DESIGN FORECAST R 2025

A PUBLICATION OF THE GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE

CREATING DESIGN IMPACT WITH OPTIMISM & INNOVATION

At the start of 2025, we feel a sense of optimism and engagement about the future. Global inflation is cooling. Interest rates have eased and will likely continue to drop in 2025. The global economic outlook is generally positive, and because of that many of our clients are ready to get off the sidelines and make investments in new ways.

Again and again, we see that design can be a powerful tool for lasting positive change across organizations and communities. Design itself is inherently optimistic, and even more so when paired with the vision and drive to take action and create realworld impact.

Climate change, a global shortage of housing, the vacancy and security challenges of many of our cities, ongoing issues of equity and divisio n — these types of pressing challenges demand creative new thinking and meaningful innovation from the design and architecture community. As the most influential design firm in the world, Gensler has a responsibility to lead the way with new ideas and design solutions. This is a watershed moment of transformation for our industry, and we are poised to create a more resilient future.

5 TRENDS FOR 2025 Design Forecast is our annual exploration of the most relevant issues facing the design and architecture industry, and a guide to help our clients stay ahead of the curve.

Filled with project examples, data insights, and interdisciplinary solutions, the publication identifies the top global design trends in all 33 of our practice areas that can help our clients take advantage of the positive changes in the market and create impact in their communities.

[ L to R ] Elizabeth Brink, Co-CEO; Jordan Goldstein, Co-CEO; Andy Cohen, Global Co-Chair; Diane Hoskins, Global Co-Chair

The key themes of this year’s campaign — also known as “5 in 25: The trends shaping design in 2025 ”— represent the most important and actionable insights our clients should know, now and in the year to come. They are a distillation of many of the themes and signals we’re seeing across multiple industries.

INNOVATION AND IMPACT Over the past several years, the profound challenges we’ve faced have been a catalyst for innovation and have crystallized the need to create meaningful impact in our communities.

The glut of outdated office buildings and the flight of office workers out of many cities has led to a boom in building conversions and a reimagining of central business districts into mixed-use lifestyle districts. Likewise, the growing risks associated with climate change have pushed the building industry to create more resilient structures while driving innovation in the types of materials with which we build. Finally, the emergence of AI and other technologies has unlocked promising new possibilities.

On all these fronts, Gensler has made important advancements. Our Conversions+™ by Gensler building analysis tool has become an industryleading reuse model while the Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards™ allows our designers and the industry to specify low- or no-carbon interior finishes and furnishings. Advancements in AI, AR, and VR technologies at the firm are furthering our ability to use data to inform design.

LEAD ING INTO THE FUTURE As the design industry and our clients’ businesses transform to meet this unique moment in time, so too must our leadership platform.

For the past 20 years, Diane and Andy have led the growth of the firm to unprecedented heights. By passing the baton to Elizabeth and Jordan, we’re embracing the next generation of leadership at Gensler. Together, we add a new depth of innovative perspective and ongoing deep dedication to the core values of the firm. We continue to work toward creating a better world through the power of design.

Thanks to the many strengths of our firm, we are poised for an exciting new era of growth. Together with our clients, we will lead our industry to a brighter future — one that is designed with and for our communities to create meaningful places that solve tough challenges and transform the human experience.

Gensler DESIGN FORECAS THE 5 TRENDS SHAPING DESIGN IN 2025

01 EXPERIENCE-DRIVEN LIFESTYLE DISTRICTS REIGNITE GLOBAL CITIES.

02 DEMAND FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SUPERCHARGES INNOVATION AND VALUE.

03 DEEPLY DISCOUNTED BUILDINGS DRIVE A CONVERSION BOOM.

04 TALK TURNS TO ACTION ON ATTAINABLE HOUSING.

05 THE WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED.

EXPERIENCE-DRIVEN LIFESTYLE DISTRICTS REIGNITE GLOBAL CITIES.

Mixed-use lifestyle and entertainment districts will take center stage in 2025 as the new anchors for cities looking to drive community engagement and bring people together around visceral shared experiences. Hospitality, retail, sports, and residential spaces make up the mix of these experience-driven areas, whose rise is also driving demand for safe streets and reliable transit options.

Fifth + Broadway, Nashville, TN. Brookfield Properties (OliverMcMillan) Located in a prime location near downtown, this mixed-use lifestyle district blends retail, residential, restaurants, and live music.

ASM, Scottsdale, AZ
Shade structures, water conservation strategies, and other sustainable design features help define this climate
friendly workplace.

With organizations everywhere increasingly wary of climate risk, buildings designed with resilient and sustainable strategies are trading at premium values. This sustainable surge is also driving demand for game-changing innovations in construction processes and the materials industry. Adaptive reuse of old buildings, energyefficient designs, weather-scenario planning, and other green techniques are anticipating local climate challenges while lowering waste and carbon. Solutions such as mass timber, low- or no-carbon interior finishes and furnishings, and zero-carbon cement are leading a materials revolution.

DEMAND FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SUPERCHARGES INNOVATION AND VALUE.

DEEPLY DISCOUNTED BUILDINGS DRIVE A CONVERSION BOOM.

Pearl House, New York, NY. Vanbarton Group The largest office-to-residential conversion in New York City converts 480,000 square feet of office space into 588 apartment units.

With aging office buildings and other devalued assets trading at deeply discounted rates, the adaptive reuse boom is poised to create valuable new real estate beyond just office to residential conversion. As the cost of capital comes down, 2025 will usher in a new financial environment that will inspire developers to seek out creative conversions of all types, including retail to healthcare, retail to sports, office to senior living, office to science labs, and more.

TALKTURNS TOACTION ONATTAINABLEHOUSING.

1717 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. CMK Companies This 13-story residential development adds 149 apartment units in the heart of Chicago’s cultural district.

Attainable market-rate housing becomes the number one priority for cities around the world in 2025 as new financial incentives and lowering interest rates converge with changes to zoning laws and building codes to create an attractive market for housing developments of all types.

Keiretsu, Austin, TX The central hub of this financial services firm is a co-working space during the day and a multipurpose event space after hours.

THE WORKPLACE OFTHE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED.

05

The future workplace is here now, and it’s all about employee experience, inspiration, and the value proposition realized by building owners and developers. In 2025, tenants will continue their flight to quality in search of workplace experiences that motivate employees and meet their professional aspirations. Landlords looking to compete must be laser focused on transforming their spaces into fully amenitized, Class A buildings close to transit and within the 20-minute lifestyle mix.

WE ARE POISED FORAN EXCITING NEW ERAOFGROWTH THAT CREATESMEANINGFUL PLACES,SOLVES TOUGH CHALLENGES,AND TRANSFORMSTHE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

Lifestyl /le20-59

RETAIL & CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
HOSPITALITY
SENIOR LIVING
SPORTS
ENTERTAINMENT
BRAND DESIGN
MIXED USE & RETAIL CENTERS
RESIDENTIAL
DIGITAL EXPERIENCE DESIGN
CULTURE & MUSEUMS

Cities

60-111

112-139

CITIES & URBAN DESIGN
MOBILITY & TRANSPORTATION
EDUCATION
AVIATION
INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
CRITICAL FACILITIES
CLIMATE ACTION &
SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRMS
TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
CONSUMER GOODS COMPANIES
FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRMS
MEDIA COMPANIES
FOUNDATIONS，ASSOCIATIONS
& ORGANIZATIONS
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY SERVICES
ENERGY COMPANIES
GOVERNMENT & DEFENSE AGENCIES
BUILD TO SUIT & HEADQUARTERS
OFFICE DEVELOPERS
BUILDING TRANSFORMATION

Health

140-155

WELLNESS SERVICES
SCIENCES
HEALTHCARE

DESIGNING EXPERIENCE-DRIVEN DISTRICTS AND DESTINATIONS

P22 – 59

RETAIL & CONSUMER EXPERIENCE

HOSPITALITY

SENIOR LIVING

SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT

BRAND DESIGN

MIXED USE & RETAIL CENTERS

RESIDENTIAL

DIGITAL EXPERIENCE DESIGN

CULTURE & MUSEUMS

Lifestyle

Cities have discovered the key to ending the doom loop and reigniting their cores: the experience-driven lifestyle district. By anchoring to a multiuse mix of retail, residential, sports, entertainment, and cultural spaces, cities can replace empty central business districts with 24/7 neighborhoods that foster in-person experiences, boost sales, heighten safety, and improve vibrancy. In 2025, the demand for visceral, immersive experiences creates opportunities for owners and operators to convert distressed assets into attainable housing, retail, hospitality, and other experiential destinations.

