Lodge-Like Charm Meets Sustainability at This Airport Terminal

In winter, Gunnison, in central Colorado, is one of the coldest places in the U.S. For air travelers, its harsh weather means frequent flight delays—and long hours at the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport. Gensler Denver renovated and expanded the outdated facility to improve the passenger experience and increase energy efficiency. Now, the two-story, 48,000-square-foot structure is all electric and incorporates solar panels, geothermal systems, and upgraded insulation to achieve a net-zero energy load, which significantly reduces the county’s operating expenses. It’s also a very nice place to wait for a plane.

The team conceived lodgelike interiors that channel the two communities GUC serves: Gunnison, a working mountain town, and the quirky enclave of Crested Butte. “People should know where they’ve landed,” says Casey Johnson, Gensler associate and senior designer. Replica stag heads, cowhide rugs, and tufted-leather paneling bring a warm Western vibe, while the second-floor bar’s original ceiling of tongue-and-groove cedar has been painted bright colors, nodding to the building exteriors in downtown Crested Butte’s Elk Avenue district. Works by local artists appear throughout, including a detailed linoleum-stamp landscape print, overlaid on a map, by John Fellows that stretches the length of the security line. A feature wall, made of reclaimed Douglas fir, resembles a log cabin, and exterior columns have pops of orange like blazes on a hiking trail.

PROJECT TEAM
BRENT MATHER; JONAS PHILIPSEN; CASEY JOHNSON; BECCA FAULL; SARAH BUSCARELLO; REBEKAH WAGONER.

The Next Frontier Begins at Wichita State University’s New Hall

From the start, administrators at Wichita State University in Kansas envisioned Woolsey Hall, Barton School of Business, as more than an academic facility. It would be a threshold between the original campus and the innovation campus, where aerospace companies like Airbus have research facilities. “The request was to build a masterpiece,” laughs principal and comanaging director Brian Vitale, who’s at Gensler Chicago, which oversaw the 125,000-square-foot project, from strategy, branding, and experiential design to the architecture and interiors, the latter two developed in collaboration with GastingerWalker& in Kansas City, Missouri. Encompassing classrooms, event spaces, faculty offices, and a café, Woolsey had to be refined enough to host CEOs yet feel welcoming to a first-generation college student.

Drawing on shared workplace experience, the teams delivered a three-story building that resembles a corporate headquarters. Vitale and associate and senior interior designer Sara Catania conceived a flexible, efficient floor plan with many of the hallmarks of today’s offices, like huddle rooms and shared workstations. At its heart is a triple-height atrium anchored by all manner of seating—bleacher, lounge, one-on-one—formulated to promote connection, its undulating sides ensuring clear sightlines across the space.

Vertical oak rods form the atrium’s balustrades, a subtle reference to Kansas wheat fields, while blackened-steel handrails nod to the industrial precision of the local aviation industry—“The interplay between organic and manmade is both grounding and sophisticated,” Catania notes. Outside, a 300-foot-long pedestrian bridge leads to the innovation campus, symbolizing the transition from academia to the professional world.

GENSLER: BRIAN VITALE; MEGHAN WEBSTER; BRIAN WATSON; RYAN DEPERSIA; SARA CATANIA; KATIE SMITH; CARLI PAPP; LETICIA MURRAY; HEY J MIN. GASTINGERWALKER&: KEVIN HARDEN; ANDREA SHADRACH.

This Chinese Cultural Facility Connects City and Sea

Yantai, a city in eastern China, was a simple fishing village until not long ago. Now, it’s a major port and economic powerhouse. As part of a new tourism initiative, the local government asked Gensler Beijing to create the Yantai Huang-Bohai Sea New Area, a cultural facility that celebrates the region’s economic growth and spurs future development. “The client aimed to project a forward-looking vision, inspiring local pride and attracting visitors and investors,” senior associate and design manager Bob Xu recalls. The resulting 269,000-square-foot complex encompasses exhibition and event spaces, lecture halls, and a library, and serves the public as well as researchers and industry professionals.

The site is opposite the city center on a 70-acre island in the Huang-Bohai Sea, and the architecture reflects its location both practically and symbolically. In anticipation of storm surges and sea-level rise, Xu and his Gensler team ensured the structure was resilient and incorporated seawalls, robust landscaping, and rainwater-harvesting systems. The design draws on maritime themes throughout and highlights the connection between city and sea.

The architects found inspiration in a Chinese idiom about “100 boats vying for the lead,” a metaphor that captures the competitive nature of development in the area. “We translated this concept into four interlocking sculptural blocks, each representing boats racing forward,” Xu says. They rotate slightly to align with urban landmarks across the bay, creating a visual dialogue with the cityscape. Made of local granite, the structures have dramatic water-facing glazing that offer panoramic views and bring in natural light. When illuminated at night, Xu notes, the center resembles “a lighthouse for the new city.”

