Gensler Voices: Meredith Flanagan on Life at Gensler Beyond Design

This Q&A is part of a series of interviews with Gensler architects, designers, and others in the firm about their career journey, and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities and the human experience. Here, we sit down with Meredith Flanagan, a workplace experience manager based in our Washington D.C. office:

What unique perspective and experience do you bring to Gensler?

As a hospitality professional and workplace experience manager, I view our office through a unique lens. I’m always thinking about others and how I can make our office a better place to work. I’m thinking about how we are physically set up to best host our clients and partners balancing creative ideas with realistic expectations.

If you could impart any piece of advice to individuals beginning their design career, what would it be?

Say yes to everything. Introduce yourself to everyone. The people I work with and the opportunities in the hospitality industry that I have today are a result of meeting people and cultivating relationships early on in my career.

What is your favorite Gensler project and why?

My favorite Gensler project is Feed The DMV, a collaboration with Monumental Market and Nespresso that came about during the pandemic. Our North American office donated over 60,000 Nespresso pods to hospitals in cities hit early on by Covid-19. Together with Monumental, food was donated across D.C. to those in need.

What’s life at Gensler like?

I think of myself as our office concierge. People come to me with all sorts of questions, and I provide myself on being able to answer or point them in the right direction. I’m so lucky that my days are filled with celebrating our people, helping to enhance their experiences through office social and cultural activities and more.

What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?

During the pandemic I was furloughed from the firm. We weren’t in the office and so I didn’t have any events to plan. I couldn’t sit idle. I had to do something. I volunteered full time with Jose Andres at Word Central Kitchen preparing meals for people in need here in D.C. The relationships I’ve made there have careered through to Gensler D.C.’s ongoing community impact partnership with Kelly Miller Middle School and Dreaming Out Loud.