Retail & Consumer Experience

Retailers have successfully navigated economic pressures over the past few years by finding new ways to connect with people. Physical and online is fluid, flexible, and responsive. Retail spaces are finding success as experience-driven destinations because they can more easily adapt and change to meet consumer demand, which may be different from market to market. In the coming years, AI and data insights will enable more personalized shopping experiences and strengthen brand loyalty.

Wayfair Edens Plaza, Wilmette, IL Wayfair partnered with Gensler to translate its online brand into a largeformat store with show kitchens, design studios, and social hubs for customers to connect.

What’s Next

Retail spaces become versatile and stage-like. Modular designs and interchangeable elements will allow retailers to quickly reconfigure spaces to host different events and experiences and offer a sustainable way to meet changing consumer demand.

Brands become immersive, entertainment-driven destinations. The shift toward experiences like wellness and entertainment will help brands foster deeper connections with consumers by promoting belonging and well-being over simple transactions.

Responsible consumption, renewal, and repair reach the mainstream. More retailers will embrace sustainable, circular models of consumption by emphasizing value and longevity and offering things like in-store repair services for their products to reduce waste.

NBA Oxford Street, London, U.K.

UGG Knightsbridge, London, U.K.
People would prefer to spend their extra money on experiences rather than material goods.

Source: 2024 Gensler Consumer Experience Survey

MOSTLY / EXCLUSIVELY ON EXPERIENCES BALANCED MIX OF BOTH MOSTLY / EXCLUSIVELY ON MATERIAL GOODS

Nekajui, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Hospitality

The hospitality industry is undergoing a transformation toward highly personalized, immersive experiences that resonate with guests. These include sensory journeys that begin before the stay and linger long after. Experiences engage people through scents, textures, lighting, and personalized touches that extend a brand’s connection with the guest beyond the physical space. Meanwhile, hospitality design principles are being adopted in nearly every sector, including the workplace, retail environments, sports, and others, to improve loyalty and brand perception.

What’s Next

Cultural storytelling and emotional hospitality spaces create meaningful destinations.

Travelers will continue to seek profound and meaningful connections with their destinations, leading hotels to collaborate with local communities to create hyper-localized, immersive experiences.

Hotels won’t just accommodate; they’ll predict, surprise, and delight. To captivate visitors and elevate revenue, hotels will have the ability to transform each stay into a bespoke journey. Guests will have access to tailormade on-site activities, hyper-personalized services, and customizable suites in which guests can choose amenities, scents, and decor styles.

Hotels revitalize the ecosystems and communities they call home.

True luxury is no longer confined to opulence; it now includes meaning and impact. This will push hotels to revitalize their surrounding landscapes with regenerative design. Rewilding will revive local wildlife, bring back indigenous plant species, and inspire architecture that naturally responds to the climate.

NATURAL LIGHTING THAT MINIMIZES ENERGY USE

HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING DESIGNED TO USE LESS ENERGY

WINDOWS THAT OPEN TO LET IN FRESH AIR

PLANTS THROUGHOUT THE SPACE

ADVANCED AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS
USE OF REUSED, RECYCLED, OR REFURBISHED MATERIALS/FURNITURE

A ROBUST AND CLEARLY COMMUNICATED RECYCLING PROGRAM
SUPPORT FOR TAKING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BIKING, OR WALKING
Natural lighting, low-energy heating and cooling, and operable windows are the top sustainable features travelers look for when selecting a hotel.
Source: Gensler Climate Action Survey 2024

USE OF NATURAL MATERIALS LIKE WOOD AND STONE

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING FACILITIES

“SUSTAINABILITY AND STORYTELLING SHOULD BE WOVEN INTO THE BRAND NARRATIVE AS A GIVEN, SHAPING SPACES THAT ARE NOT JUST BEAUTIFUL BUT ALSO MEANINGFUL AND RESPONSIBLE.”

Senior Living

According to the United Nations, one in six people will be aged 60 years or over by 2030, a demographic shift that will have profound social and economic impacts. Older adults are more informed, more tech savvy, and more active than past generations, and they want to live in urban communities that embrace their expanding desire for choice, wellness, inclusion, and connection to community. In 2025 and beyond, affordability will also be a key concern, especially for middle-income retirees.

What’s Next

Healthier and more tech-savvy older adults reinvent 55+ communities. Older adults are healthier and more self-directed than they were a decade ago, and they’re looking for communities that have access to more types of neighborhood social amenities such as performance spaces, art galleries, and dining options.

Multigenerational, mixed-use neighborhoods redefine life experiences for older adults. Senior living developers will find success situating adult communities within mixed-use intergenerational developments that provide connections to nearby social, fitness, and volunteer opportunities that keep residents socially connected and engaged with purpose.

Advanced technologies revolutionize care delivery and reshape senior housing. Data analytics, sensors, AI, robotics, and other advancements will provide real-time insights, remote monitoring, and physical assistance to help reduce caregivers’ workload, while also enhancing users’ health and well-being.

“RETIREMENT AGES AREEXTENDING, LIFESPANS ARETYPICALLY LONGER, ANDOLDER ADULTS ARE OFTENTHE DEMOGRAPHIC WITH THEHIGHEST SPENDING CAPITAL.THIS LIFESTYLE SHIFT REQUIRESA SIMULTANEOUS SHIFT FORTHOSE DESIGNING, INVESTINGIN, AND PROVIDING PLACES FOROLDER PEOPLE TO LIVE.”

Brooks Howell, Senior Living leader

Sports

Sports is having a moment in the sun. The rise of women’s professional teams and the commercialization of university programs in the U.S. are driving new types of development opportunities. Arenas, stadiums, and practice facilities are popular anchors for urban entertainment districts that offer new and inventive ways for teams and cities to generate revenue. As people seek more communal, in-person experiences, these developments will continue to play an integral role in bringing life and vibrancy back into downtown neighborhoods.

What’s Next

Professional women’s teams secure investments for dedicated women’s practice facilities. As the popularity of women’s professional sports continues to grow, teams and investors will create spaces that are tailored to the way women athletes train and prepare for games. These facilities will attract top talent and raise standards for gender equity.

Pro sports teams elevate the fan experience with hospitalityinspired VIP interiors. In professional sports, teams deepen relationships with fans with premium-quality interior lounges, exclusive experiential entryways, and other VIP spaces in both new stadiums and renovations for older arenas.

College sports programs invest in state-of-the-art locker rooms and training facilities for men and women. As competition for players increases across both men’s and women’s programs, universities look to attract top athletes with hospitality-inspired locker rooms and training centers that support performance and well-being.

Capital One Arena Transformation, Washington, D.C.

University of Texas at Austin, Basketball and Rowing Practice Facility, Austin, TX

“THE RISE IN WOMEN’S SPORTS, DRIVEN BY INCREASED VISIBILITY, INVESTMENT, AND ADVOCACY FOR GENDER EQUALITY, HAS FUELED DEMAND FOR DEDICATED TRAINING FACILITIES.”

Elizabeth Pritchett, Sports leader

Suites and Member Lounges

Our research continues to show that fans want a wide range of seating types and food and beverage offerings. Innovative box seating, member lounges, and hyper-exclusive clubs — all at various price points to appeal to a wide range of visitors — are the types of offerings that teams are using to broaden the guest experience.

Capital One Arena Transformation, Washington, D.C.

Entertainment

Demand for immersive, in-person experiential entertainment has grown so much in recent years that the entertainment industry has ratcheted up its partnerships with hotels, restaurants, retail stores, and wellness outlets. Meanwhile, operators of traditional entertainment venues are seeking new ways to repurpose existing spaces to cater to the next generation of audiences. In 2025, the industry will welcome a new class of owners and investors looking to transform distressed properties into vibrant entertainment and experiential destinations.

Nemacolin, Farmington, PA

What’s Next

Immersive wellness and multisensory hotels energize the industry. As entertainment and hospitality continue to blend, experiences such as immersive spas, multisensory yoga retreats, and story-driven hotel stays will captivate guests with a time, place, feeling, or narrative that transports them beyond the everyday.

Cultural organizations lure immersive art and performance shows. To appeal to new audiences and ensure lasting relevance and long-term economic health, arts and cultural organizations will redesign their venues to accommodate experimental formats.

New investors transform distressed properties into experiential destinations. As traditional owners default on properties, a new class of owners, such as banks, public investment funds, and real estate investment trusts (REITs), will convert distressed assets into immersive retail stores, experiential resorts, and other types of entertainment destinations.

SPOTLIGHT ON LATIN AMERICA

IP-based conventions, festivals, and fan culture thrive in Latin America. While Latin America has a long tradition of festivals and celebrations, there’s mounting interest in multi-genre storybased experiences and fan conventions. In response, cities are building more infrastructure into their streets and communities to support these events.

