Government & Defense
We deliver effective and timeless design solutions for federal, state, and local government facilities. Our projects evoke pride in public missions, create secure work environments, stimulate community investment, and conserve resources.
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A big challenge today is to change mindsets that have been around for 40 years — to design for the person showing up in the office in the next 10 to 15 years.
—Simi Marinho, Government & Defense leader
27 Items
Poder Judicial Puntarenas
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
The Judiciary building is designed as a centralized, inclusive, and user-friendly courthouse to welcome and offer safe shelter to the community of Puntarenas.
Travis County Civil and Family Courts
Austin, Texas
Travis County formed a public/private partnership to construct a new Civil and Family Court Facility that better serves their constituents.
Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center
Charlotte, North Carolina
The Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center, a net-zero ready facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, promotes wellness through trauma-informed design.
Torre Judicial
San José, Costa Rica
Torre Judicial embodies a transformational approach to designing government workplaces by delivering innovation, flexibility, and agility.
Dallas County Records Building Renovation and Addition
Dallas, Texas
The Dallas County Records complex preservation and renovation celebrates the historic landmark’s distinctive architecture, while modernizing it for efficiency.
Relativity Space Headquarters
Long Beach, California
Gensler is partnering with Relativity Space to create the “factory of the future” for its software-defined, 3D-printed rocket and propulsion systems that are set to revolutionize how rockets are built and flown.
Arizona Department of Administration
Phoenix, Arizona
The renovation of the Arizona Department of Administration sought to honor and modernize the mid-century-era building on the Capital Mall while bringing it into a new landscape of work where collaboration and choice are key.
Shakopee Innovation Hub
Shakopee, Minnesota
The Shakopee Innovation Center will be a highly creative, uniquely flexible, sustainable facility with a focus on growing business, educating, and innovating.
City of Austin Permitting and Development Center
Austin, Texas
The Planning and Development Center (PDC) is a striking campus designed to attract, retain, and inspire top talent ― including the many millennials now entering the workforce ― and to serve the customers and citizens of Austin more effectively and conveniently.
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...
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Vermont Corridor
Los Angeles, California
The Vermont Corridor is an innovative public-private partnership that will transform a two-block area of once neglected County resources into a modern complex.
Temporary U.K. Parliament
London, United Kingdom
A proposed restoration of the Palaces of Westminster would require total decantation of the building for an estimated six years. In response, Gensler...
County of Sonoma Comprehensive County Facilities Plan
Sonoma County, California
With roughly two-million-square-feet of real estate fragmented over 72 locations, the County of Sonoma sought to shift from a mode of reactive...
Mecklenburg County
Charlotte, North Carolina
The four-story building of Mecklenburg County’s Land Use Environmental Services Agency changes the way LUESA interfaces with the community by offering a welcoming, collaborative experience where “customers are served.”
Confidential Government Client
What was a 1970s E-plan building marked by dead-end hallways and a lack of a central gathering area today stands as a high-performance workplace emphasizing...
Federal Aviation Administration Southwest Regional Headquarters
Fort Worth, Texas
One of the country’s largest government developments, the FAA’s new environmentally sensitive build-to-suit headquarters will consolidate more than 1,300 of...
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
Honolulu, Hawaii
An aggressive schedule, the desire for LEED® certification, and a goal of reducing energy consumption by 30 percent are just some of the challenges...
Star Clinic and Housing for Health Office
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ new Housing for Health program aims to house 10,000 of the county’s most vulnerable homeless people in the...
G.T. Mickey Leland Federal Building
Houston, Texas
Gensler’s design team used energy modeling to show the GSA how various renovation options of the Leland Federal building could improve its energy performance.
Federal Government Agency
Over 10 years and through two IDIQ contracts, Gensler has provided comprehensive design, consulting and project management services for this federal agency...
Maricopa City Hall
Maricopa, Arizona
Maricopa’s new City Hall embodies transparency and connectivity. Positioned on a highly visible site and raised on a plinth to create a civic presence, the...