Inside, Gensler provided concept design for key public spaces; Suzhou His Design & Construction Co. led the rest of the interior design and execution. In the lobby, Gensler conceived a curved ceiling reminiscent of traditional boat construction and a skylit triple-height atrium that is the heart of the complex. The firms also partnered on the library, where floor-to-ceiling bookshelves frame water views and sun dapples auditorium seating. Elsewhere, immersive exhibitions tell the story of Yantai’s humble origins, industrial transformation, and its latest innovations. As a beacon of progress, the building itself reinforces this narrative.

GENSLER: AGUS RUSLI; JERRY HUNG; HONG TIAN; BOB XU; ANDY CHEN; YI ZHANG; DAVID ZHAI; LISA LIU; XUAN GUO; SIMON SONG. SUZHOU HIS DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION CO.: YANG ZHOU; ZE CHEN; RUI WANG.

FROM FRONT
MITSUBISHI: ESCALATOR (LOBBY). THROUGHOUT XIANGHUANGQI RISHENG MINING CO.: FACADE STONE. TG TIANJIN GLASS CO.: CURTAIN-WALL GLASS.

A Sanctuary for Mindful Healing Through Psychedelic Therapies

Gensler was in uncharted territory when it conceived the Bill Richards Center for Healing in Rockville, Maryland: It was one of the country’s first purpose-built spaces for psychedelic ther­apies, where cancer patients with depression and others who qualify for clinical trials would come for psilocybin-assisted therapy. “We were defining a new prototype for care,” senior associate, co-global healthcare leader, and design director Bonny Slater says. The setting would be a crucial part of treatment.

Slater and her team at Gensler Washington began the 2,500-square-foot project with a visioning session that brought together physicians, patients, scientists, artists, and experience designers. “We had to understand the careful choreography of the therapies and how spaces can impact the outcomes—in other words, how to avoid a bad trip,” Slater says. The resulting environment is tranquil, comfortable, and safe, avoiding visual triggers or overstimulation, with slate-look resilient flooring and vertical white-oak slats curving along walls.

At the entrance, a warm common area with lounge furniture helps patients relax before sessions; it can also host yoga classes or group workshops. Neutral, residential-style therapy rooms feel welcoming and familiar, with blackout drapes for light sensitivity. Cove lighting emits a soft glow throughout, with one exception: At the end of the therapy corridor, a large circular fixture reminds patients to focus their intentions before the trip.

TAMA DUFFY DAY; BONNY SLATER; ALEJANDRA DELGADO; KARLA SEPULVEDA; VAL DOBREV; PATRICK FOLEY.

Patient Care and Comfort Drove Gensler’s Design at This Medical Center

Patients at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)’s new orthopedic outpatient center in Paramus, New Jersey, often arrive in pain. They suffer from hip injuries, torn ligaments, broken ankles, and other conditions that limit mobility. Gensler New York kept this context top of mind when conceiving the two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility. “People come in very stressed out. It’s a challenge just to get here,” senior associate and design director Ju Hyun Lee begins, “so we sought to minimize unnecessary movement.”

HSS Paramus is in an existing office building, so Gensler first had to retrofit the floors for healthcare. Lee and her team added two central elevators so the physical therapy clinic upstairs can be easily reached and installed electromagnetic shielding for the MRI room. But the overarching goal was to create a calming, welcoming environment that puts patients at ease. “The key aspect was to streamline their journey and the flow of movement,” Lee continues. The center’s previous location had been fragmented and hard to navigate, causing patients undue strain. Gensler devised a centralized layout with clear wayfinding and grouped all patient-facing administrative functions in one spot in the lobby referred to as the “touchstone.”

Visitors check in and out at the touchstone, a sculptural, circular cluster of desks, their solid-surfacing composition able to withstand knocks from wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers. Screens, made of resin in HSS blue and fabric-wrapped acoustic panels in varying heights, add a layer of privacy for sensitive conversations, and semimatte terroxy flooring ensures nobody slips. Overhead, an open-cell ceiling surrounded by a stretched system with a reflective finish creates the illusion of height in an area that had felt cramped. An illuminated soffit appears to float beneath, its undulating form inspired by the body’s movement. Furniture is equally pleasant, ranging from residential-esque walnut-framed upholstered armchairs to healthcare-specific yet still handsome high seating.

Exam rooms are organized in rows with care teams accessible between them. They bisect circulation corridors, their ceiling and circular light fixtures providing subtle wayfinding, Lee explains: “When a patient sees those details, they know it’s a staff area.” Upstairs, the PT clinic feels like a high-end gym, with warm wood accents and a south-facing window wall through which sunlight streams. Such uplifting gestures are important: They help the injured find joy in movement again.

JAMES CRISPINO; VALENTIN LIEU; STEPHEN HEGEMAN; JU HYUN LEE; MATT LEONARD; AMY CARTER; MARGARITA DI MODUGNO; SCARLETT ZHAO; JHANVI JAGANI; BECCA BLODGETT.

