High Five: Meet Ken Sanders, CIO Of GenslerHigh Five: Meet Ken Sanders, CIO Of Gensler

Photograph by Jeffery Newbury

1

LIGHTER FLUID
A licensed architect out of the University of California at Berkeley program, Sanders realized early on that he had a technology aptitude, and he gravitated to the IT side of the industry. As a bridge between the creative and technical parts of the craft, he sees his role as giving designers tools that they'll apply in ways he never considered: "I'm sort of lighter fluid."

2

JUST-IN-TIME TRAINING
Gensler will train 1,500 to 2,000 people on Revit over about two years. Sanders' rule: Use the software immediately after the three-day training. "They need to sit down the very next hour and start on a project using 3-D modeling."

3

HUMBLED BY NATURE
Sanders tries to climb a volcano every year. Beyond the physical challenge and joy of the outdoors, being on a volcano offers a humbling experience in which to "reconsider your place on the planet, being on this remnant of the creation of the planet that's still smoking and breathing." He's hiked up Mounts Rainier and Hood, among others.

4

ECO ADVANTAGE
Gensler is known for designing energy-friendly buildings, from an auto dealership to government buildings certified as "green." 3-D technology should help that cause, Sanders says, by letting designers assess a building's sustainability earlier in the process, when it's easiest to make changes.

5

GREEN, MOSTLY
Sanders doesn't own a car. Living in San Francisco, he walks or takes the trolley to work, and he owns a motorcycle. "It's sort of a low-carbon-footprint lifestyle--if not for all the air travel I consume."