Today, Gensler Design Director Meena Krenek speaks with Red Bull’s Southeast Vice President of Marketing Alastair Dickson. The two dissect the importance of ‘why’ — why Alastair was interested in the Red Bull brand in the first place, why Red Bull decided to move its new Southeast HQ into an abandoned warehouse in a burgeoning part of Atlanta, and why design is pivotal to cultivating customer experience and fostering a positive, productive workplace that inspires employees every day.
Alastair (“Al”) joined Red Bull 15 years ago, attracted to the brand’s energy and the excitement that encircled it. He started working for the company in San Francisco, then transferred back and forth between locations before coming finally to Atlanta.
In 2018, Gensler redesigned an abandoned warehouse into Red Bull’s new Southeast headquarters. Though the Red Bull team still buzzed with energy in its former space, the space itself was highly compartmentalized and often limited client interactions. A well-designed, more open space would facilitate higher quality work and day-to-day experiences for Red Bull employees while also serving as a strong tool to optimize recruitment and retention. Meena emphasizes the importance of getting to the bottom of what companies and their people want in order to transform spaces that will be effective long-term and truly fit their needs.
