We Want To Be the Example for a More Diverse and Inclusive World
The Platform at Gratiot, Detroit
We are focused on ending systemic racism in the architecture and design profession while also taking decisive steps to address diversity, equity, and inclusion at Gensler through a global lens. We are leading this change by taking action that creates opportunities for the Black community, BIPOC communities, and other underserved people across the world.
Since establishing our Strategies to Fight Racism in 2020, we continue to evolve our efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Over the past two years, we created our Global Race and Diversity Committee, hired a Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, launched a student design charrette with seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities, introduced Black Lives and Design research grants, and recruited and hired more Black professionals.
These initiatives build upon our inclusive people-first philosophy. More than ever, we are taking on a more localized and nuanced approach in each of our communities. From partnering with our clients in designing equitable spaces, to creating opportunities in our industry for diverse talent, we have made measurable progress on all fronts and continue to take action to create purposeful, inclusive, and resilient spaces for everyone.
Gensler Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
We are a constellation of stars and every voice counts. In order to create equitable and inclusive places and spaces, we strive to build a firm that includes and empowers people who represent the diversity, authenticity, and local culture of the global cities we help reimagine. Our annual Gensler Diversity Report represents our commitment to strategic initiatives at multiple scales across the firm and in the work we accomplish with our clients around the world. The publication measures our progress in our ongoing actions and programs to support diversity, equity, and inclusion and identifies opportunities for continued growth.
Gensler Global Workforce
87
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
101
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
1000+
UNIVERSITIES ATTENDED
53
OFFICES
10
REGIONS
54.9%
FEMALE
.2%
NON-BINARY
44.9%
MALE
Strategies to Fight Racism
Our 5-part “Strategies to Fight Racism” is a blueprint for accelerating our action plan to address systemic racism. It outlines key strategies that we are using to make positive and lasting change across our firm, our industry, our client relationships, and the cities where we live, work, and play.
- We will increase racial diversity within Gensler by recruiting and hiring more Black professionals and supporting the Black professionals in our firm to achieve and exceed their full potential.
- We will create education opportunities for Black students by expanding our scholarship program and mentoring middle and high schoolers in our communities.
- We will pursue equitable design solutions in our cities and communities to create positive experiences for Black communities.
- We will create job opportunities in the architecture and design industry for Black professionals and serve as an active partner with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and the ACE Mentorship Program.
- We will partner with our clients on diversity and inclusion initiatives in order to integrate and amplify efforts across our networks.
We’re focused on making incredible progress towards a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.
MEET OUR GLOBAL RACE AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Jason Pugh
Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Design Manager, Principal
As the Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Jason promotes Gensler’s commitment to its Strategies to Fight Racism while furthering the firm’s efforts to address...
Jean Anderson
Design Synergy Community Co-Leader, Design Director, Principal
Jean co-leads Gensler’s global Design Synergy Community and is a Design Director based in New York. She is focused on design excellence, working across the firm to ensure that...
Andre Brumfield
Cities Sector Leader, Principal
Andre is a Principal and Global Cities Sector Leader at Gensler. He is recognized across the industry for leveraging his extensive experience in the fields of urban design...
Allison Brooke Tomlinson
Northeast Regional Legal Counsel, Principal
As the Northeast (and formerly, Latin American) Regional Legal Counsel, Allison is responsible for multiple offices across the region. She developed the firm’s first compliance...
Jessica García
Co-Managing Director, Principal
Jessica is the Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Costa Rica office. Additionally, she exemplifies leadership through her role as a co-Chair of Gensler’s Global Race and Diversity...
Vaki Mawema
Co-Managing Director, Principal
As Co-Managing Director of Gensler Baltimore, Vaki has created a team-based design culture that embodies creative passion, innovation and rigor. His work focuses on experiential...