Concept art for an immersive lounge offering, Confidential Hospitality Client

“WHETHER IT’S A UNIQUE THEATRICAL PRODUCTION, AN INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATION, OR A TRANSFORMATIVE EVENT, PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY SEEKING OUT OPPORTUNITIES THAT TRANSPORT THEM AND PROVIDE MEMORABLE MOMENTS.”

Ann Morrow Johnson, Entertainment leader

Brand Design

In an ever-evolving landscape, brands must become more nimble, adaptable, and responsive to deepen connections with the audiences they serve, whether through culture and community building or unexpected partnerships. Engaging moments that thoughtfully connect to a clear brand purpose and story will be as important to fostering successful urban experiences (“place branding”) as they are to retail. Brands will need to continuously seek to understand what their communities care about and then demonstrate positive local impact.

“WITH PLACEMAKING, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT DESIGN; IT’S ALSO ALL OF THE ACTIVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES THAT WILL HAPPEN THERE THAT WILL CONNECT PEOPLE WITH A PLACE.”

Janice Cavaliere, Brand Design leader

Jackie Robinson Museum, New York, NY

Adobe Shoreditch Expansion, London, U.K.

What’s Next

Brand plays a vital role in storytelling and placemaking. Creative placemaking can build distinct city identities and connect people with a neighborhood. For example, cities like San Francisco are legislating for “entertainment zones” to draw visitors downtown with street beautification, social activations, and more.

To build trust, brands become flexible, dynamic, and participatory. Brands need to understand what their audiences care about to gain their trust. Rather than focusing on rigid identity standards, brands will foster belonging by engaging audiences where they are, from public space activations to workplace experiences that connect with their communities.

Brands reach younger, more diverse audiences through creative partnerships. Creative alignments with like-minded partners will help brands leverage different types of influencers, attract new audiences, grow market share through association, and ultimately deliver on what their audiences care about.

China Merchants Group Garden City, Shanghai, China

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

China and the Middle East bet big on entertainment districts. In China, developers are banking on tourism by creating large entertainment-anchored, mixeduse districts around Western intellectual property from Universal, Disney, Hasbro, DreamWorks, and more. In the Middle East, entertainment districts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are being fashioned around Las Vegas-style integrated resorts and luxury offerings.

Mixed Use & Retail Centers

As people continue to crave a variety and diversity of communal experiences, developers are turning to vibrant, mixed-use environments to unlock opportunities that attract visitors, tenants, and revenue streams in new and unexpected ways. Live-work-play neighborhoods are spurring economic growth and have become critical in the effort to revitalize urban areas and engage visitors with smart, shared immersive experiences.

What’s Next

CBDs discover new life as mixed-use lifestyle districts. Transit-oriented, mixed-use districts with a mix of housing, retail, hospitality, entertainment, and well-programmed public space will reinvigorate struggling central business districts.

Public-private partnerships and strategic placemaking revive cities. Mixed-use developments that include public realm improvements will help city governments unlock land-use potential and transform automobilecentric, under-invested districts into more inclusive, accessible, and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

Mixed-use developments bring urban life to university towns.

As developers continue to work with universities to create mixed-use communities around campus, these efforts will offer small college towns the type of vibrancy and urban amenities normally found in larger city centers.

Sportsmen’s Lodge, Los Angeles, CA. Midwood Investment & Development

Landmark II Residential Tower, Los Angeles, CA. Douglas Emmett

Residential

A global housing shortage continues, compounded by rising construction costs and land scarcity. To address this ongoing challenge, the residential industry is seeking innovative solutions for more affordable, sustainable, and livable communities aimed at the growing middle-income global population. In 2025, alternative delivery systems, incentive programs, and office-to-residential conversions can help meet demand.

Lyra, Monterrey, Mexico. Gentor

“THE KEY TO THE HOUSING CRISIS IS TARGETED SUPPLY: MORE ATTAINABLE HOUSING OPTIONS WITH MORE SPACE FOR GEN Y AND Z, MORE SERVICES FOR THE AGING POPULATION, AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED.”

Kelly Farrell, Residential leader

Roosevelt Square Redevelopment Plan, Chicago, IL. Related Midwest Gensler’s master plan for the Roosevelt Square redevelopment on Chicago’s Near West Side reimagines more than 135 acres of vacant land to include more than 1,300 units of single-family townhomes, 4- and 6-unit stacked flats, and multifamily residential buildings.

What’s Next

Community becomes the most sought-after new amenity for residential development. Residents continue to seek community connections and wellness-driven living, and residential developments can respond with a mix of public-private amenity spaces and services such as membership-driven clubs, fitness centers, and coworking spaces.

Cities discover new opportunities to develop attainable “missing middle” housing. Lowering interest rates and more incentives will boost the creation of duplexes, townhouses, and starter homes that attract the middle-income earners that businesses — and cities — need to thrive.

Developers uncover innovative solutions to build housing on unconventional lots. With rising construction costs and limited land, residential developers are looking at flexible solutions, such as conversions, mass timber, and prefabricated construction to reduce costs and boost production in areas with few or no available sites.

Black and Latino Americans have significant pent-up demand for home ownership. Of U.S. renters, the percentage per group who agree with the statement “I would like to own a home in the future.”

Source: Gensler Residential Experience Survey 2022

Digital Experience Design

Technology in physical space has evolved to match the expectations of more tech-savvy people who want seamless digital experiences that are more purposefully integrated into the built environment. Technology activations should directly impact people’s lives, orchestrate shared experiences, and bring value to business through new revenue streams. In 2025 and beyond, generative AI will make a big impact on digital and multisensory placemaking that inspires people to interact and connect.

BayCurrent HQ Office Relocation, Tokyo, Japan

AllianceBernstein, New York, NY

What’s Next
Generative AI elevates immersive
brand storytelling.
Companies will leverage AI to gather user interactions and other real-time insights to create personalized and novel streams of generative art, soundscapes, motion graphics, and other digital experiences.

The wellness industry activates technology for better health. Immersive spas and responsive zen rooms will use tech-based activations such as sound baths and digital biophilic content to counteract burnout, isolation, and anxiety for clients.

Digital-physical blended experiences become more seamless and sophisticated. All types of spaces, from workplaces to airports, will use advanced tools for communication, personalization, and real-time analytics to unify the digital with the physical and create customized visitor journeys.

“WE ARE CREATING VISUALLY ARRESTING EXPERIENCES AND DESTINATIONS THAT ARE MEANT TO BE SHARED WITH OTHERS. THESE BECOME VISCERAL CONNECTIONS TO A PLACE, AN EVENT, OR A PIECE OF IP IN A SHARED SPACE.”

Rob Bischoff, Digital Experience Design leader

Free to Be Village - Black Ensemble Theater, Chicago, IL The Black Ensemble Theater will expand this first-of-its-kind mixed-use campus to create a new cultural corridor in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

Culture & Museums

Museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions face challenges around rising operating costs and decreased revenue because of lower visitation levels. This has sparked a reprioritization toward strategic planning and long-term development that will continue in 2025. In the short term, these institutions are testing out more experiential and immersive analog-digital experiences that appeal to younger generations. Museums will also grapple with complex questions around ownership, storytelling, and decolonizing their collections, with a goal of representing diverse perspectives.

Kaleideum, Winston-Salem, NC

What’s Next

Cultural institutions create nimble, mixed-use, and multipurpose spaces. By converting galleries or lobbies into rentable event spaces that can host new types of programming, museums, libraries, and performing arts centers can drive revenue and stay operationally sustainable.

Museums become more interactive, unscripted, and immersive. To stay relevant and appeal to younger generations, museums can create new kinds of analog and digital exhibitions and experiences that allow visitors to discover their own journeys through the space.

Museums and libraries broaden their roles as equitable community hubs. To open up their spaces to diverse audiences, museums and libraries are adding a variety of amenities, programming, and essential services that include everything from afterschool programs to coworking spaces.

“MUSEUMS ARE WINDOWS INTO OTHER WORLDS THAT INVITE YOU TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE. MUSEUMS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THAT EXPERIENCE INTO THE PUBLIC REALM AND BECOME COMMUNITY CATALYSTS FOR CONVERSATION AND DIALOGUE.”

Bevin Savage-Yamazaki, Culture & Museums leader

Or

COMPELLING DESTINATIONS FOR NEW WAYS OF WORKING

P62

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRMS

TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

CONSUMER GOODS COMPANIES

FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRMS

MEDIA COMPANIES

FOUNDATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

STRATEGY SERVICES

ENERGY COMPANIES

GOVERNMENT & DEFENSE AGENCIES

BUILD TO SUIT & HEADQUARTERS

OFFICE DEVELOPERS

BUILDING TRANSFORMATION

As the workplace landscape has indelibly changed, the workplace has changed along with it. Today’s modern office has been transformed into an “experience multiplier” that supports a variety of workstyles and workspaces that inspires and attracts talent and entices them to stay. Highly amenitized, Class A buildings are in high demand for tenants who are looking for flexible, multipurpose spaces that are agile enough to evolve with evolving demands. Wellness and sustainability features are no longer nice-to-haves, and they are driving market values. Today, the surrounding neighborhood with retail, coffee shops, and other lifestyle conveniences has become a key amenity for companies looking to attract talent and create a competitive edge.

