A Federal Workplace with Heart and Soul

Government tenant, Washington, D.C. region. Image © Connie Zhou.

The wave of Modernist and Brutalist government office buildings that arose in the 1960s and 70s left a lasting impression on the American architectural landscape. At their best, these structures aspire to lofty heights. See, for example, the Chicago Federal Center. But occasionally, those aspirations for landmark civic architecture were curtailed by fiscal realities, a need for expediency, or the desire to achieve a level of standardization.

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Financial Services Firms: Think "Glocal"

Confidential Technology Client San Francisco, Calif., Image © Gensler

Editor's Note: This post is part of a series on the state of the financial services industry.

You have most likely heard the mantra “think global, act local.” Over the years it has been used in various contexts from education to the environment to urge people to consider the health of the planet and to take action in their own communities. Today however, the catchphrase has taken on a much broader meaning because global and local are no longer two diverse ends of a spectrum. We are now asked to be “glocal,” both global and local at the same time. Though many major financial service firms may have their headquarters in the United States, they now have offices, clients and employees in financial markets around the world. Even firms with well-established brands are learning that they need to tailor their workplace designs for these specific markets.

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Gensler & Trimble: Augmented Reality Enters the Design Process

Image © Gensler

We’re always looking at the horizon. We need to know what’s coming. We need to understand change as it approaches. It’s essential that we continue to evolve and be prepared to pivot so that we can adapt to the world we work in. When the technology company Trimble approached us with their Augmented Reality software for design, we’d already been discussing internally how the advanced visualization technologies of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality would be implemented across our design ecosystem. This opportunity came at the perfect time, making tools available for us to begin building a process. With a process in place, we’re able to ensure that we have the knowledge and experience to best use this technology for ourselves and our clients as it is inevitably integrated into the everyday.

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Discovering the Power of Words

Just as words have the power to convey a message, the design of a given space does, too.

I have always been a great fan of words and the power they can contain, the subtlety and nuance between two synonyms and the meanings either one can connote. I love how particular combinations of words can express a particular emotion, unfold a particular narrative or reveal a hidden secret.

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The Importance of ‘Place’ in the Workplace: An Evolution

CBRE Masonic Temple in Glendale, California. Image © Gensler/Ryan Gobuty.

A sense of place is a long-standing concept. At a grand scale, this has manifest in walled cities and specific architectural traditions. This parallels rituals, traditional garb and dress, and regional cuisines in defining cultures. With the exception of a few very high-level executives, this desire to develop a sense of place seemed to have been lost at the end of the last century in corporate culture. Recently however, we’ve seen a shift: more, and more, companies are emphasizing the importance of creating a meaningful sense of place in the office environment for all of their employees.

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