FROM FRONT BERNHARDT: ARMCHAIRS (RECEPTION). ARMSTRONG: OPEN-CELL CEILING. NEWMAT: STRETCHED CEILING. WILSONART: DESK COUNTER. CARNEGIE: DIVIDER PANEL FABRIC. 3FORM: DIVIDER RESIN. KRUG: PATIENT CHAIRS (LOBBY). USG: CEILING (HALL). BETA-CALCO: LIGHT FIXTURES. SPARTAN SURFACES: FLOORING (PHYSICAL THERAPY). CORONET: PENDANT SYSTEM. THROUGHOUT FORMICA: LAMINATE. TERRAZZO & MARBLE SUPPLY: TERROXY FLOORING. TEKNOFLOR: FLOOR TILE.

Discover This Game-Changing Center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury

Like other women’s sports teams, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury is growing in popularity. But until recently, its players lacked a dedicated place to practice. The team hired Gensler to transform a 1960’s former Coors Brewing distribution center into a world-class training facility equal to any in the NBA. During the discovery phase, senior associate and design director Elizabeth Pritchett and the firm’s Los Angeles office took time to understand the unique needs of female pro athletes, who are also mothers, mentors, or brands. “They blend personal and professional life 24/7, and they expect their space to support all their endeavors,” Pritchett says.

Gensler created a 58,000-square-foot facility that delivers a “whole player” experience and includes not only basketball courts but also meditation rooms, hot and cold plunge pools, and a great room that serves as a family lounge. Lockers designed in concert with the Mercury players have ample storage for shoes, bags, and hair tools, plus vanities and built-in benches where they can sit and create content for fans. A separate athletes’ entrance and reception reinforces the team’s identity, with artwork showing an abstracted image of the planet Mercury. “The space highlights and supports the strength and camaraderie of the team,” Pritchett adds. Clear sightlines and open areas foster spontaneous connections and ensure player safety, while soft lighting, curved ceilings, and wood details create a warm, comfortable, feminine atmosphere.

MARTHA ABBOTT; ELIZABETH PRITCHETT; SUSAN HAN; JAY SILVERBERG; PATRICK MAGNESS; MEGAN MCDONNELL; STEVE CHUNG; BOBBY STROBEL; YUKO UTO; RITA MOUCHI.

How Creative Visionaries Collide in This Dynamic Mixed-Use Hub

Houston is known for bulldozing its past. There’s no zoning and few landmark protections; it wasn’t until 1995 that the city adopted its first preservation ordinance. “Everything gets torn down, with no part of history left behind,” laments Kelie Mayfield, founder and CEO of local architecture and design firm MaRS Culture. Even old industrial buildings, commonplace elsewhere in the country, are rare here. Yet 2910 McKinney, a 65,000-square-foot former warehouse and showroom built in 1953, has survived—and been given new life as a mixed-use hub for all manner of creatives—from those working in food to furniture—courtesy of Mayfield.

Developer Shon Link, founder of Local Partners, recognized the site’s potential. Located in the gentrifying East Downtown neighborhood, 2910 McKinney was originally a showroom and distribution center for the Peaslee-Gaulbert Corporation, which sold paint and home goods. It later housed furniture, letterpress, and sandpaper companies. Link, who was previously an architect at Gensler, was impressed with the quality of the art-deco building, which had a solid brick structure, poured concrete flooring, and a 15-foot-high ceiling. Even the windows were intact, because they had been bricked up for safety years earlier.

MaRS Culture Transforms a Former Warehouse Into a Creative Hub

“The spaces are extremely interesting, and when you walk in, it feels timeless,” Link says. “We sought to preserve it and craft a special place.” He brought on Mayfield to help achieve this vision. The two have worked together for years on such area projects as the George hotel in College Station and become friends. Together, they saw an opportunity to build a home for creative types who were already working in the industrial neighborhood and craved connection after the pandemic. Plus, these designers and makers would be able to use the building largely as is, helping preserve its historic essence.

The wholesale (and aptly named for 2910 McKinney) Kraftsman Baking and Nickel City bar became the anchor tenants, with the rest of the interiors split between a design collaborative and maker spaces. MaRS restored and conceived the latter areas and curated the tenant mix. The firm has long commissioned art and sourced handmade furnishings for its projects, so Mayfield was plugged into the community Link hoped to attract. At the time, MaRS was also looking for new office space and ended up moving into the building as well.

Art Deco Style Reigns in This Creative Hub

Mayfield and her team opened up the interior and preserved its raw atmosphere. They unsealed the windows, strategically removed a few brick walls to improve circulation, and kept lighting minimal, using only exposed bulbs and industrial drum fixtures. To delineate tenant spaces from public, they installed steel-and-glass partitions that maintain a sense of openness: The dividers end a few feet below the ceiling, forming semiprivate zones like cubes in an office. This was partly a way to control costs, but it also promotes a communal vibe. “There’s a nice energy and vibrancy, because you can hear people talking and playing music,” Mayfield notes. “And we can see all the way through to each other’s studios.” Drywall dividers run between tenant spaces.