Professional Services Firms

Professional services firms continue to respond to a profound shift in workers’ expectations of office space, which they want to be a welcoming destination that can facilitate the kinds of in-person social experiences missing from a virtual work environment. This includes design that reflects a firm’s mission and values within the physical space, and an increased focus on connections to the wider community. The key amenities employees want include outside-the-office childcare, laundry services, retail outlets, and restaurants.

What’s Next

Younger workers seek out spaces for mentorship and other in-person contacts. As younger, more-diverse people enter the workforce, amenity-rich workplaces and spaces that promote mentorship, community, and social interaction will take on greater importance.

Law firms build virtual courtrooms to bridge the digital divide. As virtual depositions and other hybrid meetings become more frequent, law firms create virtual courtrooms and other tech-enabled conference spaces to level the playing field between inperson and remote participants.

Wellness and sustainability move to the top of the workplace design priority list. To attract and retain talent, organizations can display their commitments to wellness and the environment by adding fitness areas, quiet rooms, rooftop amenities, and semi-enclosed spaces.

Cravath, Swaine & Moore Manhattan West Relocation, New York, NY

Edelman Francis House, London, U.K. We converted a 1900s-era warehouse into a sustainable modern workplace that supports new patterns of work and celebrates Edelman’ s brand story.

“YOUNG TALENT CARES ABOUT PURPOSE. THEY RELATE PURPOSE TO WELL-BEING IN THE WORKPLACE, TO INCLUSIVE DESIGN, TO CARBON FOOTPRINT, AND TO THE ENVIRONMENT — AND THEY CONNECT ALL THIS BACK TO THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF A FIRM’S CULTURE.

Carlos Posada, Professional Services leader

Technology Companies

Despite a difficult year for tech firms, the industry is buzzing at the start of 2025 as the AI boom generates excitement about the future of jobs and real estate. Many leading companies are reinvesting in their existing real estate portfolios and focusing on upskilling workers by designing workplaces around the development of soft skills and tech literacy. The tech workplace is increasingly being defined by spaces and programs that foster community, belonging, and lifelong learning.

Confidential Technology Client, Munich, Germany

What’s Next

AI companies build community within the workplace.

A growing number of people are relocating to work for AI startups, spurring these companies to invest in hospitality-infused experiences that can foster a sense of belonging and act as community hubs.

Tech employers get more involved in the neighborhood. To demonstrate good corporate citizenship, tech companies can explore public-private partnerships that invest in local businesses to create jobs, alleviate housing shortages, and develop new talent.

Upskilling and training workers and vendors redefines the tech workplace. As AI disrupts the industry, some tech companies are focusing on zone-based approaches to office planning to examine how different zones in the workplace can support new skills and training.

“WE DESIGNED A FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE ECOSYSTEM WITH AN ADAPTABLE MIX OF WORK SETTINGS, AMENITIES, GATHERING AREAS, GREEN SPACES, AND RELAXATION ZONES THAT CREATE A UNIQUELY GOOGLE EXPERIENCE — ONE THAT WILL ONLY GET BETTER WITH TIME.”

Amanda Carroll, Co-Managing Director, Gensler New York

Google at St. John’s Terminal, New York, NY. Oxford Properties The new headquarters for Google’s Global Business Organization is a 1.3 million-square-foot workplace that sits atop the defunct St. John’s Terminal rail line. Gensler designed the interiors, including a neighborhood seating model with flexible workspaces for 3,000 workers and visiting clients. Cookfox Architects was the core and shell architect. The building sets new standards for the modern workplace.

Consumer Goods Companies

Volkswagen Group Of America Headquarters, Reston, VA

To respond to constantly evolving consumer preferences, consumer goods real estate must match the industry’s need to innovate. In 2025, flexibility and adaptability in the workplace will be a priority, as will sustainable design as consumers seek out more socially and environmentally friendly products. The more consumer goods companies can showcase their commitments to inclusive, sustainable, and ethical design and practices, the more competitive they will be.

L’Oréal UKI London Headquarters, London, U.K.

What’s Next

Multi-brand consumer goods companies seek out flexible workplaces. The ability to expand and contract as needed to accommodate unique cultures among brands without reconfiguring the entire workplace will appeal to a growing number of organizations.

Brands put R&D on display to showcase their innovation.

By making labs and innovation hubs more transparent and visible within the workplace, businesses will foster collaboration, drive innovation, and showcase products in various stages of development for clients.

Sustainable design principles become a key part of the consumer goods workplace. As consumers become increasingly aware of the social and environmental impact of their purchases, they are seeking consumer goods brands that can showcase commitments in workspaces and distribution centers.

SPOTLIGHT ON EUROPE

Demand for healthy, sustainable, and ethically sourced products is reshaping the industry. According to Gensler’s Climate Action Survey 2024, 90% of European respondents surveyed said that they have switched (42%) or are willing to switch (48%) to products that are made of recycled, reused, or recovered materials. To respond, European consumer goods companies can extend product life cycles by adopting a circular approach throughout their supply chains and operations.

Confidential Client, New York, NY

Financial Services Firms

Easing inflation and lower interest rates could make 2025 an upbeat year for the financial services industry even as lingering challenges remain. As new generations enter the workforce, large firms will benefit from sustainable and purpose-driven workplace design that includes flexible features to adjust space as needed, more options for socializing and professional development, and more choice in how and where people work.

What’s Next

Large firms attract and retain talent with in-house multipurpose spaces. By replacing auditoriums with multipurpose spaces, financial services firms can offer workers more opportunities to socialize with coworkers, grow their networks, and develop their careers.

Design for uninterrupted focus work remains a top priority. Recognizing that focus is not just individual, focus spaces will need to balance technology and furniture to work effectively for individual productivity as well as two- or three-person teamwork.

Ongoing preparation for a multigenerational workforce drives design considerations. Financial services firms can add spaces for mentorship and community building. Seamless collaboration technology can address new thinking patterns, standards, and expectations.

Spaces for focused concentration help define a high-performing workplace. People who work in a high-performing workplace are more than 3 times more likely to say they have access to spaces for focused concentration than people who work in a low-performing workplace.

Source: Global Workplace Survey 2024

LOW-PERFORMING WORKPLACES HIGH-PERFORMING WORKPLACES

Confidential Client, Harrison, NY

Media Companies

Mergers and acquisitions, changing workplace dynamics, AI and other technological advancements, and the growth of consumer-led content and social media are fueling a dramatic shift in the way the media industry does business — and in the types of spaces they need. A new generation of immersive-experience venues will allow companies to capture and retain new audiences. Meanwhile, new media hubs in Australia, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia reflect continued global demand for regional content and the need for more production infrastructure.

Sunset Pier 94 Studios, New York, NY

SPOTLIGHT ON NORTHEASTERN U.S.

Streaming spurs new studio growth in the Northeastern U.S.

The acceleration of streaming platforms and the demand for fresh content will create opportunities for studio and soundstage development in new markets, such as New York and New Jersey, where local governments are offering tax incentives for qualified productions.

What’s Next

Next-gen soundstages become more sustainable, high-tech, and amenity-rich. Driven by the soaring demand for content and the need to attract new creative talent, film studios are rejecting the basic, box-like soundstage in favor of amenity-rich designs that inspire creativity.

Media companies capitalize on in-person experiences with new venues. Media companies will take advantage of the demand for in-person experiences by investing in eSports arenas, movie theaters, and other live experience venues. Studios and soundstages can also be redesigned to accommodate live audiences.

Flexible, intelligent spaces update the media workplace in real time. Data intelligence and digital master planning combined with modular, flexible workplace interiors will enable media companies to update their workplaces in real time to be more responsive to users’ needs.

“MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS CAPTIVATE THEIR FANS THROUGH EXPERIENCE-BASED STORYTELLING. WHEN DONE RIGHT, THE BEST MEDIA WORKPLACES HAVE THAT SAME IMPACT — THEY DELIVER SOMETHING THEIR EMPLOYEES CRAVE IN AN EXPERIENCE WHILE ALSO GIVING THEM THE SPACE THEY NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE.”

