The sheer size of Gensler—5,000-plus staffers spread across 46 offices in 16 countries—is one of the things that makes the firm so unique. But what makes a firm of such vast size work is its entrepreneurial structure. “We are a self-governing, self-sustaining firm with a rotating leadership,” explains co-CEO and co-regional managing principal Andy Cohen. “It’s an incredible collaborative team—it’s not just one person at the helm.” North American co-regional managing principal Robin Klehr Avia elaborates on the beauty of the collective approach: “We believe in a constellation of stars. Any one of our 24 design partners could have their own firm and be honored at the Interior Design Hall of Fame, but then they would not have the type of collaboration they have here at Gensler. People put their egos aside and do great work as a result of that.”
So how does this utopic-sounding creative haven work in practice? “It’s a true network,” says co-CEO and co-regional managing principal Diane Hoskins. “Connectivity is key.” Offices are grouped into 10 regions, each helmed by a two-person team. Within the larger regions are designated hub offices. This collective approach keeps the well-oiled machine running smoothly and ensures resource and knowledge sharing, not to mention solidarity—a “one-firm firm,” they call it.
Gensler’s structure and global reach also allows designers to expand their horizons over the course of their careers. “Scale is an advantage,” says co-regional managing principal Dan Winey. “Our organization allows employees to explore different facets of the profession, to move in different directions as they move through life. Exploration can happen within both a design and a geographic framework: you can go to Dubai to learn about Middle Eastern culture, for instance.” Top talents also have a chance to participate in the twice-annual global leaders program, which allows designers to visit regions and markets outside their own. “They launch into a strategic deep dive, and help us rethink our practice,” says Hoskins. The result: employees are more engaged, and stay to build careers at Gensler.
Herein, the regional managing partners explain what’s unique about their territory, and the opportunities and challenges they face. We also shine the spotlight on some of each region’s senior members, who share a favorite project from their tenure at Gensler.
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Northeast Top Picks Regional Managing Partners: Robin Klehr Avia and Joseph Brancato Project: Tower at PNC Plaza, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2015 |
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Northeast Hub Spotlight: New York Regional Managing Director and Principal: Julia Simet Project: Morrison & Foerster, New York, 2014
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Northeast Region: New Jersey Regional Managing Partner: Brenda Nyce-Taylor Project: BAST Corporation, Florham Park, New Jersey, 2012
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Stefanie Shunk Project: Media firm, New York, 2007
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Jean Anderson Project: Burberry headquarters, London, 2008
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Becky Button Project: Cengage Learning, San Francisco, 2014
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: EJ Lee Project: Financial firm, New York, 2013
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Brian Berry Project: McCann Erickson, New York, 2013
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Ed Wood Project: New York Times, New York, 2007
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Carlos Martínez Project: Motorola Mobility, Chicago, 2014
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Mark Morton Project: Condé Nast, New York, 2015
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: John Bricker Project: Toys ‘R’ Us, New York, 2001
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Beth Novitsky Project: Baroue, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2006
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Keith Rosen Project: Vantone Museum, Beijing, 2009
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Northeast Region: New Jersey Regional Managing Partner: Janine Intonato Project: Bayer Healthcare, Whippany, New Jersey, 2013
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Northeast Region: Toronto Regional Managing Partner: Annie Bergeron Project: Motorola Mobility, Chicago, 2014
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Northeast Region: New York Regional Managing Partner: Laurent Lisimachio Project: Coty, New York, 2014.
