Leaving the academic world and experiencing your chosen profession in the way it actually exists is a challenge in many fields. It’s perhaps an even ruder awakening in creative fields, where a certain amount of blissful ignorance on the part of students leaves gaps in their education regarding less the glamorous aspects of their profession.
On the flipside of that coin are architecture and design firms seeking graduates who show they can be successfully trained in those less glamorous aspects. Investing in talent is a precarious, murky endeavor involving a lot of guesswork on the part of hiring teams.
Existing between students and firms are the education programs that prepare students for jobs in the industry. Educational institutions and A&D firms alike have a lot to gain from collaborating to better prepare students for the realities of the profession. But, efforts of this kind often require a high level of collaboration, funding, research and resources.
Enter global design firm Gensler’s launch of its Professional Practice Case Study Series.
Gensler’s Global Talent Studio encompasses several talent development efforts, including programs for university outreach, scholarships, and interns. As part of its university outreach, the Studio sought to expand its educational outreach by providing universities with resources that would better integrate the practice of design into the classroom.
“We believe we have a significant amount of thought leadership in the industry that can complement the learning process at universities,” said Janine Pesci, principal and director of global talent at Gensler.
“The Gensler Professional Practice Case Study Series is a suite of case studies based on real-world projects developed by Gensler design teams,” reads the case study’s Gensler webpage. “Released as a continuous series, each case study dovetails with topics covered in the AIA Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice. Used as an educational tool, the series is designed to augment professional practice curricula.
“The Case Study Series is developed to prepare the next generation of designers to enter the profession by presenting contemporary challenges faced on complex projects delivered by a global design firm. The case studies activate learning through a series of project scenarios. Each scenario gives readers the opportunity to apply classroom principles and critical thinking skills by considering resolutions to project challenges presented.”
In conducting internal research, research with clients and working through the incubator phase, the team at Gensler found inspiration for its concept in the Harvard Business School’s case study model.
“The case study method of teaching has been really popular at business schools for a long time, and it’s working its way into architecture and interior design programs now,” said Gensler’s Firmwide Head of University Outreach and Intern Development Sam Coats, who manages the case study program.
In building its first case study, the Gensler team worked through the AIA contract, guiding the reader in how to execute that contract in reality, navigating potential hiccups along the way. A review team then gathered projects from across the firm’s 46 offices, selecting topics that played to Gensler’s strength in design-build project delivery, carried out in projects that highlight the challenges of staying within budget and time constraints.
After finalizing the case study, Gensler conducted a pilot program in Fall 2014 at four universities, including Boston Architectural College and Tulane University, to better gauge how universities could best use the case studies in their courses. At Boston Architectural College, the professor of professional practice chose to apply Gensler’s expertise in the design-build project delivery method to its teachings; at Tulane University’s School of Architecture, the case studies were incorporated directly into the school’s professional practice coursework, which tap into the practice of design by providing tangible experiences in running a firm and managing projects.
[Image: 2015.1019.GenslerCaseStudySeries6.Scenario.jpg], caption: Scenario 1 of 10 in Star Spangled Health, the first case study in Gensler’s Professional Practice Case Study Series
Each case study presents a set of learning objectives, a detailed project background, a client profile and profiles on all other key players. Following that are 10 scenarios, each covering a different point in the project, whether it be a challenge, an opportunity or a project-specific function.
Gensler released its first case study, “Star Spangled Health,” this past June. The 66-page interactive PDF is a design build case study profiling the fast-tracked completion of a $50 million, 300,000 square feet healthcare facility.
“Working in collaboration with contractors, consultants and a complex client team, the project was completed on-time and on-budget, while simultaneously working through a series of project challenges,” reads the case study description. Topics covered include: design-build project delivery, contracts/risk management, base building architecture and design firm management.
One great feature of the series of case studies is that it’s easily accessible. Each case study is available for purchase on the Gensler website at www.gensler.com/academic-resources for a reasonable $9.95, and anyone can purchase. While universities and students are the primary target audiences, Mr. Coats noted that emerging professionals are also scooping up copies. This is good news for firms across the board; the first few years of a designer’s career are critical to their development.
Gensler plans to release the next two case studies at the end of the 2016 spring semester, for integration into fall 2016 courses. The case studies will focus on multi-purpose base building projects and corporate interiors. In selecting new topics and continuing to develop additional resources (such as video) for the program in the future, Mr. Coats says the team at Gensler plans to partner with other universities to gauge their needs.
“The goal is to select projects that captures both what universities need and what Gensler’s strengths
