Headspace: Where Do You Find Yours?

Microsoft London, Image © Hufton and Crow

Of the more popular words that characterise growth in the nine years since the 2008 recession is innovation! The word is all around us. It is used in every industry from automotive, technology and media, to consumer goods, healthcare, government and non-profit. It’s not just an ordinary word, but a value that we identify as cutting edge, disruptive or rebellious, and it’s often demonstrated through a positive benefit, product, service or experience.

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Change by Design: A New Framework for Leading Continuous Change

Image © Eric Laignel.

This post is the second in a series by Gensler’s Consulting practice in Washington, D.C. Read the first document, "The Engaged Employee." Stay tuned for the final post in this series!

Courtesy of a global, networked economy, change now happens faster and with less warning or pattern than ever before. Today, change is the new normal. So how do you harness change as a force for improvement and innovation? How do you create an organization where change is part of its DNA?

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How to Design Transformative Scientific Spaces? Put People First

Moffitt Cancer Center Core Laboratory. Image © Gensler

When you think of a research lab, you might conjure images of sterile equipment and white lab coats—and there is some truth to that picture. Designing research labs requires meticulous attention to the details of equipment planning, environmental health and safety (EH&S) and the processes that support science. While most labs are designed to achieve that basic functionality, a transformational lab environment prioritizes a science organization’s most valuable assets: its people.

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Reimagining an American Icon

Image © Gensler

For nearly 25 years, Willis Tower (long known as the Sears Tower) held the distinction of being the world’s tallest building, standing as a symbol of American might and engineering ingenuity. Today visitors queue up to soak in magnificent panoramic views of the city from the 103rd-floor observation deck of Chicago’s soaring black skyscraper that continues to be a point of pride for Chicago. At ground level, however, something is noticeably absent. The tourists come and go, but rarely linger. People who work in the building often walk blocks away to grab lunch or take a break from their offices. And at night, the block is much less active than during the day.

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Bridging the Gap Between Design Education and Practice

Image © Gensler

Like many architecture and design students I did not set foot in a professional environment until after my studies were complete, and to this day I can recall exactly what I felt after spending my first few days at my first firm: a mix of panic and disarray and a worry that there was no possible way I could possibly survive a career in this field.

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