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

SAN FRANCISCO — Gensler, the leading global architecture and design firm, announced an expansion of the Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards^TM to encompass 20 building product categories and furniture. For maximum impact, Gensler has selected materials used widely in residential, office, and recreational spaces, ranging from everyday materials, like carpet and wallpaper, to less obvious components, like those used to build walls. GPS Standards set sustainability performance criteria across the 1.25 billion square feet of buildings designed annually by the firm. The sustainability standards create a consistent approach for specifying and measuring the environmental impact of buildings, interiors, and furniture, including carbon dioxide emissions associated with materials and construction, across the firm’s work in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Europe.

Gensler announced the GPS initiative in August 2023 and implemented these standards in January 2024. In September 2024, the firm expanded the initial 12 product categories with the addition of eight new high-impact categories as part of a steady effort to increase the scope and stringency of the standards in alignment with the goals to drastically reduce net emissions associated with the firm’s work by 2030.

The construction, operations, renovation, and demolition of buildings produces nearly 40 percent of carbon emissions each year globally. In recent years, increased public dialogue of the embodied carbon of structural building materials, such as concrete, steel, and mass timber, and of building operations, such as energy use and efficiency, have increased awareness of how the built environment contributes to climate change. Although GPS does not yet address sustainability performance for structural materials, with GPS, Gensler takes the lead in expanding existing conversations to encompass the measurable performance of building interiors alongside ongoing awareness of the sustainability of structural components and building operations already taking place. GPS fosters collaboration empowering manufacturers to innovate greener products, creating a ripple effect advancing industry-wide sustainability. GPS also ensures that clients make environmentally responsible choices easily and systematically, directly contributing to their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals while enhancing the sustainability profile of projects, overall.

“Gensler’s global impact and reach allows the firm to send a powerful market signal in support of better environmental performance for interior products and furniture,” said David Briefel, Principal and Climate Action & Sustainability Studio Director, and co-author of GPS. “GPS Standards are set up to reward manufacturers for making the necessary decisions to move the industry toward a more sustainable future.”

The development of GPS entails extensive collaboration, information exchange, and coordination between Gensler’s designers, technical staff, and material librarians, as well as manufacturers, product designers, and fabricators. As of September 2024, over 2,800 products have been vetted for GPS compliance, and more than 1,500 Gensler designers and 1,000 third-party manufacturers have been trained to meet these standards. As a direct outcome of these research and knowledge-sharing initiatives, Gensler’s participating offices are now designing projects with materials and components that have been holistically assessed for sustainability, aesthetics, and performance. GPS Standards ensure that Gensler is able to meet the firm’s own environmental commitments while bringing additional sustainability to the spaces and places we design for our clients.

“The time to specify lower-carbon materials is now, as clients increasingly focus on meeting their sustainability goals and reducing their overall carbon footprints,” said Katie Mesia, Principal and Senior Sustainability Director at Gensler. “This approach not only addresses immediate client needs but also signals to the market that sustainable solutions are no longer optional – they're essential to the future of design.”

GPS criteria are developed in alignment with initiatives by industry organizations, regulatory standards, and third-party certifications. Gensler has collaborated with mindful MATERIALS to align with the ongoing development of the Common Material Framework to ensure industry consistency regarding sustainability disclosures. GPS also aligns with goals and standards identified by Carbon Leadership Forum, REACH, ISO, BIFMA, LEED, BREEAM, Living Building Challenge, and the AIA Materials Pledge, among others. Through our ongoing partnerships, Gensler will continue to expand these product sustainability standards into additional categories, while also setting more aggressive sustainability targets in the future.

Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards product categories include:

• New! Access flooring: Raised access flooring systems provide access to cabling and utilities in commercial environments.
• Acoustic Ceiling Tiles, Panels, and Suspension Grids: Acoustic Ceiling Tiles, Panels, and Suspension Grids refers to a system of sound absorbing tiles and panels, typically made from fiberglass and mineral fiber, and the ceiling-mounted suspension framework they are installed in.
• Batt Insulation: Batt insulation consists of pre-cut layers of insulating material, typically made from fiberglass or mineral wool, designed to fit between standard wall studs, ceiling joists, and floor joists. This type of insulation is valued for its thermal performance and sound-dampening properties, helping to regulate indoor temperatures and reduce noise transmission.
• Board Insulation: Board insulation refers to rigid panels made from polystyrene, polyurethane, or fiberglass, typically used in walls, roofs, and floors to reduce heat transfer, enhance energy efficiency, and create comfortable indoor environments.
• New! Broadloom carpet: Broadloom carpets in tufted, woven, and bound varieties provide a seamless appearance, sound attenuation, and comfort.
• Carpet Tile: Carpet tile, also known as modular carpet, consists of square or rectangular pieces of carpet that can be installed in a variety of patterns and configurations, and is often found in commercial and institutional settings due to its ease of installation, maintenance, and replacement.
• Decorative Glass: Decorative glass, including stained glass, etched glass, frosted glass, and laminated glass, is used in interior and exterior applications to provide visual effects and textures.
• Glass Demountable Partitions: Often found in office space, glass demountable partitions are framed glass panels that can easily be installed or removed, allowing for a reconfigurable space.
• Gypsum Board: Gypsum wallboards, commonly known as drywall or plasterboard, are materials used in constructing interior walls and ceilings.
• New! Hollow Metal Doors and Frames (US/Canada only): Standard interior hollow metal doors and frames for commercial and institutional use.
• New! Insulated Wall Cladding (UK/EU only): Insulated metal wall panels provide thermal insulation, weather protection, and reduce energy costs.
• Interior Latex Paint: Interior latex paint is a water-based coating commonly used in architectural applications.
• Non-Structural Metal Framing: Non-structural metal framing refers to the use of metal components, typically steel or aluminum, to create the framework for interior partitions, ceilings, and other non-load-bearing elements in a building.
• Resilient Flooring and Base: Resilient flooring, commonly made from vinyl, linoleum, cork, and rubber, is used for interior spaces that demand heavy foot traffic, moisture resistance, sound insulation, and ease of maintenance.
• New! Solid surfaces: Simulated stone surfaces, including quartz, solid surface, and sintered stone options for countertops and wall facing.
• Systems Furniture Workstations: Systems Furniture Workstations are defined as any of the following: a benching system; a panel-based workstation comprised of modular interconnecting panels, hang-on components, and drawer or filing components; or a freestanding grouping of furniture items and their components that have been designed to work in concert to create a workstation.
• Task Chairs: Defined as chairs that swivel and have wheels for mobility, are adjustable height, are designed with ergonomic features, and are intended for 4+ hours of continued use, typically at a desk or work surface.
• New! Textiles: Woven and non-woven textiles for upholstery, drapery, and cubicle curtains.
• New! Tile: Tiles include ceramic, porcelain, glass, mosaic, and quarry tile suitable for both wall and floor applications.
• New! Wallcoverings: Durable wall coverings designed for both residential and commercial interiors, used to provide a decorative finish that protects and enhances walls.

Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards v2.0 website coming soon.