Johnathan Sandler, Media leader

Confidential Company

Foundations, Associations & Organizations

With the state of the nonprofit sector in flux, many foundations, associations, and organizations have reduced their real estate footprint, either by renewing leases for shorter terms or selling their buildings. In 2025, the industry will keep rightsizing their real estate holdings, while also finding new ways to attract and retain talent. For a sector that continues to face hiring challenges and high turnover, neighborhood amenities found in mixed-use urban districts will become a vital draw.

First Love Foundation, London, U.K.

Confidential Client Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

What’s Next

Organizations seek new
creative uses for the spaces
they already have.
Foundations, associations, and organizations that own property can evaluate new uses for their excess square footage by repositioning or leasing spaces to like-minded groups such as universities.

Converting unused real estate into more valuable spaces offers new membership benefits. Organizations have an opportunity to rethink how to support their members by investing in spaces and programs such as ongoing education, workforce housing, and day care facilities.

Nonprofits look for office space in the 20-minute, urbanresidential mix. To attract and retain talent, organizations will seek out locations that are in lively urban areas next to transit and neighborhood restaurants, services, public parks, and other amenities.

Baker BXG Collection

Product Development

As hybrid work models continue to evolve, employers are reimagining office environments while homeowners and renters are investing in more sophisticated residential office furnishings, creating a dual opportunity for product development. The need for sustainable products will continue to increase, as will a desire to seamlessly integrate technology into workplace furnishings. There is still ambiguity around the most effective long-term solutions, as companies experiment with new products that can accommodate the shifting dynamics of the modern workplace.

Atelier by Fantoni

What’s Next

Intensifying demand for circular product solutions shapes the industry. A&D clients are beginning to prioritize reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling at the end of a product’s life, influencing makers to consider these strategies during the development process.

Premium, professional-grade products dominate in residential spaces. More and more, consumers are seeking residential products that deliver the functionality and quality of professional equipment such as commercialgrade appliances, gym-quality workout machines, and high-performance office furniture.

The call for personalized and organized workspaces endures. Regardless of where they work, people are seeking environments that allow for self-expression and greater organization, including the display of personal items and customization of storage.

Muraflex Reveal

Strategy Services

To respond to economic volatility and demographic shifts, many organizations have undergone major real estate realignments and the implementation of new workplace strategies. Today’s office is home to multiple generations with different priorities and preferences, as well as diverse needs. Organizations are navigating a period of reaction and recalibration, balancing cost concerns with the need to attract and retain talent through thoughtful workplace design and planning.

What’s Next

How people use space, not days in the office, informs workplace design strategies. The success of an office design will be based on dwell times for different types of work settings, meeting spaces, and gathering areas — analyzing data around how many people use a space and for how long.

Generational shifts reshape workplace strategy, design, and experience. For the first time in history, workplaces will soon host up to six distinct generations concurrently. Differences in workplace preferences between younger and older workers will drive design decisions around everything from space type and amenities to technology integration and policies.

Computational modeling provides fresh insights about space and new ideas for strategy. Advanced data analytics and computational models help companies think through workplace and real estate strategy questions, such as how policies and models can accommodate seasonal and weekly ebbs and flows in attendance and space usage.

“WE’RE USING MORE ENERGY THAN WE’VE EVER USED ON THE PLANET, AND WE’RE STILL NOT MAKING ENOUGH OF IT.”

Vince Flickinger, Energy leader

Confidential Resources Company, Vancouver, Canada

Energy Companies

The energy industry is currently in a state of transition, with energy sector clients focused on how the shift to more sustainable and green sources of energy will create new and more reliable types of energy delivery systems. The industry remains highly focused on safety, wellness, and inclusive design in the workplace, all of which will help attract new talent in the coming years. In 2025, a key challenge will be navigating global markets to find new opportunities for growth.

What’s Next

Microgrids and localized energy solutions help address grid resilience. The energy industry in the U.S. can balance reliance on local electric grids with alternative energy delivery solutions like solar panels, large-scale batteries, and wind turbines.

Startups experiment with new workplace technologies and hybrid workspaces. Smaller energy companies are leading the shift to hybrid work and pushing new types of technology integrations to improve the employee experience in the workplace.

Energy firms invest in sustainable design to stay ahead of carbon regulations. The energy sector can stay ahead of regulatory carbon reduction trends and compete for new talent at the same time by expanding its focus on inclusive design, wellness, and sustainable features in the workplace.

“A BIG CHALLENGE TODAY IS TO CHANGE MINDSETS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 40 YEARS — TO DESIGN FOR THE PERSON SHOWING UP IN THE OFFICE IN THE NEXT 10 TO 15 YEARS.”

Simi Marinho, Government & Defense leader

Travis County Civil and Family Courts, Austin, TX

Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center, Charlotte, NC

Government & Defense Agencies

The government and defense industries have been reevaluating their real estate footprints in recent years with a focus on how to update legacy buildings and how to create efficiencies while improving experiences. At the same time, new enterprises such as space defense and aerospace startups are increasingly seeking office space that can attract and retain new types of talent. Concern for extreme climate events will continue to drive risk-based resilience design strategies for every project.

What’s Next

Talent and consolidation prompt a fundamental rethink of real estate. With one eye on the need to consolidate office space, and the other on the need to attract and retain talent, government agencies can renovate existing spaces into modern workplaces.

Climate risk drives resilient design tailored to local conditions. In response to the risk posed by various types of extreme weather, buildings and infrastructure can be future proofed with net zero design, on-site energy solutions, and other resilient strategies.

One-stop centers transform how constituents access services. Constituents have become increasingly tech savvy, offering local governments the opportunity to consolidate in-person services into inclusive, sustainable, one-stop centers.

Poder Judicial, Puntarenas, Costa Rica To help establish the court system as a sanctuary in times of crisis, we designed this complex as a LEEDcertified model of sustainability, safety, and community.

FIS Global Headquarters, Jacksonville, FL

Build to Suit & Headquarters

As companies consider their workplace priorities amid a more optimistic climate, they’re giving more weight to creating headquarters and office environments that foster a strong sense of community, brand identity, and employee well-being. In 2025, companies will make longterm investments in bespoke but functional facilities that can serve as beacons for their culture and values and help attract and retain talent. Sustainable details and inclusive considerations remain top priorities.

What’s Next

High-touch experiences offer employees a greater sense of purpose.

Investment in a variety of unique workplace settings, such as spaces for co-creation, innovation, and culture-building, will give employees a sense of belonging and shared purpose, rather than just another selection of perks and amenities.

Headquarters facilitate physical and organizational transformation.

Because of how they’re designed to embody a company’s ethos and values, purpose-built headquarters can transform the way employees work, strengthen culture, and improve business outcomes.

Design for health and well-being retains and attracts talent. Purpose-built headquarters offer an opportunity to design for what matters most to existing and new talent: beautiful design, biophilia, outdoor spaces, access to neighborhood amenities, and other features that promote health and well-being.

Under Armour Global Headquarters, Baltimore, MD This new mass-timber constructed HQ will pursue net zero energy operations along with WELL Building Standard and LEED v4 Platinum certifications.

“A SUCCESSFUL HEADQUARTERS PROJECT CREATES A WORK-LIFE BALANCE THAT HELPS EMPLOYEES FEEL LIKE THEY’RE LEAVING THE WORKDAY BETTER THAN WHEN THEY STARTED.”

Kelly Dubisar, Build to Suit & Headquarters leader

Bandwidth Global Headquarters, Raleigh, NC The campus is strategically positioned amidst natural landscapes, offering ample opportunities for outdoor activities to promote physical and emotional well-being.

Office Developers

The commercial office real estate market continues to adjust as tenants leave behind Class B and C buildings and seek out quality Class A, fully amenitized buildings in prime locations. This flight to quality has office developers looking for ways to quickly develop new office spaces to meet the demand for premium workplaces that are influenced heavily by hospitality and wellness design. Location is crucial for tenants looking to retain top talent. The most sought-after buildings are close to reliable transit and situated within the 20-minute lifestyle mix.

167 N Green Street, Chicago, IL. Shapack Partners & Focus
World Laureates Community, Shanghai, China

What’s Next

Demand surges for Class A buildings offering a distinctive experience. As demand for high-quality buildings continues, developers can create new types of compelling tenant experiences using architectural expression, materials, and the embrace of public spaces.

Outside-the-office amenities and round-the-clock neighborhood vibrancy add value. Tenants are increasingly looking at the street level environment and neighborhood mix as part of their workplace amenities. Office developers will have a competitive advantage if they can orchestrate relationships with surrounding retail, restaurants, community spaces, and more.

Perpetual and flexible assets improve value over time. The next generation of office buildings will be built to adapt to multiple uses, extending a building’s lifespan and reducing its embodied and operational carbon. A key feature of a perpetual asset is a flexible floorplate with uniform dimensions, good daylight reach, and a generous structural grid.

