Gensler

Gensler
Company type	Private
Industry	Architecture, Design, Urban Planning, Consulting
Founded	1965
Founder	Art Gensler, Drue Gensler, James Follett
Headquarters	San Francisco, United States
Area served	Worldwide (53 offices in 17 countries, clients in over 100 countries)
Key people	Andy Cohen (Co-CEO), Diane Hoskins (Co-CEO), Jordan Goldstein (Co-CEO), Elizabeth Brink (Co-CEO)
Products	Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Planning, Brand Design, Sustainability Consulting
Owner	Employee-owned
Number of employees	Not specified exactly; largest architecture firm by architect count globally (2023)
Website	www.gensler.com

Gensler is an international architecture and design organization based in San Francisco, California. It holds the distinction of being the largest architecture firm globally by both revenue and architect count.

In 2022, Gensler achieved $1.785 billion in revenue, ranking it at the top among U.S. architecture firms. By late 2023, the company maintained 53 offices across 17 nations, delivering services to clients in more than 100 countries.

History

The company was established in 1965 by Art Gensler, alongside his wife Drue Gensler and partner James Follett. Originally concentrating on corporate interior projects such as San Francisco’s Alcoa Building (1967) and Bank of America Building (1969), the firm broadened its expertise to encompass commercial offices, retail environments, airports, education, entertainment venues, urban planning, consulting, brand design, and sustainability initiatives.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Gensler experienced significant growth within the United States, launching offices in Houston (1972) and New York (1979) to better serve prominent clients like Pennzoil and Mobil Oil. The firm's international expansion commenced with a London branch in 1988, followed by openings in Tokyo and Hong Kong in 1993, and Shanghai in 2002, cementing its influence across Asia. By the early 2000s, Gensler had become the largest architecture and design firm headquartered in the U.S.

In 2005, Gensler transitioned to a collaborative leadership structure by appointing Andy Cohen, Diane Hoskins, and David Gensler as executive directors and Co-CEOs. Currently, Cohen and Hoskins continue as Co-CEOs steering the company’s strategic development. In 2024, they were named Gensler’s inaugural Global Co-Chairs while Jordan Goldstein and Elizabeth Brink stepped in as new Co-CEOs, strengthening the firm’s executive leadership team.

Influence and industry impact

With its expanding global presence, Gensler has led major projects including CityCenter in Las Vegas—serving as Executive Architect for the extensive 67-acre, 18 million-square-foot development—SFO Airport, where work began on the Central Terminal in 1980 with ongoing upgrades to Terminals T2, T3, and T1—and Shanghai Tower, a 128-story mixed-use skyscraper that became China’s tallest building and the world’s second tallest upon completion in 2013.

In 2023, Gensler spearheaded the transformation of 160 Water Street in Manhattan's Financial District from office space to residential use, creating 588 rental units. This initiative garnered support from Mayor Eric Adams alongside housing advocates aiming to alleviate New York City's housing shortage.

Research

Gensler initiated its first Workplace Survey in the U.K. in 2005 and followed with a U.S. Workplace Survey in 2006 before formalizing its research efforts with a dedicated program launched in 2007. Subsequent surveys took place across the U.K. and U.S. in 2008, 2013, and 2016. Presently, Gensler’s Workplace Surveys extend over five continents including Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, U.K., and U.S.

In 2010, the firm registered its Workplace Performance Index (WPI) trademark—a tool designed for evaluating spaces before and after occupancy. The Research Program celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2017 with the publication of Research Catalogue Volume 2. That year also introduced the Gensler Experience Index to measure how design influences user experience alongside industry-specific reports covering Education, Healthcare, Residential, Retail, and Hospitality sectors.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on urban environments, Gensler launched its City Pulse Survey in 2020 and expanded it throughout 2021 to analyze pandemic-related shifts in city life across multiple metropolitan areas.

Programs and initiatives

Gensler established Gensler University in 1990 as its cornerstone program for cultivating leadership. Alongside this, the company created the Diversity Scholarship to honor promising African-American architects and founded the Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship Fund to commemorate former partner Donald G. Brinkmann. In 2007, Gensler launched the gServe community impact initiative, dedicating a minimum of 80% of its efforts to key areas such as Housing and Homelessness, Health and Wellness, Environmental sustainability, and support for the Next Generation.

In 2015, Gensler committed to the Paris Pledge for Action during COP21, pledging to reduce carbon emissions with the goal of capping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius. At the 2019 U.N. Climate Action Summit, Co-CEO Diane Hoskins introduced the Gensler Cities Climate Challenge (GC3), which focuses on eradicating greenhouse gas emissions within the built environment. To advance this mission, Gensler developed green specification standards aimed at reducing reliance on high-carbon materials.

