Sheryl Schulze, NCIDQ, RID
Co-Managing Director, Principal, Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Leader
Sheryl is a Principal and Co-Managing Director of Gensler Columbus. With 40 years of experience, she is widely recognized for leading award-winning building transformation projects including The Old Chicago Post Office, The Mart, and The Book Depository, in Detroit. As she spearheads Gensler's growing presence in Ohio, she brings her deep knowledge of design strategies focused on place, brand, sustainability, and repositioning to the region.
Sheryl works closely with clients and developers to understand their goals and vision, tapping into the firm's ongoing research and multipronged expertise to define detailed design solutions. Her previous experience at Gensler includes leading a dynamic studio, managing strong client relationships, and guiding the successful delivery of numerous projects in Chicago and around the Midwest. Sheryl's insights on stranded assets and building conversions are frequently shared by real estate and design platforms, regionally and nationally. She is an active member of Urban Land Institute's Redevelopment and Reuse Product Council and recently served as the Chicago Board Chair of Humble Design, a nonprofit that transforms empty dwellings into homes for individuals, families and veterans transitioning out of homelessness.
Speaking at
Wed Oct 30
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time
Resorts World Las Vegas - Level 2, Blossom ABC
CBD to TBD: Broadening the Conversation and Reimagining Our Cities
Category
Mixed-Use
With falling office property values, soaring housing costs, and the ever-growing climate crisis, repurposing vacant office buildings in central business districts into vital residential units seems like the solution everyone is seeking. However, not all office buildings are ripe for conversion into residential units. Recent studies have found that roughly 10 to 25 percent of office assets prove physically feasible for residential conversion. In the face of this challenge, how might we envision alternative uses for these properties? How can we not only breathe new life into underutilized buildings, to ensure the vibrancy of our central business districts, but seize this as an opportunity to support equity and resiliency of our urban landscapes, all while aligning with the financial imperatives of lenders, developers, and landlords? This is not just a question of innovation—it's a policy and design challenge to reimagine our cities for a sustainable future.