Port of Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Seeking to exemplify environmental leadership while meeting its operational and functional needs, the Port of Long Beach sought a new campus maintenance...
U.S. General Services Administration Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
Gensler provided interior design, sustainability consulting, strategic planning and design guidelines for this modernization of GSA’s national headquarters...
Defense Health Agency Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
In relocating more than 3,200 Department of Defense (DoD) personnel to this existing facility, three interconnected buildings built between the 1950s and...
City of Snoqualmie City Hall
Snoqualmie, Washington
By consolidating public services that were previously located on five different sites, the City Hall of Snoqualmie improves efficiency and delivery of...
Patriots Plaza
Washington, D.C.
Patriots Plaza, the first speculative office complex to meet post-9/11 security requirements, represents a building that offers appealing workspace...
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
Denver, Colorado
Through a GSA design-build lease-back competition, the DEA sought a new headquarters facility that would serve as an iconic home for the agency, improve its...
INSIGHTS
Blog
What’s Next for the Workplaces of San Francisco?
As the city’s office market navigates recovery, landlords, building owners, and employers must consider the varying needs of future real estate vs. the status quo.
Blog
The Next Big Generation at Work May Not Be Who You Think
Historically, the fastest growing age group in the U.S. workforce has always been the upcoming generation. But not anymore.
Blog
Repopulating the Workplace: Why Collaboration Space Is in Danger
Despite their value, collaboration spaces are often the first to go when companies are looking for ways to repopulate the workplace.
Blog
What Are Corporate Real Estate Executives Planning for 2025?
A look at what office space portfolio modifications and space allocation strategies CRE leaders are anticipating and planning for the year ahead.
Blog
Why Quality in Commercial Office Space Hinges on Workplace Experience
Demand is surging for premium office environments that deliver an effective workplace and a great work experience.
Blog
A Field Guide to Authentic Amenities
To create authentic amenities that workers truly want, designers and companies should think outside the box.
Blog
Workplace as a Service: A Thought Experiment in Office Evolution
The concept of Workplace as a Service challenges traditional notions about work environments. Will this new design perspective help the office remain relevant?
Blog
10 Workplace Trends for 2025: What’s In and What’s Out?
The workplace is evolving beyond a collection of experiences and becoming a space designed to foster intentional transformations.
Blog
Designing Workplaces to Strengthen Connection and Combat Loneliness
The workplace plays a key role in fighting against the growing loneliness epidemic.
Blog
How Your Workplace Can Supercharge Performance
What workplaces can learn from the gym and the football pitch about creating environments that inspire workers to stretch, develop, and achieve.
Blog
The Shift to Extremes: Rethinking Office Design
Modern offices are increasingly designed with extremes in mind, featuring specialized spaces for both hyper-focus and hyper-collaboration.
Blog
How to Create a Multigenerational Workplace
Here are six strategies organizations can use to cultivate environments where individuals of all ages feel valued, engaged, and empowered.
Blog
How the Tech-Enabled Workplace Can Create Better Hybrid Experiences
How can we design workspaces that benefit everyone, regardless of whether they have a seat at the conference room table?
Blog
Be Bold Not Beige: The Power of Colour to Shape Everyday Experiences
From boosting productivity in the workplace to soothing the soul at home, colour can transform the places where we live, work, and play.
Blog
Want a High-Performing Workplace? Here’s What Matters Most.
Our research identifies what makes a high-performing workplace and what design factors matter most.
Trends in Government & Defense
Talent and consolidation prompt a fundamental rethink of real estate.
With one eye on the need to consolidate office space, and the other on the need to attract and retain talent, government agencies can renovate existing spaces into modern workplaces.
Climate risk drives resilient design tailored to local conditions.
In response to the risk posed by various types of extreme weather, buildings and infrastructure can be future proofed with net zero design, on-site energy solutions, and other resilient strategies.
One-stop centers transform how constituents access services.
Constituents have become increasingly tech savvy, offering local governments the opportunity to consolidate in-person services into inclusive, sustainable, one-stop centers.