The architectural interventions largely ended there. Link calls the process an exercise in restraint: “It was about using a light touch and figuring out how to do less, not more.” That meant keeping quirky elements that lend character. MaRS pulled up vinyl flooring and found it had left an interesting pattern on the existing concrete. A central room had originally displayed paints, and blocks of color still coat the walls, resembling a Mark Rothko artwork. Outside, the front entrance retains its decorative art deco–style brickwork.

Creating a Community of Design

Anyone with a creative bent would find such environs appealing. But Mayfield says she and Link are selective about who they lease to, since they hope everyone will work together. “We’re designing a community of design,” Mayfield explains. “Even though we have separate businesses, we support each other. So we’re looking for people who are open, honest, and down to earth.”

So far the tenants include nonprofit fashion brand Magpies & Peacocks, which now produces and sells its upcycled clothing in the Rothkolike room (and runs a separate coffee bar in the building offering local treats, the revenue benefiting Makr Collective, a workforce development program for trauma survivors); Branch, a product design studio and flooring distributor; Plum Alley, a family-owned business specializing in historic window restoration; and El Dorado Woodworks hand-crafted furniture studio. There’s also Vesper Art Collective gallery and rentable space for pop-ups. MaRS occupies much of the ground floor with both its studio and new retail venture, MaRS Mercantile, which promotes emerging artists and makers and represents established brands like Stellar Works.

Fresh Ideas Bloom Thanks to a Mix of Creative Thinkers

Working beside a mix of creative thinkers can spur fresh ideas. “Design these days is not so insular,” Mayfield observes. “Different disciplines cross over. We thought How can we all work together and make something unexpected?” She’s already begun to answer that question. For the Houston Rockets’ PNC Lounge, MaRS commissioned Magpies & Peacocks for a fabric wall graphic sewn from players’ old basketball jerseys. The two have also joined forces with Branch on projects in Marfa, including a runway show of garments made of salvaged architectural materials. This is just the beginning: Expect more collabs as new tenants move in. 

Step Inside This Creative Hub by MaRS Culture

Taking Cues From Mark Rothko + Other Artists

MARS CULTURE: KIM LE; JENNIFER HENDERSON; DANIELA GONZALEZ; ELYSE REUTER; TEHYA LEIGH; ASHLEY BESHARA; KALI STEELE; SARAH WALLACE; TUAN NGUYEN; THANH VIET; HIEN TRAN; VI NGUYEN; NGAN BUI; DINH TRUONG; TRIET NGUYEN; THIEN NGUYEN; DUNG HO; HOANG NGUYEN; NAM NGUYEN; TRI NGUYEN. BASIC BUILDERS: GENERAL CONTRACTOR.

FROM FRONT 
STELLAR WORKS: LOVESEAT, TABLES (MARS MERCANTILE). EGE CARPETS: RUGS. BRANCH: RUGS (POP-UP). HENZEL STUDIO: RUG (RAW SPACE). BASIC BUILDERS: CUSTOM SHELF SYSTEM (OFFICE). IKEA: SHELF BINS. PUTNAM ROLLING LADDERS: LADDER. ULINE: ISLAND STORAGE. ALLSTEEL: DESKS. WEBSTAURANT STORE: WORK TABLE. WAYFAIR: STOOL (OFFICE), CHAIRS (CONFERENCE ROOM). THROUGH ROUND TOP RANCH ANTIQUES: TABLE, SHELF UNIT (MARS MERCANTILE). ANTIQUE FARM HOUSE: TABLE (CONFERENCE ROOM). CURRAN: RUG. RH: CABINET (BRANCH). THROUGH LIVING CENTURY: WINE VESSEL. THROUGHOUT SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY: PAINT.

Inside A Workplace That Embodies The Spirit Of NYC

For a financial services firm, Macquarie Group is unusually invested in design. Glass pods project into an atrium at the Australian company’s futuristic headquarters in Sydney, while a slinky red staircase unifies its London office. It even has an in-house global design director, Andrew Burdick, a licensed architect who previously specialized in civic work. “Design is part of Macquarie’s business strategy,” he explains. The firm aims to be open, innovative, and human-centered—and believes its workplaces should be too.

So when Macquarie issued an RFP for its new Americas headquarters in New York, it wasn’t a typical problem statement, but a design document. “It was about the human experience the office should deliver,” remembers Kate Thatcher, principal and CEO of Architecture Plus Information, which won the bid in 2022. Macquarie envisioned a flexible, sustainable workspace to promote collaboration and informal interactions, bringing together groups that were siloed in its old location. It needed to function, Burdick says, as “a machine for business,” where 1,100 employees come together to create—that is, like a small city.

