Enhancing Office Design Sustainability with AI: Gensler’s Innovative Approach
The field of office design requires careful consideration of how every detail, from wall placement to material selection, shapes the overall project outcome. Designers must navigate the implications of their choices on both performance and cost. As companies place increasing importance on sustainability, designers are now tasked with assessing the carbon footprint associated with their work.
Introducing Real-Time Carbon Impact Tools
To assist its designers in understanding the environmental consequences of their choices, Gensler has developed an innovative tool that quantifies the carbon impact of design decisions in real time. “For a while now we have been thinking about how to get predictive data into the hands of our designers,” stated Joseph Joseph, Chief Digital Officer at Gensler. The firm’s designers have utilized a dashboard for tracking various metrics, including space allocation, seating capacity, and gearing ratios. The addition of a carbon benchmarking tool complements this functionality, allowing designers to visualize the sustainability improvements of their projects.
Leveraging AI and Extensive Data for Better Decision-Making
The tool employs artificial intelligence interlaced with Gensler’s extensive dataset of over 2 billion square feet of projects. This combination allows designers to see the carbon implications of different materials accurately. However, Joseph notes that one of the significant challenges in creating this tool lay in the inaccuracies present in established carbon datasets used for lifecycle assessments. “A small discrepancy in a material’s carbon footprint can add up fast for a firm as large as Gensler,” he explained. Despite these hurdles, Joseph and his team were motivated to innovate, recognizing that advancements in carbon calculators are promising.
Enhanced Collaboration Through Data
The real-time data capabilities are transforming how designers engage with clients. Corporate real estate leaders often possess in-depth knowledge of office design, and they desire a significant role in the decision-making process. Gensler’s approach enables clients to visualize the effects of their proposed design changes, enhancing collaborative discussions. “Clients might come into a meeting completely hellbent on one design but we can walk them through different options in a way that makes them comfortable with a different idea,” Joseph noted.
AI’s Role in Design: A Supportive Tool, Not a Replacement
While generative AI has become integral to Gensler’s design process, there is no intention of replacing human designers entirely. Joseph emphasizes the firm’s philosophy: “Our ethos is less about punching in a few constraints and getting 25,000 floor plates and more about using AI to help us do our jobs better.” This perspective highlights the potential of AI to assist rather than replace the human element in design, enabling creatives to share compelling narratives with clients even before the final plans are completed.
The Intersection of Technology and Emotion in Design
Joseph draws from his background in overseeing design at Walt Disney Imagineering to emphasize the importance of storytelling within design processes. Integrating technology is not merely about boosting efficiency; it also aims to evoke emotional responses. “As creatives, we understand that we are driven by emotions but we also need to make informed decisions,” he remarked. Through advanced 3D renderings and climate data insights, designers can create spaces that resonate with users on an emotional level while adhering to sustainability standards.