GOVERNMENT & DEFENSE LEADERSHIP
Simisola Marinho
Government & Defense Leader, Studio Director, Principal
Simi Marinho is a Studio Director in Gensler’s D.C. office and global leader of the firm’s Government & Defense practice area.
Peter Barsuk
Government & Defense Leader, Principal
Peter is a Government & Defense Leader; an expert in education, civic and office building projects; and a Studio Director for Gensler’s Los Angeles office. With more than 20...
Robert A. Peck
Government & Defense Leader, Principal
Bob is a co-leader of the firm’s Government & Defense practice. He served for eight years as Commissioner of the U.S. General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Serv...
NEWS
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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Building Design+Construction
Gensler Ranked Among BD+C’s Top 3 Federal Government Building Architecture Firms
Building Design+Construction listed Gensler among the top 3 federal government building architecture firms for 2023 on its annual Giants 400 Report.
December 05, 2023
In The Media
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The Dallas Business Journal
How Gensler Transformed the Historic Dallas County Records Building and Complex
Gensler Principal Paul Manno discussed the preservation and renovation of the Dallas County Records Building and Complex, which blends a sense of legacy and modernization.
August 28, 2023
In The Media
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Bisnow Dallas-Fort Worth
The Adaptive Reuse of the Dallas County Records Complex Celebrates the Historic Landmark
The restoration of the historic buildings reflects Dallas County’s commitment to recognize the past and look ahead to the future.
August 10, 2023
In The Media
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Texas Architect
The City of Austin Permitting and Development Center Represents a New Phase of Development
Gensler designers discuss the strategy that guided the design of the City of Austin Permitting and Development Center, which aims to elevate the public’s experience of civic processes.
July 03, 2023
In The Media
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CoStar
The Gensler-Designed Travis County Civil and Family Courts Opens in Downtown Austin
The high-profile building is designed to advance courtroom technology with digital kiosks and displays for wayfinding and real-time docket updates.
December 29, 2022
In The Media
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Building Design+Construction
Gensler Is the #1 Firm on BD+C’s Top 150 Office Building Core+Shell Architecture + AE Firms
Gensler topped the list ranking the nation’s largest office building core+shell architecture and architecture/engineering firms for 2022.
December 01, 2022
In The Media
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Financial Times
Privacy at Work and the Rise of the ‘Quiet Space’
Gensler’s Janet Pogue McLaurin addressed the demand for “quieter tech-free zones” to support focus work in the office, referencing designs for Cisco in New York and McCann in London.
November 28, 2022
In The Media
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Forbes
Gensler Co-CEOs Andy Cohen and Diane Hoskins Are Featured on Forbes’ List of 50 Leaders Shaping the Future of Work
Forbes recognized how the CEOs of the world’s largest architecture firm have an “outsized impact in shaping how workspaces get redesigned in a new era.”
November 03, 2022
In The Media
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Commercial Observer
Gensler Co-CEO Diane Hoskins Reflects on How the Inflation Reduction Act Will Impact the CRE Industry
“It’s a major straw that’s going to move a whole industry of innovation forward,” Hoskins explained to Commercial Observer.
September 29, 2022
In The Media
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Green Building & Design
The Carbon Innovations Hiding in Plain Sight
Gensler co-CEO Diane Hoskins addressed the carbon footprint of concrete and how private industry must lead the charge to reduce carbon emissions through innovation.
August 24, 2022
In The Media
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Forbes
Transforming the Office into an Experience Multiplier
Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen shares how leaders can make their office “a destination rather than an obligation for workers who crave authentic engagement and interaction.”
May 17, 2022
In The Media
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American City & County
Designing City and County Buildings for Safety and Accessibility
Gensler Government & Defense Leader Bob Peck reflects on promoting both security and democratic values in public buildings, from city hall to administration buildings to a courthouse.
January 29, 2021
In The Media
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Fast Company
The Design Problem Facing Architects of Public Buildings
Fast Company interviewed Gensler Government & Defense Leader Bob Peck about the tension between openness and security in designing public buildings.
January 07, 2021