Art Gensler's Business Principles

California Buildings News • Q2 2021

The world's architectural community lost Art Gensler this spring. He built and ran the world's largest design firm. He inspired countless professionals and left a legacy of numerous wonderfully designed facilities. We are reprinting our interview with him in 2015.

America’s Leading Architect’s Business Principles

Says “Always Looking for New Products”…Stresses Functionality Q&A with Arthur Gensler, Jr., Founder, Gensler, San Francisco

Art, as he is very well known globally, founded what is often listed as America’s largest architectural firm, headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in 46 locations around the world, staffed by more than 4,600 design professionals, currently serving more than 2,390 clients, including 55 of 100 of Fortune magazine’s top Global 500 companies.

California Buildings News asked Gensler to share some of the insights he made in his new book, as well as insights into the way his firm selects products.

In your new book, “Art’s Principles,” you outline ways design professionals can do a better job of running their businesses. What are three of your best tips?

1. Hire the best 2. Storytelling 3. No project is too small for a great client Hire the best people. They may cost more but the return will be much greater and you can trust the results in their contribution. Give them the support they need and then get out of their way. Learn to be a storyteller. Potential and current clients can relate to a relevant story. Don’t use industry gobbledygook. Learn to speak in their industry’s language. Your stories should convey real and relevant experiences, and don’t need to be given directly to an audience if you aren’t comfortable with public speaking. You can share your stories using social media.

Architecture is design, but architects are also very concerned with products used to fulfill building design: wall systems, paint, flooring, roofing, solar, windows, restroom fixtures, etc. What guides Gensler in recommending such products?

We are lucky that we have excellent and experienced librarians at Gensler, working with us to research products. We use the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) evaluation system, as well as the aesthetic and functional properties of a product to guide and select products. For U.S. testing we rely on the recommendation of BIFMA, ASTM or UL.

Does Gensler default in product selection to companies with established reputations or give new manufacturers a chance?

We are always looking for new products. We are careful not be to be the first to try products. We want to make sure they really meet the performance criteria presented by the manufacturer.

Some firms are more concerned with design over functionality. How does Gensler reconcile these requirements?

We clearly first focus on function. If it doesn’t respond to our clients’ needs and requirements, then no matter how wonderful or unique the design we create is, it will not be a successful solution.

Do manufacturers respond well to architects’ needs to meet codes or design requirements by innovating products or altering them to meet your needs? If not, how can they improve?

I believe the majority of manufacturers have recognized the need to provide functional and appropriate products that are sustainable, innovative and responsive to our needs. And most of them will work with us to modify their standard solutions if we feel it is necessary.

To what extent are architects involved in stimulating product development?

Being in a large metropolitan area and a large firm we get manufacturers reps through our door constantly. They meet with the librarian, technical and design people, always searching out new opportunities for their current products or products they could provide to meet our needs. I believe suppliers are a very important part of the building team.

Why are bigger architectural firms superior to smaller ones? Or are they?

I don’t believe size creates a superior firm. There is a need in our profession for all sizes of organizations. The superior firm is made up of people who are professional in their approach, respond to the client and community needs, add value through their projects, and enhance the environment.

Gensler with San Francisco’s Bay Bridge in the background. Photo courtesy of Gensler. California Buildings News • Q2 2021

California Buildings News • Q2 2021

Pandemic Emphasizes Need for Open Spaces

Workers, Tenants, Patients Need Fresh Biophilic Experiences

Creating open spaces will become even more important in workplace, healthcare and living environments in the wake of COVID-19, and giving people options to interact in biophilic settings will also add considerable value to interactions and personal well-being.

Zeek Magallanes, associate landscape designer at McCullough in San Diego, says, “In a world defined by social-distancing, area of influence becomes a critical consideration. Maintaining six feet of separation from others is an important prevention tool we should consider in social settings, however, both indoor and outdoor spaces have historically been predicated on less. Fire safety occupancy requirements typically define outdoor spatial strategies that fail to account for potential viral contamination. By shrinking the area of influence outdoor spaces have through the use of plant material and proper airflow, we can help minimize undue exposure to these contaminants.

“Workplace scale is another critical consideration and is most often experienced as either linear or enclosed. New offsets need to be considered for people to safely interact outdoors during brief encounters. Workplaces should accommodate these serendipitous and often highly productive meetings by providing small outdoor seating or standing work areas demarcated in some way, such as with plant material or unique floor treatments. While these spatial principles may seem simple, their consideration can help point us toward solutions that encourage appropriate and productive workplace design in our post-COVID workspaces.”

Gardens Convey Tangible Benefits

Gardens and trees in the workplace, home landscape and urban settings aren’t just pleasing to the eye, they actually help our mental well-being and provide physical and economic benefits. “Studies have shown that spending time outdoors brightens our mood and can help one feel less stressed, so the importance of these green spaces are getting renewed interest during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Len Burkhart, technical advisor for the Davey Institute at The Davey Tree Expert Company. Studies have shown that hospital stays are shorter when a hospital room has a view of landscapes, and cities with greater amounts of tree canopy on average have lower crime rates. “My grandmother always told me, if something is bothering you, go outside in the garden for a while and those problems will become less important. There’s actual proof of this,” said Burkhart. The physical and economic benefits of trees are important too, from filtering the air we breathe, to providing shade over a building or house decreasing AC bills. The benefits of gardens, trees and green spaces are endless and should be put on high importance when building workplaces and residences.

Small outdoor seating areas are important in post-COVID workplace designs. Top photo: The Dave Tree Expert Company.

the ART of Building Sustainability

TECHNOLOGY THAT SUPPORTS BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY.

Will your IoT vendor abandon their legacy technology, or will they provide a way forward that maintains backward compatibility?

In addition to a high level of integration between HVAC, lighting, and security systems, sustainability demands other technological and supporting elements that will endure over the long term. At Reliable Controls, we provide nine important elements to help you create true building sustainability—now and into the future. One of these elements demands the use of technology that supports backward compatibility. The way manufacturers respond to new technologies highlights a fundamental challenge in the building controls industry: planned obsolescence. For decades, Reliable Controls has countered this challenge with an ongoing commitment to backward compatibility. When we develop new products and improve existing ones, our customers can be confident in a smooth transition to new technologies—without the need for third-party gateways or expensive hardware replacement. To learn more about the art of building sustainability please visit reliablecontrols.com/TABS