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Northeast Region: Boston Regional Managing Partner: Alexander Fernández Project: City master plan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (unbuilt)
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Northwest Top Picks Regional Managing Partners: Dan Winey and Scott Dunlap Project: Gensler, Oakland, California, 2015
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Northwest Region: San Francisco Regional Managing Partner: Steve Weindel Project: Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, 2010
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Northwest Region: San Francisco Regional Managing Partner: Kelly Dubisar Project: Nokia R&D Campus, Sunnyvale, California, 2011
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Northwest Region: San Francisco Regional Managing Partner: Melissa Mizell Project: San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 2, 2012
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Northwest Region: Seattle Regional Managing Partner: Susana Covarrubias Project: WPP, Seattle, 2008
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Northwest Region: San Jose Regional Managing Partner: Natalie Engels Project: Pivot, Santa Clara, California, 2015
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Northwest Region: Oakland Regional Managing Partner: Doug Wittenbel Project: Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, San Francisco, 2002
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Northwest Region: San Francisco Regional Managing Partner: Collin Burry Project: 888 Brannan Street, San Francisco, 2013
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Northwest Region: Seattle Regional Managing Partner: Chad Yoshinobu Project: Boeing, Renton, Washington, 2013
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Northwest Region: San Francisco Regional Managing Partner: Jeff Henry Project: Barneys New York, Dallas, 2006
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North Central Top Picks Regional Managing Partners: Lamar A. Johnson and Nila R. Leiserowitz Project: Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Genevieve and Wayne Gratz Center, 2012
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North Central Region: Minneapolis Regional Managing Partner: Bill Lyons Project: Olson, Minneapolis, 2012
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North Central Region: Chicago Regional Managing Partner: Todd Heiser Project: Genevieve and Wayne Gratz Center, Chicago, 2012
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North Central Region: Chicago Regional Managing Partner: Benjy Ward Project: LAPD Memorial for Fallen Officers, Los Angeles, 2009
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North Central Region: Chicago Regional Managing Partner: Anne Gibson Project: The Ability Institute of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (unbuilt)
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North Central Region: Detroit Regional Managing Partner: William Hartman Project: Union Pacific Center, Omaha, Nebraska, 2004
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North Central Region: Chicago Regional Managing Partner: Todd Baisch Project: IBM, Chicago, 2005
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Southeast Top Picks Regional Managing Partners: Diane Hoskins and Kenneth Baker Project: George Washington University Charles E. Smith Center, Washington, DC, 2011
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Southeast Region: Baltimore Regional Managing Partner: Chris Banks Project: Pandora Jewelry, Baltimore, 2015
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Southeast Region: Miami Regional Managing Partner: Walter Trujillo Project: Bacardi, Coral Gables, Florida, 2013
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Southeast Region: Washington, DC Regional Managing Partner: Jordan Goldstein Project: Intelsat, McLean, Virginia, 2014
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Southeast Region: Baltimore Regional Managing Partner: Ehren Gaag Project: Price Modern, Baltimore, 2014
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Southeast Region: Washington, DC Regional Managing Partner: John McKinney Project: Fried Frank, Washington, DC, 2012
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Southeast Region: Washington, DC Regional Managing Partner: Jill Goebel Project: Edited by Goodwill, Washington, DC, 2014
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Southeast Region: Charlotte Regional Managing Partner: Holly Christian Project: Energy company, Charlotte, North Carolina, 2011
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Southeast Region: Atlanta Regional Managing Partner: Richard Macri Project: 22squared, Atlanta, 2011 This ad agency project "is more than an aesthetic endeavor. The big idea was to have the new space energize and boost connections among employees." The proof is in: according to an employee survey, knowledge-sharing has increased by 20 percent. |
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Southwest Top Picks Regional Managing Partners: Andy Cohen and Robert Jernigan Project: Denver International Airport Westin Hotel and Transit Center, 2015
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Southwest Region: Los Angeles Regional Managing Partner: Chris Coldoff Project: Hulu, Santa Monica, 2013 For the television gurus, this workplace was about creating an environment that "didn't feel overly designed. Plus, it was a fun opportunity to re-imagine the very space that Gensler moved out of when we relocated our office to downtown Los Angeles!" |
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Southwest Region: Los Angeles Regional Managing Partner: Philippe Paré Project: Mapleton Investments, Los Angeles, 2013 "Intimate dialogue with the client on how a personal art collection can inpsire architecture" resulted in gallerylike interiors, not to mention a site-specific chipped-plaster mural gracing the courtyard. |
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Southwest Region: Phoenix Regional Managing Partner: Jay Silverberg Project: Denver International Airport Westin Hotel and Transit Center, 2015 Hospitality and transportation combine in a "holistic solution depicting beauty and grace" that seeks to elevate globetrotters' experience before and after air travel. |
