Repositioning & Landlord Services
Building owners and developers are making transformational investments to meet demand for highly amenitized Class A buildings and conversions. Sought-after buildings will prioritize flexibility, adaptability, ESG, and wellness.
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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, Repositioning & Landlord Services leader
27 Items
1 St. Clair West
Toronto, Ontario
After determining that demolishing 1 St. Clair West was not financially viable, Slate Asset Management enlisted Gensler to reposition it as a vibrant mixed-use development. Gensler demonstrated the value of the site by scoring the building using a proprietary office-to-residential conversion...
633 Folsom
San Francisco, California
Embodying a dynamic building reuse story, the reimagined 633 Folsom reduces both embodied and operational carbon, features a facade design that is optimized for maximum daylighting, and breathes new life into the Folsom Street corridor. By preserving and upgrading the existing concrete super...
Willis Tower Repositioning
Chicago, Illinois
Gensler carefully studied how existing spaces in Willis Tower were being used in order to create a true Chicago-born environment that reinforces a highly active, neighborhood-scaled experience. Named “Catalog,” an homage to the building’s original tenant, the Sears Roebuck Company, the...
Kuntai Headquarters Renovation
Beijing, China
Kuntai tower is the headquarters of this state-owned developer that pioneered the ChaoWai Street urban renewal area it calls home. The renovation design aims to rebrand Kuntai into a culture hub on ChaoWai Street that creates stories of innovation, activates community connections, and creates a...
4300 Wilson Repositioning Ballston Point
Arlington, Virginia
The Ballston neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia is generating buzz, and 4300 Wilson, a reimagined Class A office building, is the gateway to this revitalized and emerging urban center. The Gensler team renovated the lobby, incorporating hospitality-inspired design elements, and added a...
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. Originally, Gateway separated visitors from city streets via bridges and tunnels, but is now designed to connect, activate, and create a...
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. Originally constructed in 1927, the historic Esperson office building is being...
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. BH Properties partnered with Gensler to transform the building into a multi-tenant offering and...
Charlotte Plaza Repositioning
Charlotte, North Carolina
Originally constructed in 1986, the distinct, all-black, glass Charlotte Plaza building is on a prominent and visible city corner in Uptown Charlotte. A key component of the property’s future plan and design is to take advantage of its prime location and create an opportunity for people to...
The Amp
Denver, Colorado
1580 Logan Street, now formally named “The Amp,” highlights the unique identities of Denver’s Uptown neighborhood in a building that features vibrant, hospitality-focused amenities. Surrounded by iconic music venues, eccentric local restaurants, and historic East Colfax, The Amp plays to the...
The Book Depository
Detroit, Michigan
Through the respectful revitalization of the old Book Depository, a previously abandoned historic building in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood, Gensler will support Ford’s efforts to reimagine the Michigan Central Station development. Designed as an innovation nexus that acts as a central node...
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. Gensler led the design of the building repositioning, including a new ground and...
15 Laight Street
New York, New York
Vanbarton Group enlisted Gensler to transform 15 Laight Street — the former home of the Tribeca Film Festival — into a vibrant Class-A office building with ground floor retail. Renovating the existing building would have been prohibitively expensive and restrictive to design solutions, so...
550 Madison
New York, New York
Gensler’s reimagining of 550 Madison’s lobby breathes new life into the grand entry hall of this iconic skyscraper with a luminous design that is distinctive yet harmonious with the landmark building’s original architecture. Built in 1984, 550 Madison stands out in Manhattan’s skyline as a...
1420 Kettner & Ash
San Diego, California
Gensler’s design team transformed 1420 Kettner, currently one of only two existing office buildings within the Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego, into a unique, active work environment with amenities and outdoor space to attract today’s workers. The repositioned 1420 Kettner & Ash building...
Cargo, Crossrail Place
London, United Kingdom
Cargo, Crossrail Place is a major repositioning scheme in Canary Wharf, London that seeks to revitalise a 1990s office building, one of the first to be built in the Wharf. Gensler's design elevates the commercial office building to new prominence as a destination with convenient adjacency to the...
