Make the office a destination, not just an obligation

What It Covers

Gensler co-CEOs Elizabeth Brink and Andy Cohen explain how their 7,000-person architecture firm scaled to $2 billion revenue using collaborative leadership, designing human-centered spaces, and leveraging AI to combat climate change through sustainable building design.

Key Questions Answered

• •Co-leadership model: Gensler implements dual leaders at every level—offices, practice areas, and CEO roles—pairing complementary strengths where one partner's expertise covers the other's gaps, creating 48 effective working hours daily across global operations instead of 24.
• •Office as destination strategy: Post-COVID workplace design removes desk rows, adds three-to-five person collaboration rooms and living room spaces with screens for hybrid meetings, making offices places people want to visit rather than obligations, particularly attracting younger employees seeking mentorship.
• •Climate impact through buildings: Buildings generate 40 percent of global carbon emissions, positioning Gensler to partner with major concrete manufacturers on low-emission mixes, implement mass timber structures, and use AI to optimize natural lighting and airflow in designs like NVIDIA's triangle-shaped headquarters.
• •Inside-out design process: Gensler prioritizes user experience over architectural aesthetics by understanding client business goals first, then designing spaces that solve underlying organizational needs rather than presenting predetermined solutions, creating what they call a constellation of diverse design styles rather than one signature look.