Architecture Plus Information Crafts A Human-Centered Hub

Working closely with Burdick, A+I conceived elevated, welcoming interiors that draw on urban design. “The narrative arc is that you are occupying a microcosm of New York City,” says A+I principal and chief strategy officer Peter Knutson. Macquarie’s 260,000-square-foot office occupies nine floors, seven of which, 10 through 16, are contiguous; it has an additional 25,000 square feet of outdoor space on multiple terraces. The plan and palette quietly reinforce the urban narrative at every turn.

The site, 660 Fifth Avenue, had some distinct advantages. Constructed in 1957, it was renovated in 2022 by Kohn Pederson Fox, which replaced the existing aluminum cladding with a curtain wall made of 11-by-19-foot glass panels to maximize natural light. Low ceiling heights, though, were a downside.

NYC Views + Welcoming Interiors Bring This Workplace To Life

“The first thing that stood out was how amazing the views were—and how challenging it was when you stepped back from the windows,” Knutson recalls. The question was how to open up the space without creating a multistory atrium, which would trigger burdensome mechanical requirements. A+I needed to cut holes in the floors so the workplace felt lofty and impressive, yet could still be segmented with fire shutters. “Job one was to figure out where the holes would be and how to make them as small but impactful as possible,” Knutson adds.

The solution was a communicating stair that A+I dubbed the “Avenue,” its location shifting across the floor plates. It effectively runs on a diagonal, like Broadway, from the west side of the 16th floor down to the east side of the 10th, ending at a town square that faces the office’s largest terrace overlooking Fifth Avenue. “The stair is a sort of drifting atrium,” Thatcher explains. A visitor can stand at the bottom and see almost all the way up. “There’s a sense of grandeur without being overwhelming,” Burdick notes, because the low ceilings, cafés, and lounges around it give it a human scale. “They allow you to be a protected individual connected to this larger entity.”

Pops Of Color Enliven This Manhattan HQ

Perforated-steel panels painted a warm brass make the stair pop. Macquarie has colorful staircases in other offices and sought to continue the tradition here. A+I chose a hue that evokes the city’s sunsets and ubiquitous brass detailing: “It’s subtle but feels familiar and germane to the location,” Thatcher says. An LED strip under the handrail enhances the glow.

The site had one other hitch: The curtain wall’s large glass panels have no mullions. “Essentially, it meant that closed rooms on the perimeter had to be the minimum of the structural grid,” Thatcher says, or about 20 feet wide. The constraint forced A+I to use the perimeter for open workstations and large meeting rooms, but not private offices. “It democratized access to light and air,” Thatcher says. And it led the team to embrace the grid throughout.

Embracing The NYC Grid Through Design

“Rooms that front the Avenue borrow language from the exterior windows,” Knutson says. “They tend to be column bay to column bay with a similar surround as the windows on the facade.” Black panels made partly of recycled paper mimic steel frames around glass-walled meeting rooms. Planters along the windows further blur the boundary between inside and out. “One of the most successful things the team did was really value the asset itself,” Burdick says. “The 1957 structural grid becomes the character-defining aspect of the Avenue space, and that is both purposeful and required.” The floor plan also alludes to Manhattan’s grid, helping employees instinctively navigate the space.

Along the Avenue, each floor is segmented into neighborhoods, or sections of the business. Some are behind information barriers to comply with regulations, so A+I thought of them like the city’s stoops; they’re semiprivate but linked via the stair. Color palettes subtly demarcate these spaces. Terra-cotta tones, referring to brownstones, signal work zones, while live plants and shades of green fill common areas along the Avenue. Every inch is conceived for productivity: Employees can plug in on the terraces, in high-backed lounge chairs, or at café tables. People from different business units inevitably meet.

Since the HQ opened in October, hybrid workers are coming in more often. Employees are bumping into new colleagues, taking calls outside, and hosting impromptu happy hours. “It looks and feels better as architecture with people in it,” Knutson says. Buzzing with activity, it’s practically a sidewalk ballet.

Tour Macquarie Group’s HQ By Architecture Plus Information

Taking Steps In The Right Direction

ARCHITECTURE PLUS INFORMATION: ELIANE MAILLOT; CHRIS SHELLEY; JENNIFER WICHTOWSKI; JESS WANG; ANDREW MCBRIDE; CHERYL BAXTER; VICTOR GALLOWAY; BRENTON SMITH; VANÉ BROUSSARD; RINA SEBASTIAN; NICO MARTIN; MING BAI. BLONDIE’S TREEHOUSE: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. LIGHTING WORKSHOP: LIGHTING DESIGN. TYLIN: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. AMA: MEP. MILLERBLAKER: MILLWORK. M COHEN AND SONS: STAIR FABRICATOR. DRIVE 21: CUSTOM WAYFINDING SIGNAGE. JT MAGEN & CO.: GENERAL CONTRACTOR.