888 Douglas Adaptive Reuse
El Segundo, California
Hackman Capital Partners acquired a manufacturing facility for constructing military aircraft, adjacent to LAX, seeking out the challenge of converting a decades-old, 550,000-square-foot building into one-of-a-kind, creative offices in the heart of El Segundo. Gensler was engaged to re-envision...
One Century Place Building Repositioning
Nashville, Tennessee
To further attract and retain top talent in downtown Nashville, Gensler repositioned the One Century Place Building to create a Class A office building with high-end contemporary finishes. The extensive renovation included refreshing the building lobby, tenant common areas, and elevator cabs, to...
The Post Office
Chicago, Illinois
Through historically minded restoration and repositioning, the long-vacant 2.8 million-square-foot Post Office has been brought back to life as a hub for business and commerce. Restoration of the building's façade, windows, main lobby, Postmaster-General's suite, and historic corridors along...
Storey 100 Liverpool Street
London, United Kingdom
Set across the first and second floors of a renewed, net-zero carbon, mixed-use building, Storey at 100 Liverpool Street offers clients private, branded office space, meeting rooms, and breakout areas, which can be fully customised and managed to suit unique needs. The space, which spans 48,000...
Park Point
Durham, North Carolina
Park Point transforms the Triangle’s cutting-edge creative office and life science campus. Impactful and modern architecture, expansive use of glass for ample daylighting and views, as well as a new brand identity will help the campus attract life sciences and other technology companies. The...
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...
410 17th
Denver, Colorado
Gensler was tasked with reimagining the lobby experience of a 1970s-era 25-story office building. The designers leveraged the firm’s extensive knowledge of overall macro-trends and shifting employee demographics to conceptualize an active, modern, and welcoming lobby experience for the building...
The Acre
London, United Kingdom
When Gensler approached the repositioning of a unique but obsolete Brutalist building designed by noted architect Richard Seifert in London’s Covent Garden, the team recognized the unrealized potential of the existing building early in the process. To that effect, the design team developed a...
Riverside House
London, United Kingdom
Riverside House is a standalone mixed-use office building bounded by the Thames Path, Southwark Bridge Road, and Bear Gardens Conservation Area. Boasting a prime river location within close proximity to the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, and many of London’s busiest transport hubs, Riverside...
2 Houston Center Repositioning
Houston, Texas
Houston Center’s office complex delivers a vibrant urban experience featuring an activated street presence and modern building facade designed to draw in a diverse tenant base. A newly built three-story clear glass podium provides a welcoming entry, serving as a modern counterpoint to the tinted...
The Stitch
Morrisville, North Carolina
In 2019, Equator Capital Management purchased the Morrisville Outlet Mall and announced its vision to convert the building into a unique office space dubbed, "The Stitch." Gensler was brought in to evaluate the space and develop a strategy for shaping a work environment that celebrated the...
INSIGHTS
Blog
Younger Generations Work Differently. What Does This Mean for the Future Workplace?
It is crucial to understand generational differences to support a productive and engaged workforce.
Blog
Does Your Old Building Have More Potential Than You Think?
By optimizing the strong foundation of older assets with strategic design interventions, existing office buildings may have more transformative potential than expected.
Blog
Revitalizing, Reinventing & Rethinking Downtown San Francisco: A Conversation With Mayor London Breed
Here are six key takeaways from Gensler's discussion with San Francisco Mayor London Breed and panelists on how we can revitalize downtown San Francisco.
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 office buildings to other uses. Residential is an obvious choice.
Blog
What Is WiredScore and What Does It Mean for Your Building?
In a highly competitive market, building owners should consider implementing a more robust digital infrastructure through the global standard for technology in buildings.
Blog
From Vacancy to Vibrancy: Reimagining the Future of Downtown San Francisco
We look at a new vision for downtown San Francisco: a central business district transformed into a vibrant, sustainable, and resilient mixed-use neighborhood.
Blog
10 Spaces That Are No Longer Optional to Create a Great Workplace Experience
What amenities can bring people back to the office? Here are 10 spaces that have the greatest impact on workplace effectiveness and experience.