“TO APPEAL TO TODAY’S WORKERS,OFFICE BUILDINGS MUST HAVECONNECTIONS TO HIGH-PERFORMANCEOUTDOOR SPACE — ALLOWING TENANTSTO FEEL HEALTHIER AND MORECONNECTED TO THEIR COMMUNITY.”

Duncan Lyons, Office Developers leader

Building Transformation

Aging buildings of all asset types are trading at deep discounts because of persistently high vacancy rates, presenting an opportunity for developers to invest in and convert buildings into affordable and market-rate housing, senior living, campus housing, education facilities, hotels, life science centers, health clinics, critical facilities, and more. Paired with more government incentives, the conversion trend in 2025 continues to transform failing CBDs and retail centers into amenity-rich, mixed-use lifestyle communities that appeal to residents and workers alike.

What’s Next

Office-to-anything conversions unlock stranded assets and transform downtowns. Advances in various types of building conversions will unlock a second life for a broader range of distressed assets and create opportunities for numerous industries such as higher education, healthcare, and hospitality.

Governments create financial incentives tied to urban reinvestment policy goals. Tax breaks, financing, and expedited approvals can make conversions more viable and help reinvent entire urban neighborhoods.

Opportunities increase for conversions in burgeoning lifestyle districts. Like-minded developers are collaborating with other developers, local businesses, healthcare, education, and city officials to convert buildings and help transform business districts into vibrant lifestyle centers.

The Book Depository, Detroit, MI Gensler repositioned a former post office turned Detroit Public Schools book depository into a next generation flexible workspace supporting emerging technology innovators and entrepreneurs with wellness spaces, diverse meeting and collaboration platforms, and amenity-rich experiences.

West Coast University Texas in Richardson, Richardson, TX WCU-Texas in Richardson partnered with Gensler to transform a vacant commercial office building into an amenity-rich campus ecosystem that can support student well-being and help them study, collaborate, and socialize.

Frisco Public Library, Frisco, TX This adaptive reuse project transforms an industrial building that once manufactured rockets into a public library that is now a civic cornerstone for the community. The design of the space focuses on bringing people together around the ideas of intellect, curiosity, and imagination.

Kuntai Tower Renovation, Beijing, China Gensler updated this aging 1990’s-era office building with a series of renovations — including this double height office lobby — that create a transparent, sunlit, and connected workplace.

“BY EMBRACING A WIDEVIEW OF CONVERSIONPOSSIBILITIES IN ADDITIONTO OFFICE-TO-RESIDENTIAL,WE CAN REVITALIZE OURCITIES WHILE CREATING MOREECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLYRESILIENT PROPERTIES.”

Joseph Lauro, Principal

REIGNITING URBAN COMMUNITIES

P114 – 139

CITIES & URBAN DESIGN

MOBILITY & TRANSPORTATION

EDUCATION

AVIATION

INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES

CRITICAL FACILITIES

CLIMATE ACTION &

SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES

C Cities

Across the globe, cities are in the midst of a complex reinvention. Many are still grappling with vacancy and safety challenges, and many more are dealing with aging building stock, empty offices, and a lack of marketrate attainable housing. But there are encouraging signs that cities are surging again. As the office environment reconfigures, mixed-use lifestyle districts with a mix of retail, hospitality, and sports are redefining downtown neighborhoods. These 20-minute live-work developments — many strategically located near transit hubs — are reigniting urban economies, attracting visitors and residents, and bringing cities back to life.

Cities & Urban Design

With many cities continuing to struggle as workplaces and central business districts reconfigure, city planners and urban designers are shifting away from traditional single-use zoning toward more mixed-use developments that integrate retail, entertainment, workplace, and public spaces. Housing is a key part of the new mix, as is safe and reliable transportation, but cities are grappling with affordability and availability challenges. Sustainability and the risks associated with more extreme weather are also top of mind.

What’s Next

Cities rethink zoning for housing and neighborhood-centric developments. Local governments take a closer look at legacy zoning and building codes to address housing shortages, facilitate office conversions, and create live-work lifestyle districts that can attract visitors and support local businesses.

Transit-oriented infrastructure and pedestrian-friendly development takes off. The U.S. doubles down on transit infrastructure, including the creation of more connected, walkable, and bikeable communities near public transit hubs.

Cities prioritize resilience in their planning and design. Across the globe, hardening infrastructure against climate impacts has become a priority. 2025 will see urban design initiatives that feature resilient strategies that contribute to long-term ecological sustainability.

Reimagining North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. Parkside Realty This study envisions fewer traffic lanes, broader sidewalks, café kiosks, more connectivity, and abundant greenery to revitalize one of Chicago’s most iconic thoroughfares.

“LIKE MANY HIGH STREETS AROUND THE GLOBE, MICHIGAN AVENUE IS A VITAL ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ENGINE, AND THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT DESIGN TRULY HAS THE POWER TO TRANSFORM OUR EXPERIENCE OF THE STREET INTO A MORE ACCESSIBLE, DYNAMIC, AND VIBRANT PART OF CHICAGO.”

Benjy Ward, Principal

Mobility & Transportation

The mobility and transportation industry is currently navigating significant challenges and opportunities tied to adjacent industries, such as housing, energy, and urban design. There is a strong focus on integrating housing, mobility, and energy to create more sustainable urban environments. The key challenges facing the industry revolve around safety, reliability, and accessibility. In response, transit agencies are rethinking station designs to enhance cleanliness and the user experience.

What’s Next

Transit agencies prioritize safety and the passenger experience. By improving cleanliness, adding conveniences like digital connectivity, and designing stations with more retail and hospitality options, agencies can allay safety concerns for riders.

Cities focus on housing near transit to revitalize urban neighborhoods. As local governments incentivize mixed-use, transit-oriented developments (TODs) around traditional commuter stations, cities see opportunities to develop affordable, transitadjacent housing that keeps these riders connected to the urban core.

New infrastructure investments cater to EVs and micromobility. Demand for more EV charging stations and the rise of micromobility are pushing cities to invest in infrastructure projects that support these modes of transportation.

Here are the transportation attributes that most strongly predict ridership to and from a transit hub. Source: Gensler City Pulse 2023

01 WALKWAYS/PATHS/TRAILS02 EASE OF TAXI/RIDESHARE PICKUP AND DROP-OFF

03 EASE OF NAVIGATION

04ACCESSTOPUBLICTRANSIT

05AVAILABILITYOFBIKELANES

06AVAILABILITYOFBIKERACKS

07AVAILABILITYOFPARKING

08COSTOFPARKING

Jewish Leadership Academy, Miami, FL

Education

Hybrid teaching and learning, remote working, new technologies, and high operational and capital costs point to a new reality for educational institutions: Change is the new normal. At the same time, schools are contending with declining student motivation and well-being. In 2025, the industry has an opportunity to improve institutional strength by converting unused and outdated buildings into engaging spaces, creating flexible spaces that support interdisciplinary collaboration, and enhancing and fostering a sense of belonging for students, faculty, and staff.

What’s Next

Reimagining underutilized campus buildings leads to financial and environmental success. In the face of limited resources, evolving space needs, and aging buildings, institutions achieve their strategic goals by leaning into adaptive reuse strategies to reimagine the spaces they already have.

Higher demand for workforce preparedness drives design for interdisciplinary spaces.

More multifunctional spaces will support the type of interdisciplinary programming and preparations students need to enter the workforce. Flexible design solutions allow educators to reconfigure spaces for different needs.

Schools focus on students’ well-being and the spaces they need to succeed. Campus environments that support the whole student, including spaces that facilitate academic focus, social gathering, and emotional well-being, will improve students’ sense of belonging and overall success.

CSU Northridge, Maple Hall, Northridge, CA

Aviation

JFK New Terminal One, Queens, NY

The aviation industry is seeing an uneven rebound in travel. Smaller regional airports that offer quicker security checks, easier navigation, and a unique local experience are recovering faster than large international hubs. Convenience and personalization are driving demand for new amenities and upgrades. Major renovations are focused on delivering the right mix of functional, sustainable, and experiential elements. To achieve these goals while balancing rising costs with available funding, airports are strategically upgrading non-aviation revenue streams.

John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Columbus, OH

Star Alliance at CDG, Paris, France

“AIRPORTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT THEMSELVES AS MULTIPURPOSE FACILITIES THAT ENHANCE THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE AND MAKE THE TRAVELER JOURNEY MORE EFFICIENT.”

Tim Sullivan, Aviation leader

What’s Next

The industry pursues carbon goals with cost-effective sustainability designs. To achieve sustainability goals amid rising costs, airports implement design strategies such as all-electric buildings, net zero designs, rooftop solar panels, and large-scale battery storage systems.