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Southwest Region: Denver Regional Managing Partner: Brent Mather Project: Jackson Hole Airport, Wyoming, 2014 Rustic yet refined plus "highly customized and thoughtful," this relatively modest regional airport challenges "the lingering perception that we are only invested in large or corporate projects!" |
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Southwest Region: Los Angeles
Regional Managing Partner: Gene Watanabe Project: 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, 2007 The framelike aspect of this landmark project pays respect to the iconic Century Plaza Towers behind, while making a powerful architectural statement of its own. |
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Southwest Region: Newport Beach Regional Managing Partner: David Loyola Project: Glumac, Irvine, 2010 This low budget with a loftlike aesthetic "was about doing more with less: using less energy and fewer natural resources in a creative work environment. It was the first Office of the Future recognized by the New Buildings Institute and set the benchmark for tenant improvement projects in the United States." |
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Southwest Region: Los Angeles Regional Managing Partner: Aaron Birney Project: Wenger, Boulder, Colorado, 2010 For the Swiss Army Knife retailer's woodsy Mile High City flagship the firm combined "historic restoration with fresh diea and local relevance in a concept that connected to the geographic location, the space, and the people of the city." |
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Southwest Region: Newport Beach Regional Managing Partner: Jim Young Project: Gensler Newport Beach, California, 2013 "Designing for your family produces some of the most exciting challenges," says the designer of the in-house project that incorporates four work modes—focus, collaboration, learning, and socialization—into LEED Platinum surrounds. |
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Southwest Region: San Diego Regional Managing Partner: Claudia Salazar Project: Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, 2015 A refresh to the entry is anchored by a new digital exhibition area, plus a reception desk illuminated by the MOPA logo routed into its mass that cleverly "synthesizes the museum's brand identity with its architecture." |
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Southwest Region: Los Angeles Regional Managing Partner: Kap Malik Project: The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, 2010 This skyline-defining LEED Silver tower with the twinkling "glass mosaic" facade is an exemplar on all fronts of Malik's signature harmonization that "merges architecture, sustainability, and urbanism." |
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Southwest Region: Los Angeles Regional Managing Partner: Lee Pasteris Project: Glumac, Los Angeles, 2014 Bubble swings are a playful touch but the real excitement is that this is the "first interior net-zero energy project in California, resulting in the ability to measure energy performance through the power of design." |
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South Central Top Picks Regional Managing Principals: Judy Pesek and David J. Calkins Project: Southwestern Energy Company, Spring, Texas, 2015 Things are just bigger in Texas. "Our offices in Austin, Dallas, and Houston are located in the three fastest-growing cities in the United States," says Judy Pesek, who leads the region alongside co-regional managing principal David J. Calkins. "Austin has emerged as a major tech hub and Dallas and Houston are key locations for corporate expansion." However, the scope of this region's work stretches far beyond Texas borders into 40 US cities and 14 countries. "This geographic and business sector diversity has allowed us to weather and rebound from cyclical downturns like the one we are currently experiencing in the energy industry," notes Calkins. So, what are clients asking for, in the Lone Star State and abroad? Places that encourage innovation, incorporate the latest technology, and are equally suited to work and relaxation. |
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South Central Region: Dallas Principal: Paul Manno Project: Hilti North America, Plano, Texas, 2015 The corporate cerise invigorates the interiors: note this accented breakout area. Elsewhere, a wall of red Hilti sawblades lends punch. "We were given full freedom to dream up provocative installation ideas, and the rare opportunity to take somebody's product and weave it into the space—it was a blast." |
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South Central Region: Houston Design Director: Yishio Kuo Project: Capital Bank, Miami, 1985 The pure, timeless interiors of Don Brinkmann "are one of the reasons I came to Gensler. This project is Brinkmann at his best: a highly sophisticated, disciplined design that is as much about what you don't see as what you do see. It gave me something to aspire to." |
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South Central Region: Austin Principal: David Epstein Project: PNC Place, Washington, DC, 2010 Bold enough to anchor a site with views to the Washington Monument, the designer's breakthrough project is "environmentally smart but elegant, something not often seen in LEED Platinum projects." |
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South Central Region: Houston Design Director: Lisa Pope-Westerman Project: High Fashion Home, Houston, 2011 Fore a homewares and clothing store, "we brought our fashion-forward thinkers together to come up with low-tech, high-experience touch points," like this inventive installation of fabric scraps that surrounds the entry portal to the retail area. |
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South Central Region: Dallas Design Director: Christopher Goggin Project: Huckabee Architects, Austin, Texas, 2014 Goggin's greatest compliment was being asked to design for fellow architects. "It's rewarding to know that we've achieved this level of respect from our peers and that they trust us to check our egos at the door and work with them on the design of their own 'home'." |