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56 Items
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The National Organization of Minority Architects’ Sold-Out 2022 Conference
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How Architects and Designers Can Continue to Prioritize Inclusivity
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Gensler Voices: Mustapha Williams, Gensler Chicago
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Towards Justice, Equity, and Design
To bring diverse voices together around issues related to race and diversity, Gensler's Justice, Equity & Design Dialogue series aims to ignite a movement within the firm to actively participate in the global fight to abolish structural racism.
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To design the equitable and engaging post-pandemic school, we looked to three recent projects that exemplify the ideas of connectivity, adaptability, and choice.
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Embracing Multiculturalism With Michael Marshall, AIA, NOMA
Michael Marshall, design director and principal of Michael Marshall Design, talks how diversity is an important investment in the future.
How the New Hybrid Workplace Can Support Equity for All
The future workplace must evolve to serve new needs, support flexible, hybrid working styles, and promote equity for all workers.
A Workplace With Heart: Inclusive, Connected, and Unmuted
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The Slow Streets Movement Needs More Black Voices
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Equity, Interrupted: How a Return to the Office Is Needed to Rebuild Equity
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Designing More Inclusive, Accessible Transit Systems for All
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7 Questions About Equity and the Design Profession for the Incoming President of NOMA
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What Not-for-Profits Can Teach Us About Equity and Inclusion
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BROWSE RELATED PROJECTS
Jackie Robinson Museum
New York, New York
The Jackie Robinson Museum presents the life of the first African American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in a dynamic setting, designed by Gensler.
Newark Community Museum of Social Justice
Newark, New Jersey
Gensler worked closely with the City of Newark to convert the 1st Police Precinct into a community museum for learning, healing, and storytelling.
Fair Park Fitzhugh Parking Structure
Dallas, Texas
The updated Fair Park masterplan includes a 14-acre community park and a parking garage to capture displaced surface parking.
The Center for Pursuit
Houston, Texas
The Center for Pursuit worked with Gensler to design its Houston campus that supports the nonprofit’s mission to create a welcoming environment for its clients.
Holcomb Family YMCA
Spring, Texas
Gensler reimagined the design of the Holcomb Family YMCA from a traditional building to a facility with flexible indoor-outdoor spaces where members can gather and exercise together.
Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Los Angeles, California
Gensler partnered with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy to design its new Shonda Rhimes Performing Arts Center, a top-tier arts venue that supports the nonprofit organization’s commitment to expanding the reach of dance and theater arts to enrich the lives of young dancers.
REACH LA
Los Angeles, California
Gensler Los Angeles partnered with REACH LA to design a vibrant and welcoming space where the nonprofit organization can engage and empower LGBTQ+ people of color through creative arts, health and wellness, personal development, and social enterprise.
Community of Hope Family Health and Birth Center
Washington, D.C.
Community of Hope joined forces with Gensler to expand and reposition its headquarters, community center, and Washington, D.C.’s only freestanding birth center.
Lupita’s Corner
Los Angeles, California
Gensler helped transform a local neighborhood market into a community hub that helps address food inequity in a bright, modern space with nutritious selections.
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
New York, New York
The holistic renovation transforms the Foundation’s workplace and public spaces in a manifestation of its mission to promote the inherent dignity of all people.
Infill On The Cut
Detroit, Michigan
Infill On The Cut, a mixed-use development, will create a new, welcoming gateway to downtown Detroit.
Town Hall Apartments
Chicago, Illinois
This mixed-use senior housing facility is an adaptive reuse of the historic Town Hall police station and provides affordable housing for senior LGBTQ residents.
DISCOVER MORE FROM THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON EQUITY AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable Shade Structures
We researched how to offset the effects of extreme heat in at-risk communities through community co-creation of shading structures.
Adjusting for Bias in the Workplace
We sought to understand how to address the impact of bias in the workplace and developed a process for engaging in conversations around equity and inclusion.
Models for Co-Creation and Partnership with the Black Community
We investigated how Gensler can empower and engage Black communities with inclusive design models of partnership.