Since 2016, Gensler has published its “Impact Through Design” series annually through 2022, guiding its approach to sustainability and underscoring architecture’s critical role in climate action. In 2023, the firm rolled out the Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards, which became mandatory for all projects in the U.S., Canada, and Europe starting January 2024. During COP28, Gensler collaborated with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to promote low-carbon building certifications and facilitate access to green financing.

These programs exemplify Gensler’s strategic integration of sustainability into its offerings, strengthening its position as a leader within the global architecture and design sector.

Recognition

In 2000, Gensler was honored with the distinguished Architecture Firm Award by the American Institute of Architects.

The firm was inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2009 as its inaugural member. It has received multiple AIA Institute Honor Awards for Architecture for notable projects such as the HyundaiCard Air Lounge (2012) and Jackson Hole Airport (2014).

For three straight years beginning in 2018, Forbes recognized Gensler as one of “America’s Best Midsize Employers.” The company also topped Interior Design magazine’s “Top 100 Giants” ranking and appeared on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list in 2020.

The National Center for Employee Ownership ranked Gensler as the 21st largest employee-owned business in the United States in 2020. Additionally, three of Gensler’s projects earned AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Awards for excellence in sustainable design integration.

Gensler secured first place in Building Design’s World Architecture 100 Rankings in 2021 and has led Architectural Record’s annual Top 300 U.S. Architecture Firms list for over ten years. Fast Company included Gensler among its “World’s Most Innovative Companies” and “100 Best Workplaces for Innovators” in 2021, highlighting its proprietary NFORM Ecosystem.

Engineering News-Record named Gensler the #1 Top Green Design Firm for six consecutive years from 2016 through 2021; after briefly dropping to second place in 2022, it regained the top spot in 2023. That same year, Gensler continued its streak atop Architectural Record’s Top 300 Architecture Firms for the twelfth year running and garnered several AIA National Awards, including recognition for its Willis Tower repositioning and adaptive reuse project at 633 Folsom.

The Center for Active Design recognized Gensler as having the most Fitwel Accredited professionals among all firms at its 2023 Best in Building Health Awards.

For the ninth year in a row, Gensler achieved first place overall in Building Design’s 2024 World Architecture 100 rankings, reaffirming its enduring leadership and influence within international architecture and design markets.

Noteworthy Projects

1888 Studios, Bayonne, New Jersey, 2022
21st Century Fox Headquarters, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 2018
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, California, 2007
Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, California, 2018
BCG New York Headquarters, New York, NY, 2017
Burj Alshaya Four Seasons, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2017
Cadillac House, New York, NY, 2017
Costa Rica Convention Center, Heredia, Costa Rica, 2018
Condé Nast Headquarters, New York, NY, 2015
CityCenter, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2009
DreamWorks Animation Campus, Glendale, California, 1997
Mineta San Jose International Airport Terminal B, San Jose, California, 2010
Tŷ William Morgan, Cardiff, United Kingdom, 2020
The Doughnut, Cheltenham, United Kingdom, 2003
The Avenues Phase IV, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2018
NVIDIA Corporate Campus, Santa Clara, California, 2018
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice Headquarters, New York, NY, 2018
Incheon International Airport Terminal 2, Incheon, South Korea, 2018
Westfield Century City Mall Renovation, Los Angeles, California, 2018
Fairmont Austin Hotel, Austin, Texas, 2018
Johnson Controls Asia Pacific Headquarters, Shanghai, China, 2017
E. & J. Gallo Winery Dry Creek Building, Modesto, California, 2017
Hyatt Corporation Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois, 2017
The Coca-Cola Company Headquarters Reimagining Project, Atlanta Georgia, 2016
The Washington Post Headquarters Renovation in Washington D.C., 2016
Westin DEN Hotel and Transit Center at Denver International Airport in Denver Colorado., 2015
Jackson Hole Airport Expansion in Jackson Hole Wyoming., 2015
Shanghai Tower skyscraper in Shanghai China., 2015
The Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania., 2014
Gratz Center at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago Illinois., 2012
San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2 in San Francisco California., 2011
Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences and JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles California., 2010
JetBlue JFK Terminal T5 Expansion in New York City New York., 2008
The New York Times Building in New York NY., 2007
Letterman Digital Arts Center at Presidio of San Francisco California., 2005
The Gate Building at Dubai International Finance Centre Dubai UAE., 2004
Moscone Center in San Francisco California., 2003