design forecast

RETAIL CENTERS
September 2017
“What is the city
but with people”

Shakespeare 1623
design forecast

The consequential issues around design and

placemaking in retail centers today are not
related to style, rather they relate to performance
in light of the human condition and a global
movement towards unity.
 Even with the
increasingly powerful
social sphere of
technology of virtual
connectedness, we are
witnessing a dramatic
rise in single occupant
homes and more
people reporting to be
lonely.

40%
of adults report being lonely, and
our social networks are a third
smaller

25% of U.S. homes have just one

occupant.
 In this lonelier more
divided world,
developers are
pressured to create
new concepts to
restore our sense
of closeness and
community.

We value happiness most

10

HAPPINESS WEALTH LOVE HEALTH

Riveroaks - Houston, TX
The next generation retail center will
be a brave new model, a hybridized
development focused on the art &
science of destination, to repair the
damage of cultural and physical
disconnections from past decades.

Westfield Century City - Los Angeles, CA

the art &
science of
1 essence of
destination
enagement
using the power of
design, a new hybrid
model of retail centers
will emerge by using

2
these strategies:

community
enrichment
1
essence of enagement
designing time
senses that matter
cultural expression
safety first
attention saving

Westfield Rosevile - Roseville, CA

designing
time
Cinematically script the
entire experience focused
on every touchpoint from
whenever and wherever
the customer wants to
start and end.

COEX - Seoul Korea

senses that
27%
matter 84% TASTE
A holistic approach VISION
to multi-sensory

36%
engagement that is
as beautiful as it is

79%
immersive, haptic, sonic,
and escapist. SMELL
Senses important to the
TOUCH
We spend an average of almost 9 hours
each day on electronic devices, which plays shopping experience
havoc with our body’s sensory system. Our
senses are designed to work together, that’s

32%
how we learn best. That’s why we’re now
craving beautiful, harmonised multisensory
experiences in the real world. It’s our body’s
way of restoring the balance.
HEARING
La Paz - Malibu, CA
 cultural
expression
galvanize customer
engagement by
organically representing
the host city’s persona
and psyche.

peony is the state flower and Jade is the

favored precious stone in Luoyang. both
inspired the integration in the CP Luoyang
design.

CP Luoyang - Luoyang, China COEX - Seoul Korea

safety first
space drives human
behavior. reduce
friction and erradicate
pain points through
intuitive wayfinding,
simple technology, and
predictive personal
services. Help able to
predict what is next with
certainty.

Working with the MIT Media Lab -

Streetscore group, the new Hub on
Causeway project raised the percived public
safety level ranking from 0.8 to 7.8 out of
10.
Hub on Causeway - Boston, MA
 attention
saving
Innovative, content
-driven centers about
performance, education,
work, and great coffee
– with longer lifespans
than ‘pop-ups’ – can
bring people together
and seize attention.

(lack of) attention span

millennials Gen Z

12 8
seconds seconds
uptown station - oakland, CA
2
community enrichment
purpose & mission
create traditions
initiate connections

Avenues - Kuwait, UAE

Purpose &
Mission
it is about heart share,
not market share.
connect the center to
the need of leaving
something behind that
makes this a better
world.

Taikang- Beijing, China

initiate
connections
create communal spaces
deciated to the idea of
inclusionary prosperity to
monetize the art of
conversation.

Domain - Houston, TX
establish
traditions
institute a year-round,
daypart agenda of
signature events that will
patina in the minds of
your community.
At Gensler, our mission is
to design vibrant places
where people want to
engage, and feel a sense
of community.
Bamboo Plaza - Wuhan, China
We operate with the
belief that design has a
fundamental role in
shaping extraordinary
experiences.
3 Worlds - Wuhan, China