10 California Buildings • Spring 2023
Leading Architectural Firm Chooses Historic HQ in SF Decision Boosts Case for Reuse and Appreciation for Cities’ Heritage Properties Q&A with Daniel Pamperin, Principal, Gensler Q: Gensler’s San Francisco headquarters is moving from a gleaming modern skyscraper at 45 Fremont to the historic Mills Building a few blocks away. As the world’s largest architectural firm, I am sure you could office anywhere you like. Why choose an older facility? A: The Mills Building offers a great location in San Francisco’s North Financial District, blocks from where Gensler was founded in 1965. We not only liked the idea of getting back to our roots, but we felt it was important to support the local business community, which has been negatively impacted by the CBD’s high office vacancy rates. Specific to the building, 220 Montgomery both meets our 2030 carbon zero goal and supports our future work strategy. The Swig Company’s investment in making the space fullyelectric was very attractive to our firm, as it’s a great platform
for our LEED Platinum and Zero Operational carbon goals. The space has 10-foot operable windows as well as an 18' x 65' View skylight reducing the use of electric lighting and creating a connection to the outdoors. In addition to its sustainability benefits, the layout allows us to move from our current threefloor office to a large, single floor, which aligns with the firm’s future of work plans to create an engaging and effective destination for its employees, clients, and community members. Q: Many downtowns have charming historic office buildings that tenants bypass for modern towers, presumably because they offer grander views and more modern features. What are the advantages versus the challenges of officing in historic buildings? A: Some features modern towers are striving to achieve are inherent in historic sites. For example, operable windows for