While Gensler may be the largest architecture firm in the U.S. by revenue ($657 million in 2010, according to BD+C's Giants 300 rankings), the firm doesn't let its size get in the way of its relationship with each of its more than 3,000 employees in 40 offices globally-or, for that matter, its relationship with its clients around the world.
Just the opposite. Gensler leverages its resources to create career development programs that few design firms could hope to duplicate. More than 300 volunteer "learning coordinators" oversee extensive technical and leadership training in such topics as Revit, construction administration, and "TechKnow," a series that highlights new technology developments in the AEC field. The firm even employs a full-time "instructional designer" to make sure its training programs provide real ROI.
All this is part of Gensler's Talent Development Studio, which it describes as "a human capital think tank that advances and aligns the company's greatest asset-its people-with the organization's business goals." The Talent Development program has been a key factor in the firm's remarkable growth since 2003 (and, remarkably, even in the last few years of economic recession), in both revenue and new employees.
BEST AEC FIRMS TO WORK FOR 2011 WINNERS
Chapman Construction/Design
EYP Architecture & Engineering
Gensler
HMC Architects
MHTN Architects
Look for a more extensive report on Gensler in the January 2012 issue of BD+C.
Related Stories
| May 24, 2013
James Turrell's art installation turns Guggenheim Museum into 'skyspace'
James Turrell, an artist whose projects are more properly defined as "light sculptures," will have a major installation at the Guggenheim Museum this summer, turning Frank Lloyd Wright's famed serpentine atrium into a show of shifting colors and textures. The site-specific project, Aten Reign, will run from June 21 to September 25.
| May 24, 2013
First look: Revised plan for Amazon's Seattle HQ and 'biodome'
NBBJ has released renderings of a revised plan for Amazon's new three-block headquarters in Seattle. The proposal would replace a previously approved six-story office building with a three-unit "biodome."
| May 23, 2013
Supertall 'Sky City' will house 4,400 families in Changsha, China
Broad Sustainable Building has completed a long and arduous approval process, and is starting excavation and construction on Sky City in June, 2013. The proposed "world's tallest building" will be a mixed-use project that could accommodate life and work needs of up to 30,000 people.
| May 23, 2013
Are design-build contracts killing small architecture firms?
Are federal design-build contract laws unfair to small firms? AIA thinks so, citing an interesting fact: an architecture firm spends a median of $260,000 to compete for a design-build project.
| May 23, 2013
Is the 'bring your own device' discussion stumping your IT group?
A new twist to the communication challenge most companies and IT departments face is the “bring your own device,” or BYOD, conundrum. I call it a conundrum because it is stumping many IT professionals.
| May 23, 2013
Portland State University’s School of Architecture launches Center for Public Interest Design
Portland State University’s School of Architecture is proud to announce the launch of its new Center for Public Interest Design, a research center that aims to investigate and utilize the power of design to make social, economic and environmental change in disadvantaged communities worldwide. The Center is the first of its kind in the nation.
| May 22, 2013
Return of retail? Rent growth seen in recovering markets
Like digging a ditch with a spoon, retail demand driven by population growth has eaten away at the supply of available store space in the markets that have been slowest to recover from the downturn. Vacancy rates are reaching a point that will give at least some landlords in every market the clout to demand slightly higher rents.
| May 22, 2013
New ASTM standard enhances hollow structural sections
ASTM A1085 is a big step forward in simplifying HSS design and usage, thereby making it a more desirable option for HSS.
| May 22, 2013
Architecture billings take a step back in April, ending growth streak
For the first time in 10 months, the AIA's Architecture Billings Index slipped into negative territory, falling to 48.6 in April, down from 51.9 the previous month. This is the ABI's lowest mark since July 2012.