Gensler San Francisco

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

A carbon-zero energy workplace in the historic Mills Building models new ways of working while reaffirming Gensler’s commitment to downtown San Francisco.

Location

San Francisco, California

Client

Gensler

Expertise

[FPO] Interior Design Professional Services Brand Design Climate Action & Sustainability Strategy Wellness

Opportunity

With 60-year roots in San Francisco, Gensler’s new home needed to reenergize the city while introduce a sustainable, experimental vision of the future workplace.

As cities like San Francisco grappled with an uncertain work landscape post-pandemic, the role of the workplace was fundamentally changed. For companies that opt to maintain a physical presence in the world of hybrid and remote work, one-size-fits-all workplaces are no longer viable as employees seek out multi-layered experiences worthy of their commute. Seizing these challenges as opportunities, Gensler recommitted to its founding city with a 12-year lease in the historic Mills Building, aiming to support San Francisco’s ongoing recovery and redefine the office in a new era of work.

Why This Matters

01
Workplace as Destination
The project asked how design could make coming to work purposeful again, supporting focus, collaboration, hospitality, and community in one daily experience.
02
Carbon-Zero Ambition
Gensler’s new office needed to support the firm’s 2030 carbon zero goal and push the boundaries of workplace strategy, resilience, and wellness philosophies through design, policy, and program.
03
Downtown Commitment
Maintaining a downtown San Francisco presence was a must as the firm sought to create a more visible platform for clients, employees, and community.

FPO Quote

Solution

Gensler created a future-focused workplace with flexible work settings, equitable hybrid experiences, and sustainable all-electric operations, while serving as a creative community hub.

The workplace is a living lab for incubating ideas on the future of work and cities. The large, single-floor layout features nearly 400 different work points across four main activity and mood-based zones to accommodate team members’ unique needs, supporting well-being and inclusivity through Fitwel-aligned initiatives and equitable hybrid meeting experiences. The workplace prioritizes sustainable materials and reuse and has been retrofitted to run on all-electric facilities. Seen from the street and designed to cultivate engagement, it is a beacon for Gensler’s clients, community, and people.

From brief to build: how a single-floor workplace prototype creates choice, community, focus, and carbon-zero ambition.

The large, single-floor layout with unassigned seating creates a multi-layered experience that gives people choice in designing their day depending on how and where they want to work. Nearly 400 different workpoints, conference and call rooms of varying sizes create a wide range of options challenging the notion that a desk is the only place to get work done.

A Spectrum of Work

A single-floor plan gives people choice across collaborative, focused, social, and inspired work settings.

Impact

A blueprint that models the future of the workplace as engaging, choice-driven, and resilient, with impact extending beyond its walls.

The firm’s first U.S. office to operate at carbon-zero energy showcases how the workplace can advance climate goals while supporting people, culture, and the community.

What Changed Because of This

01
Environmental Performance
It is the firm’s first U.S. carbon-zero energy office, reducing operational emissions over 95% while earning Fitwel 3-Star and LEED Platinum certifications.
02
Workplace Choice
A 100% free-address system gives employees 376 work points and more than a dozen postures for focused, collaborative, and hybrid work.
03
Downtown Platform
A visible hub to cultivate internal and external engagement, the workplace brings 200 employees downtown daily and includes Fitwel strategies to amplify surrounding businesses.

Recognition

01

Architectural Record

Gensler’s Kelly Dubisar and Luda Hoe spoke with Architectural Record about the project’s future-meets-past design, which earned it a Record Interiors award.

02

The New York Times

The office has become a key story in downtown’s recovery, with Gensler’s Hao Ko describing its location “the center of gravity.”

03

San Francisco Chronicle

Gensler’s Randy Howder and Hao Ko discussed the design as a response to the future of work that is rooted in hospitality, variety, and revitalization.

Team

Project Leadership

Daniel Pamperin

Daniel is a Project Director within the workplace technology studio and an Account Director for leading technology clients in Gensler’s San Francisco office. His expertise spans workplace, hospitality, strategy, brand, and retail, allowing him to pivot and adapt to changing environments and apply innovations from one to another.

Kelly Dubisar

An award-winning Design Director and global leader of Gensler’s Technology practice, Kelly Dubisar uses her creative energy to provide tailored design solutions for some of Gensler’s most iconic clients such as Instagram, Meta, and Autodesk.

Randy Howder

As Co-Managing Principal of Gensler’s Northwest region, Randy helps transform clients’ organizations through new approaches to design, research, and experience. With a background in strategic consulting and workplace design, he partners with industry-leading clients to create spaces that are more effective, resilient, and responsive to how organizations actually work.

Hao Ko

Hao is Gensler's Global Director of Design and a Regional Design Principal, focusing on building a dynamic practice through an open and collaborative culture. An inquisitive architect by nature, he is passionate about transforming experiences through deep research, the craft of technical excellence, and rigorous intellectual thought, all while striving to design beautiful places that change people's lives for the better.

FAQ

01

Where is Gensler San Francisco located?

The historic Mills Building at 220 Montgomery Street.

02

Who designed Gensler San Francisco?

Gensler designed its own San Francisco office as a prototype for the future workplace and a downtown destination.

03

How large is the workplace?

The office is a 45,500-square-foot, single-floor workplace with 376 work points and 38 conference and call rooms.

04

What makes the office sustainable?

The workplace runs on all-electric systems, uses renewable energy, reuses furniture, incorporates low-embodied-carbon materials, and operates at carbon-zero energy.

05

How does the design support different workstyles?

Activity- and mood-based zones support collaboration, focus, hospitality, hybrid meetings, and individual choice throughout the workday.

06

How does the project benefit San Francisco?

The office reinforces Gensler’s commitment to its founding city and creates a visible hub for clients, employees, and community engagement.

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