Gensler Design Exchange

It's Women's History Month! In today's conversation on the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, Gensler Atlanta Principal & Co-Managing Director Tory Winn sits down with Meredith Leapley, CEO & Founder of Leapley Construction, to discuss how their teams are successfully navigating these challenging "lockdown life" times under their leadership. Winn and Leapley also share personal anecdotes from their professional pasts and offer advice for budding leaders hoping to grow their careers in the industry. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

As American cities shut down to slow the spread of COVID, car traffic across the country dropped by an average of 70% at one point. All those quiet roads opened the door for municipalities to tap into the Safe Streets (or Slow Streets) ethos and rethink how their many miles of pavement could be redesigned for additional or new uses. While these efforts are well-intentioned, they fail to address one basic question: Safe for whom? So far, many Safe Streets initiatives are unfolding in well-capitalized and majority-white areas that feature restaurants, shops, parks, and other cultural and leisure activities. Too often, communities of color have not been part of the equation. Architects and designers have an opportunity to change that dynamic by understanding the flow of resources, enabling more inclusive engagement and participation, and capturing measurements for success.

Today's Black History Month feature is a rebroadcast of our episode "Embracing Multiculturalism" with Michael Marshall, Design Director & Principal of Michael Marshall Design, whose highly-acclaimed work has won countless industry awards and is featured in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. Kicking off the episode is a special Q&A with Gensler's Dom Sanchez and Gail Malone, speaking on the importance of community to create action toward more inclusive future. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

This month we are celebrating Black History Month on the podcast with a new episode each week in February. This week, hear Gensler Baltimore Co-Managing Director Vaki Mawema deliver a keynote address at AIAS GR20 Conference, discussing the power of leadership and the unique significance of this moment in our history to make an impact on the architecture industry - and to create a better world for all through the power of design. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

As architects and designers meticulously work to transform our workplaces, retail, restaurants, schools, and virtually all places where humans connect in a post-COVID world, each space element has taken on a new sense of purpose and intentionality. Ceilings are certainly no exception. Today, we’re kicking off a three-part series we’ll be hosting with Armstrong that digs into how our organizations are reimagining buildings, spaces, and products to enhance health and wellbeing in our return to the office and shared spaces In our first episode of this series, Janet Pogue McLaurin, a Principal and Global Workplace Research Leader who has been at Gensler for more than 38 years, moderates a conversation between Vic Grizzle, CEO of Armstrong World Industries, and Don Ghent, a Principal and Design Realization Leader at Gensler, about how ceilings are an important part of the holistic approach to design we must take as we reimagine shared spaces in the future.

Since the spring of 2020, the Gensler Research Institute has been conducting surveys of workers across the globe to understand worker’s needs and make informative real estate and design decisions on the future of the workplace. In these surveys, many workers expressed evolving expectations for the future of work and the physical workplace. In today’s episode, we’re re-broadcasting our Regional Consulting Practice Area Leader Cheryl Duvall’s interview on the Business Learning Institute’s Future-Proof podcast with host Bill Sheridan, of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA), where Bill and Cheryl discuss key findings from Gensler’s 2020 Workplace Surveys. As we look to the future, our data helps us explore how employers and their workplaces can best support their employees in a post-pandemic future.

From Philadelphia down to Miami, we’ll take you (virtually) to visit each of our eight offices to hear stories about how our people reached out to their communities — both locally and regionally — to listen and take action to provide resources, time, expertise, and more that helped organizations, neighborhoods, and individuals in need.  SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

Public space has always been an integral part of human life. It supports the widest diversity of experiences and offers some of the best experiences overall, according to Gensler’s Experience Index research. From your local park, to the sidewalks on city streets, to the terraces and gardens provided by restaurants or retail centers, these spaces define our collective urban (and suburban) experiences. And after months of isolation from much of the outside world through the lockdown spurred by coronavirus, public space has been at the center of our social lives as a “safe” place to connect with others while social distancing. Now more than ever, these spaces are poised to become the lifeblood of our neighborhoods and cities. Today's guests will discuss how we might design cities that work for everyone and facilitate both organized and spontaneous connections between diverse people.

Gensler’s firmwide senior living leader Tama Duffy Day interviews industry experts on essential principles to consider as we look at the current moment as a unique opportunity for change. Stephanie Firestone is a Senior Strategic Policy Advisor for Health & Age-Friendly Communities at AARP International; Dr. Bill Thomas is a geriatrician, industry trailblazer, and Independence Officer at Lifesprk; and Esther Greenhouse is a built environment strategist, environmental gerontologist, and a Strategic Director at the TC Age Friendly Center for Excellence. These three guests are collaborators on AARP International’s important Equity by Design webinar series dedicated to exploring different aspects of the active aging conversation. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

In a world of 7.6 billion people and counting, there’s bound to be repetition somewhere, right? In today’s post-modern age, it’s hard to ignore the omnipresence of content and product surrounding us. A simple scroll through social media might unveil a common pattern of rehashed content. But even in our increasingly oversaturated world, there are breaks in this repetition — our champions of innovation who advance ‘originality’ in the design of our products, spaces, and experiences. In today’s episode, we discuss this very idea. How do we protect innovation as an industry and promote diverse thinking and creativity in an age where we’re constantly inundated with information?

