The team at global architecture firm Gensler’s Los Angeles office has redesigned a floor of its workspace with a hospitality approach, as a pilot for the remaining spaces.
The Gensler LA team’s renovated its space to give it more of the “warmth and comfort” that its staff became used to during its time working from home.
The studio’s return to the office post-pandemic came seven years into a 15-year lease of its spaces in Downtown Los Angeles, the firm had converted from an empty bank building in 2011 then expanded to two floors in an adjacent, connected structure.
With a growing workforce and a desire to rethink the layout, functionality and appearance of the office, a group of the studio’s “next generation” of designers and strategists led an effort to redesign the interiors of the third floor.
“The look and feel of our space, though contemporary, lacked the warmth and comfort of the hospitality touches we integrate for our clients’ workspaces and that we had become accustomed to while working from home,” Gensler senior strategist Sarah Koos told Dezeen.
“Coupled with the changing nature of hybrid work, the space necessitated a transformation that would support a renewed sense of a work-lifestyle.”
The group spent a year listening and learning from surveys, workshops and feedback sessions in which each of the 500-plus employees was able to have a say about their future work environment.
Many team members had been highly mobile even before hybrid working became popular, so the previous dedicated desk system seemed redundant.
“Working from home for two years effectively rewired peoples’ expectations of their work environments, a sterile, single-use corporate office no longer spoke to the warmth, variety, and comfort they were afforded in their own homes,” said Koos.
They therefore set about redesigning the offices with a focus on flexibility, communal work areas and presentation spaces.
“Rather than confine our designers to a desk or a conference room, we developed a kit-of-parts inclusive of typical sit-stand workstations, communal tables, focus pods, booths, material layout islands, and more,” said Gensler senior designer Kirk Bairian.
“Gensler is built on a studio system which is critical to our design culture, and each studio was able to use this kit-of-parts to customise their space to reflect the specific ways in which they work.”
A warm, hospitality-forward aesthetic that mirrors the “informal but elevated, casual but curated” essence of Los Angeles was chosen.
Materials including maple plywood, blackened metal and subtle textiles provide a backdrop for more colourful additions in the form of ever-changing pin-up display boards, styled shelving, artwork by local students and books from local creative businesses.
Lounge-style furniture and jewel-toned textiles are placed in the co-working areas to evoke a hotel lobby or coffee shop vibe.
Several of Gensler’s furniture and fixture collaborations were also introduced, among them the communal tables and open shelcves from a product line created with Fantoni and custom focus pods from a partnership with Tangram’s Studio Other.
Since the project completed in 2023, the data from badges suggest that employee office attendance has increased by 35 per cent for the studios located in the renovated pilot space, according to the firm.
“Studios in the new space shared that they felt that working in the renovated space made them more productive, enabled more effective collaboration, and overall, greatly improved their in-office experience,” the team added.
Gensler is the world’s largest architecture firm and has locations 53 locations globally. Its European head offices in Wapping, London, was longlisted in the business building category of Dezeen Awards 2020.
In 2022, co-CEO Andy Cohen told Dezeen in an exclusive interview that architecture should abandon “top-down” management to improve working conditions.
Interior design must begin facing up to uncomfortable truths about our planet and health in 2024, Michelle Ogundehin writes in her annual trends report for Dezeen.
This must be the year of truth. It’s no time to be distracted by talk of trends, new or latest looks. The tactic of holding facts at arm’s length has only enabled denial, obfuscation, and fakery, as well as cauterising our moral obligation to change. Mark Twain aptly summarises our current malaise with the pithy: “What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know, it’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Thankfully, the zeitgeist is shifting. We see it in current TV programming, ever a prescient reflection of public mood. Consider Channel 4’s punchy The Great Climate Fight, which volubly charges the British government with incompetence, to ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office, dramatising the scandalous lies behind a huge miscarriage of justice.
It’s no time to be distracted by talk of trends, new or latest looks
The desire for unvarnished veracity is there in Netflix’s new tranche of documentaries. Think Robbie Williams: Behind the Scenes and its Jeffrey Epstein exposé. Even Disney’s Wagatha Christie vehicle was about truth-telling.
It reflects the shattering of any persistent facade that everything’s just fine. In the face of extreme weather patterns – from tornados in Manchester in the north of England to record-breaking monsoons in Pakistan – and the escalating rates of chronic disease, anxiety, depression, loneliness epidemics, and other mental-health disorders seen worldwide, surely, finally, our eyes are opening?
In case not, here are a couple of truths that we may need to be reminded of.
One: the perpetual quest for economic growth is unsustainable on a finite planet, yet it prevails because we’ve been hoodwinked into believing that better always means newer, faster, or more. We are entreated to consume for the good of the economy – the work-to-spend cycle. The implication being that if we don’t, we’re responsible for mass unemployment and the failure of honest businesses.
