Gensler appointed a new co-managing director of its office in Washington, D.C., ahead of one of the current leaders stepping into another role. The move comes as architecture and design firms contend with a challenging market in the region and across the country.
JJ Rivers is taking on the position in April to help lead a team of 300 architects, designers and planners, Gensler said in a release.
Rivers will replace Francisco Gonzalez, who has held the role since 2018 but is set to formally become co-regional managing principal of Gensler's Southeast region in the spring. Rivers will manage the Gensler team at 2020 K St. NW alongside Kimberly Sullivan, who has helped lead the office since 2024.
"He brings a rare combination of design excellence, strategic thinking, and the ability to connect with clients in a meaningful way," Sullivan said in a statement on the appointment.
Rivers takes the reins as architecture firms work to build business in a slow market.
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index score for November, the latest available data, stood at 45.3. A score over 50 indicates billings growth, according to the American Institute of Architects and its AIA/Deltek index. November marked the 13th consecutive month of declining billings at architecture firms. The South region, which includes Washington, had a score of 46.
Looking ahead, the index found that increasing profitability remained the top business concern for architecture firms.
San Francisco-based Gensler said that sports-anchored mixed-use districts that drive economic development will be one of the top design trends this year in the Southeastern region. The firm's projects in the District include the redevelopment of Capital One Arena, as well as The Stacks mixed-use development that opened its first phase last year near Audi Field.
Currently a principal at Gensler, Rivers has been with the firm for more than a decade and holds master's degrees in architecture and real estate development from the University of Maryland.
Gensler has operated in Washington for 45 years, where its local team members "have led the expansion of the office's portfolio to include aviation, entertainment, hospitality, and sports projects in the DMV and around the globe," according to the firm.