Cities like San Francisco are grappling with high office vacancy rates and a stagnated post-pandemic rebound. For companies that opt to maintain a physical presence in the world of hybrid and remote work, one-size-fits-all workplaces are no longer viable as employees seek out multi-layered experiences worthy of their commute. Seizing these challenges as opportunities, Gensler San Francisco recommitted to its founding city with a sustainable, experimental vision of the future workplace.

Gensler designed a prototype for the office of the future, while creating a compelling downtown destination for our people, our clients, and our community. The large, single-floor layout features nearly 400 different work points across four main activity and mood-based zones to accommodate team members’ unique needs, while production quality AV enables immersive and equitable hybrid meeting experiences. The workplace prioritizes sustainable materials and reuse and has been retrofitted to run on all-electric facilities.

Since the beginning of 2025, Gensler San Francisco has been operating at carbon zero energy, becoming the firm’s first U.S. office to achieve this level of performance. All-electric heating and cooling systems combined with 100 percent renewable energy, reduced the operational carbon footprint by more than 95%. An in-office attendance policy brings more than 200 employees downtown daily, with occupancy data showing a 37% increase from the prior San Francisco location.