ZEISS Innovation Center

ZEISS partnered with Gensler to create a future-forward innovation center to relaunch the optic leader’s brand in North America while also merging multiple business units under one roof. Beyond a high-performance workplace, the innovation center functions as the R&D, production, sales, and customer service site for the company’s activity in the Bay Area.

Given ZEISS’ focus on discovering new ways to accelerate the pace of innovation, emphasis was placed on establishing close proximity and an intentional pathway between the lab space and workspaces throughout the new headquarters. Gensler explored ways to foster casual encounters and spark interactions among employees from unique departments as they move about daily routines in the building, from the lab to the desk and throughout different amenity spaces and showrooms. The new workplace and R&D facility is a refined incubator of ideas that brings people together in an environment of contagious creativity, cementing ZEISS’ local presence as a major player in the innovation economy.