, Gensler created a design that respects “the bones of the building” while infusing amenities, bedrooms, and living spaces with “more of a residential hospitality feel.”
May 03, 2024
In The Media
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Nashville Business Journal
Gensler Nashville Design Director Brian Hubbard on the Current State of Converting Towers in Nashville
Nashville Business Journal interviewed Brian Hubbard about office conversions in the Nashville market and how office-to-hospitality conversion projects are doing well.
April 15, 2024
In The Media
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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD Awarded Gensler Funding To Study the Impact of Office Conversions at Scale
HUD announced it awarded Gensler funding to study six major cities to understand the impact of office conversions at scale, including how they can address the housing crisis and create vibrancy in our cities.
February 23, 2024
In The Media
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Multihousing News
Gensler Worked With Vanbarton Group To Convert a 1970s Office Building Into a Residential Property
Pearl House, the largest office-to-residential conversion in New York City’s history, will include a fitness center, spa, bowling alley, high-tech sports simulator, lounges, and more.
February 07, 2024
In The Media
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The Real Deal
Gensler Plans To Convert the Historic Humboldt Building Into Apartments in San Francisco
The Real Deal quoted Principal Doug Zucker about the conversion of the former Humboldt Bank building into residences and cited Gensler’s work to assess over 1,000 office buildings for conversion in North America.
February 06, 2024
In The Media
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Spectrum News NY1
Pearl House Marks the Largest Office-to-Residential Conversion in NYC
Spectrum News NY1 spotlighted Pearl House, featuring interviews with Gensler Principal Robert Fuller and Richard Coles, Founder of the Vanbarton Group. Watch the video.
January 30, 2024
In The Media
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Archinect
Archinect Featured 2023’s Top Green Projects and Sustainability Innovations
Archinect highlighted adaptive reuse strategies implemented to transform an abandoned Detroit book depository into a startup hub for mobility innovation by Gensler and CIVILIAN.
December 27, 2023
In The Media
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The Architect’s Newspaper
Pearl House is the Largest Office-to-Residential Conversion in New York History
Principal Robert Fuller shared how Gensler’s transformation “harnesses the strengths of the existing architecture to create unique and elegant homes.”
December 14, 2023
In The Media
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Smart Cities Dive
Factors To Examine in Order To Determine a Building’s Suitability for Adaptive Reuse Into Housing
Smart Cities Dive spotlighted analysis by Gensler, which found that office-to-residential conversion costs can be 30% lower than new construction.
November 21, 2023
In The Media
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Fast Company
How Calgary ‘Blazed the Trail’ for Office-to-Residential Conversions
The city’s economic development agency began working with Gensler in fall 2020, as the firm began “looking at an approach where we could start analyzing buildings en masse,” says Gensler’s Steven Paynter.
November 18, 2023