Ergo, consumer-driven economies are routinely prioritised over basic citizen welfare, and material goods have become proxies for our dreams and aspirations, even our expressions of love.
Two: the environments in which we live are increasingly toxic – physically, socially, and mentally. Yet we’re reneging on personal responsibility for our wellbeing with the misguided assumption that big industry would never create products dangerous to human health, and that our healthcare providers are there to patch us up if they do. We need to focus on causes and prevention instead of lucrative (but futile) searches for cures for diseases like cancer.
It wasn’t so long ago that the desire to exercise, seek wellbeing, or be social were reasons to leave the home
What’s tricky is that potential solutions to the above don’t wash well with legislators or many politicians because they appear slow, unduly restrictive, difficult, or inconvenient. Immediate results (i.e. within a single term of office) are seldom forthcoming, thus a stance of head-in-the-sand, or a default to fast fixes, becomes entrenched as the go-to action.
And yet, research suggests that we, the people, feel differently. According to the 10th annual Life at Home report produced this year by IKEA (one of the world’s largest home surveys, encompassing the views of 37,428 people aged 18-plus across 38 countries), searches for “slow living” have doubled since 2015.
So where does this leave us?
We’re being pushed and pulled in many contradictory directions. It wasn’t so long ago that the desire to exercise, seek wellbeing, or be social were reasons to leave the home. Now these activities all happen within the same four walls.
This creates many tensions. Should our domestic caves be linked to the world via the latest high-tech gizmos, or be our deliberate respite from the techno-frazzle? How do we square a wish for personal privacy with the sensation of living in more open spaces? Can we work from home without feeling like we live at work?
It was no surprise to me that Squishmallows were the hit toy of 2023. These soft, malleable cute-character cushions are acutely comforting to hold. Even the revered investor Warren Buffet now has the company in his portfolio. They are a potent symbol of a need.
In response, the popular press touts voluminous La-Z-Boy-style recliners as the next big thing, but is an inducement to lounge ever further into denial really what’s called for?
Our ability to thrive must become the guiding principle for all design
Humans are the ultimate adaptors, but we require stimulus to learn and grow, if not an element of discomfort. While your genes may load the gun, your environment pulls the trigger. Currently, for many, that’s somewhere hyperconnected yet also physically disconnected, temperature-controlled and sedentary.
Align this with the current cult of convenience – that which enhances personal comfort or advantage over everything else, and therein lies the downward spiral.
We must abandon the ordered, rational, learned good taste and comfort that we’ve become used to in favour of something more instinctive and rugged. Less a singular design aesthetic than a profoundly sensory desire to touch, smell and feel intensely. It is the personal over the predictable. The umami in the dish. The idea that owes its genus to a singular moment of unique creative vision, or innovation.
We must aim for a societal stability that does not rely on the continuous fetishisation of “novelty” to drive ever-increasing consumption if economic activity is to have a hope of remaining within ecological scale. Our ability to thrive must become the guiding principle for all design, if not perceptions of success.
Most importantly, we can no longer be afraid to speak or hear these truths, starting at home – the environment over which we have the most agency.
Here, then, are some final “home” truths that bear repeating.
In summary, we have been living in a time of fantastical storytelling, fictions of delusional positivity that obscure the truth. Plato considered that truth is a correspondence between belief and reality. Time to wake up then if we are to stand a chance of survival, as our current reality almost beggars belief.
Michelle Ogundehin is a thought leader on interiors, trends, style and wellbeing. Originally trained as an architect and the former editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration UK, she is the head judge on the BBC’s Interior Design Masters, and the author of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, a guide to living well. She is also a regular contributor to publications including Vogue Living, FT How to Spend It magazine and Dezeen.
The photo, of a Kyiv apartment designed by Olga Fradina, is by Yevhenii Avramenko.
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Shanghai-based interior studio Linehouse used natural materials and a muted colour palette to give the Ying’nFlo hotel in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, the feel of an inviting home.
The hotel occupies the podium of a 24-story tower on a hilly street in Hong Kong. Its ground floor holds a series of communal spaces that Linehouse designed to provide “home comfort” for guests.
The Collectors Room, which greets guests at the entrance of the hotel, has a neutral palette of hand-rendered walls, timber paneling, and linen cabinetry that display curated objects and artworks. A communal oak table serves as a counter where guests can interact.
This room also connects to an outdoor terrace through sliding glazed doors. Built-in bench seating and an olive tree sit at the centre of the terrace and invite guests to relax and socialise.
A gridded timber screen leads further into the space through to the lift lobby and the Arcade room, where guests can gather to relax and play.
Soft-rendered walls, timber shutters and an eclectic mix of furniture create a sense of intimacy, while floor tiles in various geometrical motifs add a sense of playfulness.
Adjacent to the Arcade is the Music Room, the social hub of the hotel. Here, ceramic tiles, a bespoke oak shelving system, a custom sofa and curated art and lifestyle objects were added to evoke a sense of a residential living room.
