Gensler, the world’s largest architecture firm, has signed an office lease in San Francisco’s downtown financial district.
The 12-year, 45,500 square foot lease of the historic Mills Building ensures the company will continue to have a significant presence in the city where it was founded in 1965.
“This new lease reflects our deep commitment to the city of San Francisco and the business community here,” Hao Ko, co-general manager of the San Francisco office, said in a statement.
Gensler is moving from a slightly larger 55,000 square foot office at 45 Fremont St. A major draw has been the opportunity to move from three stories to its current one-story office, increasing collaboration, Ko said in an interview. . Other features include 10 foot windows and full electric power.
The new office is expected to open in late summer 2023. The Swig Co. owns the property at 220 Montgomery St.
From reviewing designs together to working with physical models and materials, “in-person collaboration is very fundamental” to the business, Ko said. Employees are required to be in the office four days a week. Gensler has 334 employees in San Francisco, 123 in its Oakland office and 82 in San Jose.
Gensler’s lease is one of the only significant deals in the second half of 2022 for San Francisco’s beleaguered office market, which has seen a
record vacancy rate of 25.5%
in the third quarter, according to real estate brokerage firm CBRE. A wave of tech layoffs and downsizing could
crush the market even more.
Ko said Gensler’s design work always stays busy as many clients look to redesign their offices and find ways to entice workers back.
Although the company is registered in San Francisco as its headquarters, Ko said employees don’t use the term and instead call it a central office, reflecting the collaborative culture.
The company has two co-CEOs, Diane Hoskins, who is based in Washington, DC; and Los Angeles-based Andy Cohen. Its largest office is in New York, where it has 732 employees.
Founded by its namesake Art Gensler, the company’s early work included interiors at what is now known as One Maritime Plaza and 555 California St., the former headquarters of Bank of America. Art Gensler personally designed the second Gap retail store in San Jose and the first 100 Apple stores. He never retired and
died last year
at 85 years old.
The company has grown to nearly 7,000 employees and $1.2 billion in revenue in 2021, with 52 offices around the world.
Major projects include airport terminals at SFO, San Jose and Incheon; Shanghai Tower, the third tallest building in the world; and desktop designs for a
wide range of technology companies,
including Airbnb, Meta, Nvidia and Salesforce.
Ko said he was encouraged by seeing more people on the streets of downtown San Francisco and more often crowded BART trains during rush hour.
“I see him coming back,” he said.
Roland Li is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @rolandlisf
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