M. Arthur Gensler Jr., the founder of Gensler, has passed away at the age of 85. A talented architect who turned his humble San Francisco practice into the largest architecture firm in the world with 50 locations across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Gensler founded the practice in 1965 and has worked on several remarkable projects along with running one of the most successful architecture firms for the past 65 years.

According to the SF Chronicle, Gensler was battling lung disease for the last 18 months and passed away in his sleep. Gensler's son David shared with Sam Whiting of the SF Chronicle, "he had a real passion for San Francisco and the Bay Area. My dad was a regular guy, respectful and friendly and never pompous. He loved serving clients through the power of design."

Born in New York, Gensler studied at Cornell University and received his B.Arch in 1958. In a conversation with Gensler Principal Maddy Burke-Vigeland, he attributed architecture critic Henry Hill for encouraging him to move out to California. "When I graduated, I spent six months in the ROTC, and then I took a military flight out to California. Henry was a wonderful mentor to me. He couldn't hire me, but he helped me make connections and launch my career. I'll never forget his influence. I'm forever grateful to him," shared Gensler.

Beyond the countless projects and extensive design portfolio Art Gensler was committed to fostering a "one-firm firm" culture. In an Instagram post shared by the firm they expressed, "his gift to the firm was not a vision for what it could be, but rather an ethos that allowed it to grow and prosper against all odds. That ethos was distinguished by a belief in collaboration, support of design education and career advancement, respect for individuals, dedication to clients, and endorsement of sustainable design [...] Art embodied core values of mutual trust, respect, empathy, and team spirit and nurtured a collaborative culture that continues today."