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 — occupying valuable real estate but not providing the same kind of economic value. Here’s how to convert vacant office buildings into new housing.
Blog
How Can Companies Leverage the Sublease Market to Gain Access to Prime Office Space in Downtown Toronto?
With companies reevaluating how to meaningfully reengage with the workplace, many enticing opportunities are appearing on the sublease market in the Greater Toronto Area.
Blog
As We Return to the Workplace, It’s Not the Same — What Works? What Doesn’t?
An effective, well-designed workplace can impact the overall work experience. Here's a look at what's working — and what's not — as we return to the office.
Blog
The Trends Defining What’s Next for Stranded Assets and Building Transformation
As owners and developers consider stranded assets — Class B and C office buildings that sit vacant as tenants flock to modern, amenity-rich properties — our leaders discuss what’s next for building conversions.
Blog
Thinking Outside the City: Why Transforming Stranded Assets Can Unlock Value in the Suburbs
With millennials and young families leaving cities for the suburbs, transforming stranded assets such as office parks and retail malls into mixed use districts is a major opportunity to add value.
Case Study
100 New Bridge Street
A transformed central London office building has been repositioned with a strong commitment to material reuse that maximizes the building’s sustainability, wellness, and ESG credentials.
Case Study
Fifth + Tillery
Fifth + Tillery, a warehouse converted into a multi-tenant office building, creates a draw for creative tenants in Austin via a high-performance space that produces its own energy, captures water runoff, and nurtures a rain garden.
Blog
How Desire for Experience Is Driving the Flight to Quality
People want to be in spaces that maximize how they live, work, collaborate, and socialize, which is driving the demand for high-quality Class A buildings. We’re seeing a flight to quality — and a flight to experience.
REPOSITIONING & LANDLORD SERVICES TRENDS TO WATCH
Stranded assets will continue to offer owners and developers opportunities to create low carbon, equitable, and sought-after mixed-use districts.
As competition for Class A office space intensifies, owners and developers will have an opportunity to convert older under-performing office buildings into mixed-use destinations. By leveraging the right repositioning strategies and public-private partnerships, these districts can also meet the climate, housing, and workplace needs that many city managers and tenants are demanding.
Shared amenities can benefit underperforming assets and build community goodwill.
Asset owners are increasing offerings to retain or attract tenants; however, the cost can be substantial. By creating shared amenities, such as cafes, coworking, grocery, and retail on the ground plane, building owners can collaborate and generate revenue while supporting residents, tenants, and visitors.
Coworking and spec suites will continue to surge as variable office space evolves.
As the traditional office leasing model is disrupted, asset managers are embracing branded coworking and spec suites as a flexible lease strategy while portfolios continue to be evaluated.
Well-being, fitness, and access to the outdoors will continue to attract tenants.
Health remains a top priority for building tenants and residents, putting wellness amenities at the top of everyone’s list. Developers will find success with a range of space types, including basketball courts, outdoor tracks, and workout rooms, all of which can be supported by on-demand class schedules, fitness coaches, massage therapists, and nutritionists.
80
YRS
It can take up to 80 years to pay back the carbon debt that is incurred when an existing building is replaced with a new structure, even if the building is highly energy efficient.
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The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse
REPOSITIONING & LANDLORD SERVICES LEADERSHIP
Sheryl Schulze
Repositioning & Landlord Services Leader, Studio Director, Principal
Sheryl Schulze is a Global Leader for Office Buildings | Repositioning + Landlord Services. A trusted advisor to many, Sheryl is a client advocate who is known for being able...
Ian Zapata
Repositioning & Landlord Services Leader, Design Director
Ian is a Design Director in Gensler’s Dallas office and a global leader in Repositioning & Landlord Services for the firm. Through Ian’s experience and tenure, he has always...
NEWS
In The Media
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Storeys
Gensler Principal Steven Paynter Shares Insights on His Office Building Conversion Algorithm
The proprietary office-to-residential conversion algorithm drastically shortens the evaluation process to determine where a building is suitable.