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Latin America Top Picks Regional Managing Partners: Joseph Brancato and Robin Klehr Avia Project: Facebook, São Paulo, Brazil, 2014 Though Gensler has offices in Costa Rica, São Paulo, and Mexico City, the firm has a much broader reach than those locations suggest, having worked in 23 countries in the region to date. "The major challenge in Latin America is political and market volatility," says Joseph Brancato, who along with Robin Klehr Avia guides this region. "But we continue to stay committed. We've made a long-term investment, growing our presence there for almost 15 years. We've noticed culture, heritage, and authenticity are what's paramount here—that's what continues to be at the top of our clients' minds." |
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Latin American Region: Mexico City Regional Managing Partner: Mariela Buendia-Corrochano Project: Proskauer, Washington, DC, 2014 "Strong architectural features and artwork strengthen the relationship with the building's post-modernist design," creating a seamless experience between exterior and interior." |
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Latin American Region: Costa Rica Regional Managing Partner: Richard Hammond Project: Botswana Innovation Hub, Gaborone, Botswana (unbuilt) This boldly cantilevered structure, an exhilarating competition proposal for a national science and technology hub, "gave me the chance to work closer to where I grew up." |
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European Top Picks Reginoal Managing Partner: Duncan Swinhoe Project: UBM, London, 2015 The region, which extends into the Baltic states and Scandinavia, "has found recovery from the global recession to be a long and bumpy road," admits regional managing principal Duncan Swinhoe. "But it has an amazing resource in its population of 500 million. This has generated an array of design challenges, from rethinking entire businesses to reshaping cities through infrastructure and reimaging products. Our practice thrives on the opportunities and talent it attracts." London has been the central hub of Gensler Europe for more than 25 years. "It's an incredibly diverse, open city at the same time deeply rooted within its rich heritage," he says. |
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European Region: London Regional Managing Partner: Amanda Baldwin Project: Allen & Overy, London, 2003 "Unconventional breakout areas, like a sports lounge, library, and Zen area, were inspired by the interests and hobbies of the staff," resulting in a law firm that reads far from staid. |
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European Region: London Regional Managing Partner: Enrico Caruso Project: UBM, London, 2015 The stars aligned on "a great client vision and a challenging project brief led by the perfect design team." The inspired result? A gemlike glass design for a marketing services company that speask to the client's aspirations of transparency and connection. |
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Asia Top Picks Regional Managing Partners: Dan Winey and Ray Shick Project: Shanghai Tower, 2015 From Sydney in the southeast to Tokyo in the north and Bangalore in the west, this supersized region's cultural and geographic diversity is "complex, challenging, and highly rewarding," says co-regional managing principal Dan Winey. "Experience has shown that it generally takes about 10 years to build a strong office that is higly integrated with the rest of our practice." Across the nine offices—lead by Winey and co-regional manager Ray Shick—the work is varied. In Japan, workplace and retail are among the largest sectors, while in China, large-scale commercial buildings lead the pack. The strongest bgrowth "is in Indiam, Australia, and Tokyo" says Shick, with Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong—those ever-frenetic Asian hubs of commerce—holding steady. |
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Asian Region: Tokyo Regional Managing Partner: Daichi Amano Project: QVC, Chiba, Japan, 2013 A headquarters defined by punchy-hued cast-concrete panels "achieves QBC's branding vision and meets their goal of exceeding customers' expectations through design." |
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Asian Region: Hong Kong Regional Managing Partner: Connie Ho Project: Tha American National Red Cross, New York, 2007 "Post 9/11, our team was so proud to help this wonderful organization celebrate its centennial with a new headquarters for its largest US chapter." The former laundry facility now boasts flexible spaces that can adapt into an emergency response center when needed. |
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Asian Region: Singapore Regional Managing Partner: Chuck Albright Project: Hewlett-Packard Executive Briefing Center, Palo Alto, California, 2012 The outside seeps in via a light-grazed catwalk and sky-high glazing at this "qintessential design solution for synergy between building mass and interior spaces." |
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Asian Region: Sydney Regional Managing Partner: Simon Trude Project: The Porter, Sydney, 2015 Operated and furnished by Haworth, this business lounge "hgas increased the building's occupancy from 18 to 97 percent and raised the bar for co-working spaces in the city." Credit its luxe look, more befitting of a high-end ski lodge than a corporate digs. |
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Asian Region: Beijing Regional Managing Partner: Emma Chang Project: Yanqi APEC & Gateway Conference Center, Beijing (unbuilt) The monumental scale of this project—including a 5,000-person conference room that can be reconfigured into smaller meeting rooms via custom Skyfold partitions—is "a study in the contrast between substance and void." |
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Middle East Top Picks Regional Managing Partner: Chris Johnson Project: The Gate Building, Dubai, 2004 Though one of the newest regions for the firm, Gensler's hub office in Abu Dhabi and smaller satellites in Dubai and Doha oversee a variety of pojrects ranging from workplace fit-outs to the design of world-class cities. "We benefit from a global talent pool offering insight and global expertise," says regional managing director Chris Johnson. But we also recognize the need to expand our indigenous talent pool in order to continue Gensler's ethos of designing respectful buildings that reflect the heritage of the region." Despite the challenges that have faced the oil markets, the market is seeing sustained growth in a more considered and conservative approach, set to continue for the next 10 years. The Dubai World Expo 2020 will be an additional economic driver for the region. |