FROM FRONT MOROSO: SEATING (RECEPTION). MOHAWK: CUSTOM RUGS (RECEPTIONS, TOWN SQUARE). NAUGHTONE: CHAIR PODS (12TH FLOOR). DIVISON TWELVE: BLUE CHAIRS. COALESSE: TABLES. DESIGNTEX: GRAY SOFA FABRIC. CRÉATION BAUMANN: CURTAINS (MEETING ROOM). WATSON FURNITURE: COMMUNAL TABLE (LIBRARY). HOLLIS+MORRIS: PENDANT FIXTURES. BLU DOT: SOFA, SIDE TABLES (LOUNGE). WEST ELM: COFFEE TABLE. LAPALMA THROUGH M2L: SOFAS (GUEST RECEPTION). VICCARBE: TABLES. ANDREU WORLD: SOFA (TOWN SQUARE). AXOLIGHT: PENDANT FIXTURES. ARPER: SIDE TABLES. PEDRALI: TABLES (TERRACE). UHURU DESIGN: CUSTOM TABLETOPS. ISIMAR: CHAIRS. STYLEX: CHAIRS (LIBRARY, TOWN SQUARE). MILLERKNOLL: TABLE (TOWN SQUARE). THROUGHOUT RICHLITE: BLACK PANELING. BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.: PAINT.

Luxuriate In This Historic Rental Villa Fit For Royalty

Presidential suites are so passé. Ultra-wealthy travelers accustomed to private jets and superyachts are loath to tramp through hotel lobbies with the rest of us. They’d much rather stay in an elegant federal house with its own pool, concierge, and butler service—such as the LXIV DC, a six-bedroom luxury rental property in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood. Even better: Guests, often CEOs and world leaders willing and able to pay five figures a night to stay at the boutique property, access the 1-acre estate via a secret boxwood gate and private walled garden. “It’s magical—like walking into Alice in Wonderland,” begins Eric Chang, the project’s interior designer.

LXIV, named for France’s 17th-century Sun King Louis, is the brainchild of local real estate entrepreneurs Jessica and Ezra Glass, whose curated dining and retail developments have made colonial Georgetown feel suddenly hip. When the Glasses first saw the 10,500-square-foot, three-story house, which dates to the 1840’s, it had been on the market for three years and uninhabited for longer. Though dilapidated, it had belonged to a string of Washington elites and had a beautiful garden by famed American landscape architect Rose Greely, plus separate outbuildings that could be used for security and spa amenities. They bought the compound in 2022, undeterred by the extensive renovations required or the inevitable tug-of-war with the historic district board. Today, it’s the first outpost of their LXIV Group, an exclusive network of one-of-a-kind residences and estates that aim to “perfect the art of living through effortless luxury, soulful design, and superlative service,” with properties in New York City, San Francisco, London, and Paris on the horizon.

Eric Chang Crafts A Luxurious Rental Property In D.C.

The Glasses made the purchase only after they had the buy-in of Chang, who’s been friends with Ezra Glass since kindergarten. “I would never have taken this on without Eric,” says Jessica Glass; she and her husband’s design-build firm Atelier Verre oversaw the construction and interior architecture. “He could envision the comfortable luxury that was essential.” Chang is the cofounder and principal of the furniture line Hellman-Chang, but for years he has also conceived interiors for friends, including the Glasses, under the auspices of Eric Chang Design. He brought experience working with high net–worth clients and top designers, as well as a network of fellow artisans. 

Most importantly, the Glasses trusted Chang to bring out the best of the challenging site. “The home looked like it had been cobbled together, with strange elevations and different types of flooring. None of it made sense, but you could feel its potential,” the designer remembers. He worked closely with Atelier Verre, which first reorganized the cramped floor plan, opening up corridors, adding an elevator, and turning 10 small bedrooms into six larger ones with en suite bathrooms.

Garden Views + Bespoke Furnishings Welcome V.I.P. Guests

Everyone agreed that the garden was the real star of the estate, so nature was brought inside, creating a sense of timelessness. Adding to that was the preservation of such historic elements as the ori­ginal fireplaces, the dining room’s walnut parquet floor, and the shell of an old greenhouse that now houses hot and cold plunge pools. Yet Chang wasn’t about to create a creaky museum; it had to feel modern, with a mix of pieces from different eras. “I was looking to make it new and unexpected, with special moments that give guests pause,” he notes. Craftsmanship became a through line between past and present: Out went Chippendale, in went Hellman-Chang. The artisan hand is apparent everywhere.

Chang started in the grand living room, which kept its original detailing. His first call was to Romanian artist Andreea Braescu to order a custom porcelain chandelier resembling gingko leaves; the large, delicate piece helps fill the room without obscuring the existing plaster ceiling medallion. It hangs over a similarly sculptural cocktail table by Stefan Bishop and a moss-green velvet sectional Chang designed specifically for the space. “A challenge was creating a human scale that allowed you to be comfortable either in a formal meeting or casually kicking back,” Chang says. Important conversations will undoubtedly happen here; he ensured the sofa isn’t too deep, so people can sit a dignified manner. 