The Music Room opens up to the Garden Terrace, where undulating greenery sits behind circular seating in yellow-striped fabric, a colourful contrast to the overall neutral colour palette of the Ying’nFlo hotel.
“The spaces are designed to have a warm, welcoming and familiar feel,” Linehouse said.
“Against this backdrop of curated simplicity is an edge of youthful attitude and local context, with vibrant elements giving the hotel its own unique flavour.”
The guest rooms of the Ying’nFlo hotel are located on the upper floor and feature ceilings painted in a muted green hue, which the same green tone used to frame window seating nooks and for the hand-glazed tiles in the bathroom and kitchen.
A clean palette of plaster, wood, white-washed oak and canvas add texture to the rooms. Seating nooks and lounge furniture serve multiple functions as spaces where guests can work, relax or dine.
Linehouse was founded by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling in 2013 and the duo went on to win emerging interior designer of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.
The studio has recently completed a Mediterranean restaurant with natural, tactile materials, as well as a space-themed cafe decorated with real meteorites, both in Shanghai.
The photography is by Jonathan Leijonhufvud.
Project credits:
Design principle: Briar Hickling Design team: Ricki-Lee Van Het Wout, Lara Daoud, Justin Cheung
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Warm nest provides a calming environment for recovery
Ark-shelter showcases their expertise in creating calm environments with Warm Nest, a Maggie Center in Belgium. The healthcare facility is designed to provide a comfortable setting while patients receive cancer treatment and heal. Maggie Keswick Jencks conceptualized the Maggie Center after experiencing cancer diagnosis, treatment, remission and recurrence. Her insights were valuable in pioneering a new architectural approach to cancer care. In Warm Nest each room is specifically designed to reflect the level of intimacy and the emotions that occur within.
Ark-shelter showcases their expertise in creating calm environments with Warm Nest
ark-shelter uses neuroscience to design different spaces
The design practice Ark-shelter specializes in prefabricated dwelling constructions with organic materials, dark tones and heavy glazing, exuding a sense of peace. The feelings evoked in these dwellings are what AZ Zeno wished to capture in the healing center. Throughout the design process, Ark-Shelter consulted a neuroscientist in order to better grasp the influence of space on the human consciousness. The task was to carefully analyze the various emotional touchpoints that occur through cancer treatment and to construct ‘brain healthy spaces’.
the healthcare facility is designed to provide a comfortable setting while patients heal
a calming and comfortable space where patients regain strength
The concept for Warm Nest is a welcoming, non-intrusive space that focuses on calm gatherings, time to regain strength, and the journey to recovery. A soft ramp leads to the entrance and almost every inch of the building has views to the outdoors. The light wood interiors coupled with abundant windows removes the hospital look and feel from the facility. A comfortable courtyard provides a serene slice of nature while protecting from the wind.
Maggie Centers pioneer a new architectural approach to cancer care
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The LG 32UN880-B UltraFine Display Ergo monitor is designed to move with and adjust to architects’ needs. Taking ergonomic functions and visual display into deep consideration, this device has exceptional image quality, convenient flexibility and surprising portability.
This monitor was engineered to best serve architects and designs and has received countless awards, including the iF Design Talent Award a few years back. The UHD 4K IPS Display makes for an incredibly lifelike and realistic resolution, which creates a crisp and clear image display that designers can trust. The UHD IPS display enhances contrast, clarity and wide-angle details, all while exhibiting true color representation. Such visual accuracy puts trust in architects that their work is displayed accurately and will closely reflect their real-life design.
The UltraFine Display Ergo monitor has an extremely flexible and ergonomic desktop setup. This monitor can be secured on any surface and in seconds thanks to its One Click Mount and C-Clamp. It can then be adjusted to fit the user’s preferred height and tilt angle, making it a great device for designers meticulously working on renderings and edits. The monitor is equally ideal for collaborative environments; designers can pivot the screen during meetings and easily share images with clients and coworkers.
Designers who have leveraged standing desks can equally take advantage of this device by adjusting the height of their monitor depending on their current work setup — whether it be seated or standing. The monitor can swivel up to 280°, pivot 90° and tilt up to 25°. This truly allows for bespoke and personalized working environments that speak to the individual’s posture preferences and work needs.
This device is a great fit for designers working in small studio settings as its clutter-free design takes up little desk space. The monitor comes with a USB-C cable, which ensures fast data transfer and fast charging. The USB-C cable improves the device’s efficiency, capability and declutters the desk space.
The LG 32UN880-B UltraFine Display Ergo is ideal for individuals looking to maximize comfort, productiveness and increase visual accuracy in their designs. The monitor is equally suitable for designers working in collaborative environments as the screen can mount on any surface and can be adjusted to fit the ergonomic needs of the user. For that reason, this monitor is a great tool for designers working individually and collaboratively.
For more laptops and workstation recommendations for architects, checkout 15 Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series.