March 17, 2023
In The Media
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Architectural Record
633 Folsom, Repositioned by Gensler, Wins the 2023 AIA Annual Architecture Award
The American Institute of Architects’ Annual Architecture Awards recognizes projects that demonstrate “a sense of place, purpose, history, and environmental sustainability.”
February 27, 2023
In The Media
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AIA
San Francisco’s 633 Folsom, Reimagined by Gensler, Is Awarded the 2023 AIA National Architecture Award
The American Institute of Architects honored the repositioned building, which reduces both embodied and operational carbon and breathes new life into a vital urban corridor.
February 27, 2023
In The Media
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AIA
Willis Tower Repositioning Wins the 2023 AIA National Interior Architecture Award
AIA’s Interior Architecture program celebrates the most innovative and spectacular interior spaces that make their mark on the cities, places, and spaces where we live and work.
February 07, 2023
In The Media
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Building Design+Construction
Gensler Is the #1 Firm on BD+C’s Top 200 Reconstruction Sector Architecture and AE Firms
Gensler topped the list ranking the nation’s largest reconstruction sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms for 2022.
February 06, 2023
In The Media
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LoopNet
Inside the $50M Transformation of Chicago’s Iconic Sears Tower Into a Mixed-Use Destination
Design Director Michael Townsend detailed public amenities at Willis Tower, while Design Director Hansoo Kim reflected on bringing “the soul and style of Chicago inside this space.”
January 26, 2023
In The Media
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Business Insider
How Steven Paynter’s Algorithm ‘Could Solve the Crisis of America’s Empty Office Space’
Steven Paynter explains how he developed an assessment algorithm for converting offices into apartments to bring people back to downtown areas as residents, not commuters.
January 08, 2023
In The Media
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Urban Land Institute
How to Make Office-to-Residential Conversions Work
Gensler Principal Steven Paynter explained how converting a 12-story building can prevent 3.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being released.
December 01, 2022
In The Media
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Business Insider
Gensler’s Steven Paynter Is Recognized by Business Insider on Its List of Top 100 People Transforming Business This Year
Business Insider praised Steven Paynter’s timely focus on determining the viability of converting offices to residential buildings in cities across the world and its transformational impact.
November 15, 2022
In The Media
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Retrofit Magazine
Redeveloped by Gensler, the Iconic Willis Tower Wins First Place in Retrofit’s 2022 Metamorphosis Awards
One of the world’s tallest buildings, the tower was reimagined to give a new generation of workers, tourists, and Chicago residents “a reason to stay awhile to enjoy the experience.”
November 07, 2022
In The Media
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Banker & Tradesman
Office Landlords Look for a Plan B
Banker & Tradesman quoted Gensler Developer Leader Todd Dundon in a story about office-to-residential conversions.
October 30, 2022
In The Media
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Green Building & Design
Gensler’s Fifth + Tillery Design “Turns the Office Building Inside Out” in East Austin
Featuring a hybrid timber structural system, the reimagined post-industrial site improves building performance, creates a positive contribution to the neighborhood, and delivers a great experience.
October 03, 2022
In The Media
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The Washington Times
How Unused Office Buildings Can Be Converted Into Much-Needed Housing Stock
Gensler’s Todd Dundon discussed the opportunity to transform unused office space — a byproduct of employees working from home — into new housing.
September 28, 2022
In The Media
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ArchDaily
How Gensler Re-Envisioned the Iconic Willis Tower “From Street to Sky”
Gensler transformed the Chicago supertall tower, adding a public roof park, 150,000 square feet of tenant-exclusive offerings, and arts programming.
September 26, 2022
In The Media
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The Houston Chronicle
The Esperson Building, an Iconic Houston Office Tower, Will Get a $50M Makeover
The office building will be transformed into a mixed-use project with a Gensler-designed amenity level and upscale apartments.
August 25, 2022
In The Media
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Archinect
Gensler’s Repositioned Willis Tower Is Named a Winner of AIA Chicago’s 2022 Design Excellence Awards
In reimagining the iconic tower, a major design driver was diversifying its retail, amenities, meeting facilities, and outdoor space to attract workers, tourists, and locals alike.
August 18, 2022