While the living room gets sun, much of the house was darker. To brighten the interior and improve circulation, a central fireplace was removed and a spiral oak-and-drywall staircase with a skylight overhead installed. Chang observes that the light guides you around as you naturally gravitate to where it hits a wall or landing. “You have a sense of journey and curiosity, because you are following that light through the home,” he continues. 

It especially draws one to the stair, which is coated in fine-grained, hand-applied Matteo Brioni plaster that shines in the light. The organic finish, its colors coming from specific quarries in Italy, from which nearly 10 tons of the material were imported, brings the texture of the earth inside, Jessica Glass says: “As you go up the stairwell, it feels like moving through a canyon.” Used on walls throughout, the plaster’s muted clay palette unifies the interior, from the moody terra-cotta dining room to the creamy primary suite. 

In the latter, three enlarged windows face the garden, with a view sweeping across a fountain and hedges to a giant magnolia tree. You could be in the countryside or 19th-century DC. It’s a peaceful, transporting overlook—and one that no Four Seasons could match. 

Walk Through LXIV, A Six-Bedroom Rental Property In Georgetown

ERIC CHANG DESIGN: MONICA RUMA. RICH MARKUS ARCHITECTS: ARCHITECT OF RECORD. WAYNE HINSON DESIGN: LIGHTING DESIGN. VON AMMON: ART CONSULTANT. MARION OXFORD DEARTH LANDSCAPE DESIGN: LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT. BEL ENGINEERING: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. KK ENGI­NEERING: MEP. MATTEO BRIONI: PLASTERWORK. FERRIS CUSTOM CABINETRY: WOODWORK. ATELIER VERRE: GENERAL CONTRACTOR, DEVELOPER.

FROM FRONT HELLMAN-CHANG: CUSTOM SECTIONAL (LIVING ROOM), DESK (OFFICE), BED, CHAIR, SIDEBOARD (PREMIERE SUITE), BED, NIGHT­STAND, SIDE TABLE (PRIMARY SUITE). MAHARAM: SECTIONAL FABRIC (LIVING ROOM). DYPHOR: WHITE SOFA. UNA MALAN: SWIVEL CHAIRS (LIVING ROOM, PARLOR). PAVONI: SWIVEL CHAIR LEATHER (LIVING ROOM). THROUGH CRISTINA GRAJALES GALLERY: COCKTAIL TABLE. ANDREEA BRAESCU: CUS­TOM CHANDELIER. PERENNIALS: CUSTOM RUGS (LIVING ROOM, PREMIERE SUITE), SWIVEL CHAIR UPHOLSTERY (PARLOR). ARTERIORS: CHAIRS (BREAKFAST ROOM). ELAN ATELIER: TABLE (BREAKFAST ROOM), CHAIR, SIDE TABLE (LANDING). BRIGHT CHAIR: CHAIRS (OFFICE). GUILD BY LMI: TABLE (PARLOR). STARK CARPET: RUG. PHILLIIP JEFFRIES: WALLCOVERING (PARLOR, PREMIERE SUITE). EFFE: SPA (SPA). GESSI: PEDESTAL SINK, SINK FITTINGS (SPA), TUB FILLERS (BATHS). VIBIA: CEILING FIXTURES (SPA). LANDMADE: TUB (PRIMARY SUITE BATH). OCHRE: CHANDELIER. JONATHAN BROWNING: SCONCES (BATHS). NOORTH: TUB (PREMIERE SUITE BATH). THROUGHOUT ROSEMARY HALLGARTEN: THROWS, PILLOWS. BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.: PAINT.

Inside The Dynamic Redesign Of Brooks Running’s HQ In Seattle

How do you bring a sense of movement to a modern office building? That was the central challenge NBBJ faced when conceiving an addition to the Seattle headquarters of sneaker manufacturer Brooks Running. After all, the brand’s mission, underscored by its new tagline “Let’s Run There,” is to inspire everyone to be active. Furthermore, the 113,200-square-foot site would support the development of innovative gear. A static space would not be a good fit. “We centered our concept around the belief that a run can be trans­formative,” NBBJ partner Ryan Mullenix begins. “Our part of the workplace is intended to evoke the experience of a great run and showcase the process that goes into making that run fantastic.”

Even the location—by a popular trail on Lake Union—speaks to that philosophy. Brooks moved there in 2014 but its staff has since doubled in size, requiring a second building. The company expanded into a five-story property by Weber Thompson across the street, and the headquarters now houses more than 500 employees. The energy-efficient, mass-timber building is part of a local sustainability initiative that requires using healthy materials; NBBJ ensured that 95 percent of those incorporated are free of Red List chemicals.