Airports add more
convenience and personalized experiences for travelers.
Airports are focused on investments
that create hassle-free experiences
and streamline common pain points
for travelers, including biometric
security screening and checkpoint
reservation systems. Airports prioritize their
connection to the local community.
To address community concerns, airports will engage with local
communities as they embark on major capital investments with workshops, listening sessions, and outreach campaigns.

Harvey B. Milk Terminal 1 Renovation, San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, CA

With a goal of being a global leader in sustainability in all its operations, the Harvey B. Milk Terminal at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is setting new standards in air travel through its Triple Zero Challenge: Zero Carbon, Zero Energy, and Zero Waste. Our modernization and expansion efforts use sustainable design strategies to deliver 79% reduction to total carbon emissions, 70% reduction in energy use intensity, and a 50% reduction in potable water use. SFO achieved a LEED Platinum rating, and it is the world’s first Fitwel-certified airport.

Industrial Facilities

The manufacturing industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by the return of production to North America, manufacturing shifting from heavy industrial to highly automated advanced manufacturing, and the need for the industry to recruit and retain highly skilled workers. As developers pursue these end users, there’s a desire for industrial campuses to rethink their design strategy with a shift to more appealing design that puts people first. With rising energy demands, there’s a need for elevated resilience and sustainable design.

Maruwa Seto Factory, Aichi, Japan

Inovus, Monterrey, Mexico

What’s Next

Digital twins green the manufacturing landscape. Virtual replicas of manufacturing spaces allow operators to monitor facilities to ensure that equipment is operating within specifications, which increases energy efficiencies and lowers the facilities’ carbon footprint.

Manufacturing facilities navigate the “power predicament” with new strategies. Complex manufacturing operations place enormous energy demands on local electricity grids, which are under increasing strain. Operators can secure more efficient and reliable power sources — and expand location options — with on-site power generation.

A growing workforce
reshapes industrial facilities.
As industrial and logistics sites transition to edge-of-urban locations, a growing workforce will seek out more access to transportation and more modern amenities in and around these locations.

Southwestern College Institutional Technology Building, Chula Vista, CA

“THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF DATA CENTERS, COMBINED WITH THEIR ENERGY DEMANDS, WILL DRIVE INNOVATION SOLUTIONS IN THE SPACE TO MAKE THESE SPACES MORE VIABLE.”

Joost Lansbergen, Critical Facilities leader

Critical Facilities

The critical facilities industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven primarily by booming demand for AI services and continued growth of cloud services. Data centers require massive amounts of energy to operate, and the industry is making huge strides around efficiency, higher power densities, and new cooling strategies. Land shortages, regulatory hurdles, and the need for faster construction will drive design considerations in 2025. The sector is prioritizing efficient solutions and exploring new services like ecological landscape design to add value.

What’s Next

The scarcity of power sources and suitable land drives design strategy. Early site reservation and strategic planning in data center development is more crucial than ever as power and suitable land become scarcer. Operators must prioritize sites with the necessary infrastructure and secure power commitments in advance.

Decarbonization and sustainability efforts reshape the industry. Clients are turning to low-impact materials, recycling and reusing equipment, and investing in renewable energy sources to reduce their carbon footprints. In order to decarbonize fully, data center operators are intertwining their operations with utilities — from providing waste heat export to on-site generation and sharing of sustainable energy.

Competition for skilled talent drives data center workplace design.

As competition for skilled workers intensifies, data centers must be more than just functional. Demand is up for spaces that offer attractive, well-designed environments with better interior design and amenities.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Data Center + Conference Facility, Columbus, OH

SFO Sustainability and Social Impact Campaign, San Francisco, CA

CIimate Action & Sustainability Services

Decarbonization and climate action are at or near the top of most organizations’ priority lists, driven by an increased aversion to climate risk but also an awareness that sustainable and resilient buildings are trading at premium values. The design industry is responding to the demand with strategies and consulting services. Strategic decarbonization plans, performance modeling, certification processes, and data tracking are key tools developers, building owners, and tenants can use to achieve their carbon goals.

What’s Next

Certifications and life-cycle assessments drive change.

Businesses that undergo life-cycle assessments and lean into the LEED® certification processes can realize their carbon goals by identifying opportunities to reduce energy, reduce waste and water usage, and incorporate low-carbon materials.

Low- and no-carbon materials feature prominently in decarbonization strategies. In response to regulatory pressure, investor expectations, and consumer expectations for environmentally friendly products, demand grows for more integration of lowercarbon materials and solutions.

AI supercharges data analysis, insights, and action.

AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics make it easier to gather, interpret, and take action on data for carbon footprint measurement, scenario modeling, and impact assessment.

SPOTLIGHT ON EUROPE

Europe will lead the way in nature and biodiversity reporting.

New regulations are driving European countries to prioritize nature and biodiversity alongside carbon metrics. In the U.K., projects must demonstrate biodiversity net gain, requiring an ecologist to establish a baseline and prove the gain at completion, with results lasting 30 years. Architects are integrating ecological considerations to promote sustainable landscapes and improve transparency in environmental impacts.

Gensler delivered this campaign to highlight San Francisco International Airport’s commitments to people and the planet. It appears throughout terminals, concourses, and across social media.

“WE SHOULD BE DESIGNING SO THAT ALL OF LIFE CAN FLOURISH. THIS IS WHAT REGENERATIVE DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE IS ALL ABOUT: BEING ADDITIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH A BUILDING PROJECT EXISTS.”

uliette Morgan, Climate Action & Sustainability leader

Volvamos a la Fuente rainwater collection concept, Mexico City, Mexico

GENSLER DESIGN FORECAST 2025

DESIGNINGFOR WELLNESSEVERYWHERE

P142 – 155

WELLNESS SERVICES

SCIENCES

HEALTHCARE

Health

New advances in medicine and technology are driving innovation in the life sciences market and changing the way health systems deliver care. An increased emphasis on physical, emotional, and social wellness is supercharging growth in a number of industries that comprise the rapidly developing “wellness economy.” Organizations across the real estate spectrum recognize that wellness needs to be integrated into their physical environments and corporate cultures to remain effective and competitive. The health sector is increasingly focused on design solutions that create healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities.

What’s Next

Wellness becomes an ecosystem, rather than just an amenity. Wellness ecosystems expand beyond single-serving amenities like juice bars and yoga rooms to integrate wellness into every aspect of physical space and culture, from inclusive design guidelines to nutrition programs, to healthy and sustainable building materials.

Industry-wide investment in wellness creates new real estate markets. The wellness ecosystem is becoming a multiplier that will drive investment and create new value across markets. Buildings embedded with holistic wellness spaces and innovations will drive rent premiums and lease rates to spur growth in stagnant markets.

Employers use science-based principles to measure impact.

Increasing stakeholder demands and new regulatory requirements are driving a need to quantify wellness initiatives. Measuring impact around things like walkability, green space, and employee access to active-design workstations can allow employers to demonstrate their commitment to wellness.

SPOTLIGHT ON ASIA-PACIFIC

Wellness tourism surges in Asia-Pacific. With demand for sustainable tourism, authentic experiences, access to nature, and stress management, wellness tourism will drive investment and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific. Biohacking, anti-aging treatments, and spa retreats are becoming increasingly popular among luxury travelers.

Wellness Services

El Bosque, Guanacaste, Costa Rica This regenerative community blends sustainability, modular, and prefab design to create a unique wellness-focused living experience with minimal environmental impact.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the worldwide wellness economy is projected to reach nearly \$9.0 trillion by 2028. Part of what is driving this growth is a holistic interest in the wellness ecosystem across every real estate sector. Organizations have begun to seamlessly integrated wellness into their operations to enhance the employee experience and drive measurable economic benefits. Many are also responding to federal and state requirements for climate and ESG disclosures, both of which are tightly tied to improving health and well-being outcomes.

Navy Seal Foundation - Diamond View Tower, San Diego, CA

Sciences

Companies in the life sciences industry are making major investments in automation and AI to streamline operations, while workplace design strategies are focused on creating spaces that can accommodate multidisciplinary teams and drive innovation and product development. In 2025, the industry is expected to continue these trends and accelerate new automated manufacturing models that allow life science organizations to scale far more rapidly.

Confidential Client Technical Innovation Center, Shanghai, China

38%
MORE EFFICIENT IN GETTING
PRODUCT TO MARKET

The effective design of laboratory settings can improve a biomedical product’s rollout to market by up to 38%.

Source: Gensler U.S. Laboratory Research Scientist Survey 2023

What’s Next

AI propels fully automated labs into the mainstream. AI and automated systems will transform lab spaces into next generation “lab data centers” that produce the research data necessary to accelerate drug discovery and enhance product development.

