Project Spotlight: Building a Better Block with Better Block

Image © Gensler

At the edge of Dallas’ Bishop Arts District, what was once an unremarkable, unvisited concrete corner is now a lush, welcoming neighborhood hangout. The hub of this activity is the new Better Block headquarters. Part office, part co-working space, part venue and part maker-space, the new headquarters is a flexible collision of diverse programs, a synthesis of urban design experimentation and community hub.

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ZIP Code Health and Design: Why Community Provided Health Care Matters

Your zip code is a big prediction of your overall health. Community provided health care like Chicago’s Cook County Central Campus Health Center brings resources to areas in need. Image © Gensler

Your biggest health predictor isn’t your cholesterol level, your blood pressure or your age; it’s your ZIP code. That’s what David B. Nash, M.D., dean of the Jefferson College of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, asserted during his presentation at the American College of Healthcare Executives Congress on Healthcare Leadership. He noted, “The most important five-digit number I need to predict your health status and well-being is your ZIP code.” As Nash suggests, geography is a big factor impacting an individual’s overall health—from access to healthcare and information to quality of life, and even life expectancy.

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Speak Easy: Hospitality’s Influences on Education

Image © Gensler

Anyone who has ever stepped into a luxury spa or resort knows that hospitality is more than expensive products, materials and furnishings; it’s about the service and the curated experiences. People are seeking these meaningful, authentic experiences not just in hotels, but in the office, where they go shopping, and even at universities. This was the main theme of our second Speak Easy session on the impact of hospitality on how we live, work and play.

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More Than a Parklet: A Catalyst to Inspire Change

Gensler Philadelphia won the People’s Choice Award at the AIA National Convention's Parklet Design Competition. Image © Gensler.

In a landscape filled with concrete and asphalt, city pedestrians often crave people-friendly refuges within urban areas. Taking over underutilized spaces, parklets are a great example of how design actively participates within the community by creating new areas for people to connect with environment, the public and themselves.

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The Positive Impact of Creative, Playable Spaces

826 Valencia Tenderloin Center. Image © Matthew Millman.

As designers we understand the powerful effect of creativity on ourselves and others. We challenge ourselves to create designs that inspire and connect people. We challenge ourselves to continuously seek new sources of inspiration, to create the new and unexpected. We do it because we love it, because it’s fun, because we form connections—with clients, partners and community members—and hope that our work is making even a little bit of a difference. But there is always the lingering question: does it matter? What is the actual impact of creative space?

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