As designers, the pandemic has challenged us to rise to the occasion and create better opportunities for interconnectivity in our future world. Without our physical studios, materials libraries, and in-person teams, our design processes shifted and our sources of inspiration have evolved. Today we’re inviting Gensler DC Design Director Nestor Santa-Cruz back to the podcast to explore how his work process has changed since March and offer insights on how to stay plugged in to find design inspiration even among these challenging times. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

At this critical inflection point in our history, it's important to reflect and recharge in order to preserve not just our individual wellbeing, but also our ability to return to designing the future of our cities with our best foot forward. As we continue to dream up innovative, purpose-built spaces both public and private, how can we be more mindful, intentional, and impactful? Insights & tips from Gensler's Gregory Plavcan & George Washington University's Grace Ogden. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

This week, we’re excited to share with you a webinar we hosted recently with our Gensler staff focused on embracing multiculturalism in design — both in our design work and in our industry. The conversation, moderated by Gensler Principal & Global Director of Design, Jordan Goldstein, featured special guest Michael Marshall, AIA, NOMA, Design Director & Principal of Michael Marshall Design, whose highly-acclaimed work has won countless industry awards and now been featured in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

Are you confused by the Trash/Recycle/Compost bins at health food stores? Are you seeking simple ways to be less wasteful at work — or is your company interested in learning about how to establish some greener, more mindful operations in the workplace? You’ve come to the right place. Today’s episode of the Gensler Design Exchange podcast features Benjamin Holsinger, a leader in Sustainability & Wellbeing Consulting at Gensler, joined by fellow sustainability teammates Liz Resenic and Gregory Plavcan, to share tips on how you can design sustainable practices into your daily life. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

This week on the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, Gensler’s Jordan Goldstein speaks with the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, moderated by Sarah Rottenberg, Adjunct Assistant Professor & Executive Director, Integrated Product Design Program at the University of Pennsylvania. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

Gensler Principal & Global Design Management Leader Jim Williamson interviews IIDA (International Interior Design Association) Executive Vice President & CEO Cheryl Durst to discuss diversity and design in a post-pandemic world. Together they share advice for aspiring designers, thoughts on the future of design, and  best practices to foster the next generation of designers to be more inclusive and diverse. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

Today, our host Brandon Larcom sits down with Gensler experts Chuck Rudalavage, Regional Practice Area Leader for Higher Education, and Emily Fridman, Regional Director for Digital Experience Design, to explore the paradigm shift in the learning experience happening now across the globe. With Chuck's expertise in the physical design of learning facilities and Emily's experience creating meaningful experiences through digital solutions, we break down silos to discuss how educational institutions might embrace both a digital and physical future to offer students a comprehensive and impactful learning experience in a post-COVID world.

Today’s special episode is a recording of a webinar we participated in in early April, hosted by our retail real estate owner, operator, and developer friends at EDENS. In this webinar, you’ll hear from Norma Morales Perez, Senior Vice President of Brand & Culture at EDENS, and Gensler workplace experts Janet Pogue McLaurin, Workplace Leader and Principal, and Cheryl Duvall, Consulting Practice Area Leader and Associate. Janet and Cheryl discuss how effective remote work environments can spur innovation and create new ways of connecting that may reshape the physical workspace when we return to our offices. They share best practices on how to create great workplaces at home based on their experience designing corporate offices. Cheryl and Janet also explore how we might think about the workplace in new ways after we re-emerge from our distributed locations.

Today, in honor of Earth Week, you’ll hear from Gensler Miami architect and sea level rise expert Ana Benatuil in a fascinating interview with Marilys Nepomechie — Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Professor of Architecture in the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts at Florida International University — and Katherine Hagemann — Resilience Program Manager at Miami-Dade County — to discuss strategies coastal cities can consider adopting to combat the challenges of sea level rise. SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/genslerpod

It’s no secret that retail has experienced a tumultuous time, and as cities continue to grow and face new challenges, retailers now more than ever are adapting to today’s demands. In today’s episode of the Gensler Design Exchange, Kathleen Jordan, co-studio director and resident retail expert at Gensler, owner and chief retail strategist Charlotte, sits down with Jordan Dollard of Esther & Elsa, to understand what the evolution of retail will bring and speculate what the next-generation shopping experience will look like.