Data-driven workplace design strategies drive collaboration and innovation. As science becomes more data-driven and technologyenabled, so too will the workplace that supports these interdisciplinary teams. Spaces that allow for more collaborative and cross-disciplinary activities will be in high demand.

Advanced manufacturing facilities accelerate drug discovery. New techniques like small batch manufacturing and rapid prototyping will streamline scale-up to clinical trials and drastically reduce time-to-market for new therapeutics, treatments, and medical devices.

“THE RISE OF HYBRID WORK PATTERNS,AUTOMATION, AND AI IN THE LIFESCIENCES IS RADICALLY SHIFTING HOWWE DESIGN LABORATORY SETTINGS TOBE MORE EFFICIENT AND MAXIMIZESCIENTISTS’ TIME FOR DISCOVERY.”

Erik Lustgarten, Sciences leader

Kurraba Life Sciences Campus, Sydney, Australia Alexandria

Australia’s first commercial life sciences campus houses high-tech labs, workspaces, and infrastructure to support 1,200 jobs in the heart of Sydney’s emerging health district.

Healthcare

The healthcare industry is grappling with financial pressures, workforce shortages, and mental health crises, all of which are shifting in priorities and redefining quality of care. Organizations are exploring new business models and investing in AI and other new technologies to respond to consumer demand for personalized medicine and data-driven health insights. The long-term goal of the industry is to create a responsive and equitable healthcare system that expands access to care and promotes overall community health.

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Orthopedic & Spine Center, West Nyack, NY

University Hospital Master Plan, Newark, NJ

SPOTLIGHT ON NORTHEASTERN U.S.

Sustainable design influences healthcare spaces in the Northeastern U.S. In states like Massachusetts and New York, aggressive state-driven sustainability goals are driving ambitious environmental standards in their building codes while prioritizing investments in projects that align with their climate action commitments.

TELUS Health Care Centre - Precision Health, Calgary, Canada

Gensler’s healthcare, digital experience design, and strategy teams created a calm, inviting, and high-performing new TELUS Health service in downtown Calgary. Floor-to-ceiling screens immerse clients in relaxing imagery to help them remain calm and allow nurse practitioners to get more accurate results. The screens also display data and health information in a way that is easy to understand.

What’s Next

Community health hubs become the new epicenters of care. Integrating whole-person health and social services into community hubs will bring care closer to where people live and redefine healthcare spaces around wellness, prevention, and outcome-driven care.

Personalized medicine impacts care and redefines healthcare design. Healthcare is shifting toward personalized and preventive care through data, genetics, and innovative therapies. Strategic investments in health data will tailor care plans and redefine spaces to be more inclusive.

Healthcare organizations design spaces to better support caregivers. By providing an ecosystem of staff support spaces within the clinical setting, and by building workforce housing on hospital campuses, organizations can reduce burnout and better support frontline workers and other caregivers.

CITIES SECTOR
Cities Sector Leaders
Andre Brumfield
Dylan Jones
Ty Osbaugh

Aviation Tim Hudson Tim Sullivan

Cities & Urban Design Ian Mulcahey Christopher Rzomp

Climate Action
& Sustainability Services
Juliette Morgan
Kirsten Ritchie

Critical Facilities Joost Lansbergen Jackson Metcalf

Education Deborah Shepley Mark Thaler

Industrial Facilities Rick Ferrara Madeleine Hilton Gabriel Murillo

Mobility & Transportation
Carmen Cham
Dylan Jones
WORK SECTOR
Work Sector Leaders
Kevin Heinly
Janet Pogue McLaurin
Nayan Parekh
Sumita Arora

Build to Suit & Headquarters Kelly Dubisar Shelly Mrstik Peter Weingarten

Building Transformation
Matthew Holt
Steven Paynter
Sheryl Schulze

Consumer Goods Companies Francesca Poma-Murialdo Juana Vasquez

Energy Companies Catherine Black Vince Flickinger

Financial Services Firms
Marisol DeRosa
Tina Hakkaki
Foundations, Associations
& Organizations
Sean Wayne

Government & Defense Agencies Peter Barsuk Simi Marinho Bob Peck

Media Companies Johnathan Sandler John Wiedner

Office Developers Darrel Fullbright Duncan Lyons Kris Stuart

Product Development Brandon Larcom Scott Star

Professional Services Firms Tim Bromiley Craig O’Halloran Carlos Posada

Strategy Services Claudine Frasch Kevin Rosenstein

Technology Companies Erin Greer Brian Stromquist

LIFESTYLE SECTOR
Lifestyle Sector Leaders
Aaron Birney
Jonathan Emmett
Sasha Zeljic

Brand Design Amy Bixler Janice Cavaliere

Culture & Museums Bevin Savage-Yamazaki Michael Volk

Digital Experience Design
Emilie Baltz
Rob Bischoff

Entertainment Lexi Barry Ann Morrow Johnson

Hospitality Tom Ito Lori Mukoyama Diane Thorsen

Mixed Use
& Retail Centers J.F. Finn
Duncan Paterson

Residential Kelly Farrell Robert Fuller Sean O’Gorman

Retail
& Consumer Experience
Michael Gatti
Lara Marrero
Jonathan Tyler

Senior Living Brooks Howell

Sports Steve Chung Ryan Sickman

HEALTH SECTOR Health Sector Leaders James Crispino Meghan Webster Chad Yoshinobu

Healthcare Randy Guillot Bonny Slater

Sciences Ryley Poblete

Wellness Services Stacey Olson Michael Schur

Special thanks to our many clients and Practice Area leaders at Gensler for their contributions in developing the trends and content featured in this publication.

OVERSIGHT

Elizabeth Brink Andy Cohen Jordan Goldstein Diane Hoskins Leslie Taylor

LEADERS

Nick Bryan Janice Cavaliere Sam Martin

TEAM

Sarah Chan
Andrew Dalton
Helen Grossman
Clay Kessack
Miki Koga
Kendra Mayfield
Sara Martinez McAuliffe
Madison Metivier
Erin Mobilio
Jonathan Skolnick
Natalia Soto
Hayley Verdeyen
Zoe Zellers

CONTRIBUTORS

Helyda Castellanos
Jimena Cerdas
Cindy Coleman
Michelle DeCurtis
Scott DeWoody
Linda Fones
Jessica Galeazzi
Marco Gamboa
Eden Goode
Anita Grabowska
Tim Hanrahan
Cecilia Jackson
Lela Johnson
Robert Madrid
Sara Munday
Megan Murdock
Tim Pittman
Jacob Plotkin
Hamza Shaikh
Miriam Sitz
Jocelyn Squires
Erica Sturges
Marc Syp
Annie Wise
Jimmy Zhang

Jason O’Rear: Cover and Inside Cover

Blackstation: pages 46, 58-59, 111
Magda Biernat: pages 98-99
Jeremie Brilliant: page 50
Andrew Bui: page 27
Dave Burk: page 102
Andrea Calo: page 92
Heywood Chan: page 147
© Gensler, photo by Ryan Conway:
pages 14, 37, 74
© Gensler, photo by Robert Deitchler:
pages 55, 63
Erin Derby: page 3
James Ewing: page 122
Andres Garcia Lachner: page 95
Ryan Gobuty: pages 22, 123
© Gensler, photo by Ryan Gobuty: page
108
Courtesy of Google: pages 68-69
Kenta Hasegawa: page 133
Mark Herboth: page 66
Florian Holzherr: page 67
Keith Isaacs: page 57
Courtesy of ITC Hotels: page 28
Vigo Jansons: pages 44, 64-65, 128
Mike Kelley: page 47
Joel Klassen: pages 152-153
Eric Laignel: pages 75, 84-85, 96
Jordan Millington Liquorice: page 40
Maria Francesca Maretti: pages 24, 82
Todd Mason: page 83
Kendall McCaugherty: pages 104-105
Angie McMonigal: page 107
John Muggenborg: page 129
Nacasa & Partners: page 54
Jason O’Rear: pages 38, 48-49, 70,
81, 100-101, 130
Diana Parrish Design and Photography:
page 86
Ema Peter: page 91
Dave Pino: pages 134, 143
Patrick Ross: page 34
Garrett Rowland: pages 7, 45, 62, 71,
77, 93
Edward Shi: page 146
Tom Sibley: page 150
James Steinkamp: page 135
Courtesy of Sunset Pier 94 Studios:
page 78-79
TDM.Space: page 25
Rendering by Tmrw Inc.: pages 126
Design by Gensler with Moody Nolan,
rendering by Tmrw Inc.: page 127
Courtesy of Under Armour: page 97
Jon Wallis: page 41
Stephen Walsh: pages 144-145
Courtesy of Willams New York: page 10
Connie Zhou: pages 72, 109

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