Walk The Talk At NBBJ’s Revamp Of Brooks Running’s HQ

Brooks tasked NBBJ with creating a flexible, collaborative office that would attract top talent and include sewing and materials libraries, a prototype lab, and shoe-testing areas. “It was critical to show off not only what they create but also how they think,” Mullenix continues. Additionally, he and his team had to formulate an elite environment worthy of hosting top athletes and capture the Brooks culture.

Starting with the layout, NBBJ considered how the building could foster a sense of community within the company. Mullenix installed a welcoming café on the ground floor, where employees can meet for breakfast  after a morning jog, and a gym and learning center on the second level. But most of the action happens on floors three to five, which house workstations and product-development areas. The latter faces the street, so passersby can see staffers creating sneakers; the quieter part in the back is for focused work, with collaboration spaces in between. NBBJ conceived a three-story atrium of sorts, made of glue-laminated spruce-pine-fir, to animate the interior, provide sightlines between floors, and host events and all-hands meetings.

Fostering A Sense Of Community At Brooks Running 

“Our idea was to make you feel connected the moment you step off the elevator,” Mullenix says. There’s no elevator vestibule; you land in the buzzing atrium. In the surrounding spaces, footwear developers can 3-D print a sole, experiment with different fabrics, and browse designs for upcoming seasons. In the gym, professional athletes test products on treadmills or turf. “They’re constantly pushing the product until it breaks in,” Mullenix adds. 

He and his team applied a similar principle to the interior. “Like your favorite shoes, the building will get better with time as you use it,” he explains. “It had to feel comfortable on day one but be able to change to accommodate more people and new technology.” They developed what they call “infrastructure walls,” thick partitions that house MEP systems and conduits. Other dividers are drywall with no wiring; they can be torn out easily to remove a small conference room or expand a lounge, of which there are five.

Stride Into Innovation With This Office Design

NBBJ wove in running references throughout. Some are literal: The headquarters displays sneakers, motivational graphics in Brooks blue, and, in the café, a 50-foot mural by Seattle artist Shogo Ota inspired by the company’s history. Track lines on the walls and floor provide wayfinding. 

But other allusions are more subtle. Mullenix wrapped a pantry kitchen island in resin, adding a custom texture inspired by the treads of Brooks footwear. Above it hang flexible LED ropes that resemble shoelaces, their ends customized with Brooks aglets (plastic shoelace caps). Downstairs, the backlit reception desk is upholstered in a porous fabric that emulates sneaker mesh. Behind it, 8-foot-long shoelaces form a textured screen. “They make a direct connection to the brand without being too on the nose,” Mullenix notes.

The same can be said of a nearby screen installed along stairs to the second floor, where windows face an unsightly back alley. Mullenix obscured the view with shoebox-size white-oak rectangles hung from vertical cables. Each wood panel has a painted metal shroud that angles out like the lid of a box, revealing shades of blue and orange. “We were looking to capture what it feels like on a morning run along the water, with the sun dappling the trees—and the joy that comes from movement,” Mullenix recalls. 

The screen is denser at the bottom, but as the stairs are climbed, the panels turn out to bring in more light. Sun and shadow dapple the stairway in changing patterns throughout the day, energizing what could otherwise be a dead space. Runner or not, you get an endorphin boost. 

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Brooks Running HQ Designed By NBBJ

NBBJ: KELLY GRIFFIN; ALICIA JENKINS; JASMINE MITCHELL; BEN SPICER; MILES STEMPER; EMILY YENSLAND; ERIC LEVINE; ELLIOT RUPESTOCK; CHRISTINA SAKURA; MANDY SEEVER; JONAS KUO. CREO INDUSTRIAL ARTS: CUSTOM GRAPHICS FABRICATION. COUGHLIN PORTER LUNDEEN: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. BURO HAPPOLD: MEP. GLUMAC: AV, IT. MISSION BELL: MILLWORK. SELLEN: GENERAL CONTRACTOR. PORTER INTERIORS: FURNITURE AND DÉCOR.

FROM FRONT DREAMSCAPE: CUSTOM WALLCOVERING (HALL). CARNEGIE FABRICS: DESK FABRIC (RECEPTION). KOROSEAL: WALLCOVERING. ANTHOLOGY WOODS: PLATFORMS (LOUNGES). CREATIVE MATERIALS CORP: BANQUETTE TILE (LOUNGE). GRAND RAPIDS CHAIR: TABLE, BENCHES. BLU DOT: PENDANT FIXTURES. FORMICA: CUSTOM CASEWORK (LIBRARY). LUKE LAMP CO.: LED ROPES (ATRIUM). 3FORM: ISLAND (PANTRY). PEDRALI: STOOLS. LUUM: BANQUETTE FABRIC (CAFÉ). MOOOI: CHAIRS (TOP-FLOOR LOUNGE). THROUGHOUT BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.: PAINT.