David Briefel

David Briefel is Sustainability Director and Climate Action Practice Leader at Gensler, driving industry transformation through both built work and systems change. 

His portfolio includes the Etsy Headquarters—New York City’s first and largest Living Building Challenge (LBC) Materials Petal project—and the LEED Platinum Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, both of which were honored with AIA COTE Top Ten Awards. His work on Google’s NYC headquarters at St. John’s Terminal earned ILFI Zero Carbon Ready and LEED Platinum status. 

Beyond individual projects, Briefel helped develop Gensler’s Product Sustainability (GPS) standards, which define environmental criteria for materials across hundreds of projects globally, moving the market toward more regenerative choices. His research on embodied carbon and data-driven design has informed policy, practice, and education across the field. Briefel also mentors the next generation of climate-minded designers through Gensler’s training programs and as a guest lecturer at FIT and Pratt.