Meg Lubaszka is an architectural specifications writer (specifier) at Gensler’s Los Angeles office. She produces Project Manuals that contain requirements for the systems, materials and products of the building. This is a text document that describes the design team’s selections with technical and quality assurance needs.
Meg Lubaszka served as a Regional Creative Media Leader at Gensler, the largest architectural firm in the world. Meg has been instrumental in incorporating Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality into Gensler’s daily architectural practice, working both on the development side of VR/AR applications and the socialization and user experience side of the technology. She wrote a weekly newsletter called Reality Check that identified trends in VR/AR and co-hosted weekly VR Jams in which architects from any Gensler office came together as avatars in the same 3d model for a “virtual site walk” with the building’s design team. Meg has guided over 3,000 people through their first Virtual Reality experience. She has lectured all over the world, at events such as the AR VR World Summit in London and the Augmented World Expo in Munich.
Meg holds a B.Arch and M.Arch from the Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans and worked as an architectural designer of retail stores, shopping centers, banks, international theme parks & mixed use projects. She is a LEED AP through the US Green Building Council and an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the World Future Society, and serves on the long-range planning committee of the Los Angeles chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute. In her free time, Meg serves on the Board of the Inception Orchestra, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, that is changing the face of music education through teaching original composition.
Design work has been exhibited at the Museum of Finnish Architecture, the Royal Academy of Copenhagen, the University of Aarhus, and the Ogden Annex in New Orleans.
Writing published in Mad Men Unbuttoned: A Romp Through 1960s America, by Natasha Vargas-Cooper, Harper Collins, July 2010
Undergraduate architectural design work published in URBANBuild: Local_global by Ila Berman and Mona El Khaff, William Stout Publisher, November 2009
Architectural drawings published in Finnish Summer Houses by Jari and Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen, Princeton Architectural Press, 2008
Watch a video interview with Meg from London Tech Week’s AR VR World Summit.
Watch Meg on a panel at Gnomon School during the American Society of Architectural Illustrator’s annual conference “Architecture in Perspective.”
Watch a video interview from SAP with Meg about the future of AR and VR.
Watch Meg on a panel at the Enterprise Wearable Technology Summit.
Watch Meg’s talk at the Augmented World Expo – Europe.
Read the Metroplis article about Gensler’s VR Jams.
Listen to the VR Scout podcast where Meg discusses immersive applications for Architecture and Real Estate.
Upcoming Events:
Past Events:
Wearables Panel Discussion
Interior Design Show 2020 – Toronto, Canada
January 16, 2020
Architects and interior designers have created places for thousands of years, but their role as technologists has never been more important. The digital and physical are now intertwined as practitioners learn to integrate new technologies like Augmented and Virtual Reality, the Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence. The Spatial Computing age is here and designers need to adapt to stay relevant and usher in this new era of change.
Disruptive Technologies in Design: An Introduction
Interior Design Show 2020 – Toronto, Canada
January 16, 2020
You’ve heard of AI, seen the VR headsets and AR filters, and know that 5G technology is coming – but what will be their impact on your work? These technologies are already beginning to disrupt multiple verticals and industries, and design is no exception.
Immersive Architecture: AR, VR, AI and the Future of Spatial Computing
Santa Monica City College Speaker Series – Santa Monica, California
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Architects have created places for thousands of years. The digital and physical are now intertwined as designers learn to integrate new technologies like Augmented and Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. How are architects using these new tools and what will our world look like as we inhabit this blended realm?
The Next Generation of AR/MR-Transforming Digital Interactions; Content, Devices, Platforms
Digital Hollywood Fall – Skirball Center, Los Angeles, California
Tuesday November 12, 2019
12:00PM -1:00PM
Panel discussion on Augmented and Mixed Reality.
How Immersive Technology Impacts and Shapes Our Future
Wonder Women Tech – Long Beach Convention Center, California
Thursday, November 7, 2019
5PM-5:30PM
Panel discussion on Augmented and Mixed Reality.
AR, VR, AI and the Future of Spatial Computing
Augmented World Expo – MOC, Munich Germany
October 18
11:30 am -12pm
Architects have created places for thousands of years. The digital and phyiscal are now intertwined as designers learn to integrate new technologies like Augemented and Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. How are architects using these new tools and what will our world look like as we inhabit this blended realm?
Virtual and augmented reality are visualization tools that are shaping consumer facing experiences at retail and beyond. Today’s design firms and brands should have the ability to speak about VR/AR with as much knowledge as they do elevations and finishes. Yet, many firms are struggling with understanding how to capitalize and position themselves solidly in this arena. In this hands-on pre-conference session, Meg and Brian Dyches, partner at REX, will outline the top trends in each discipline and how leading firms are setting up departments to take advantage of these visualization opportunities.
AWE Nite LA: AR Cloud, Collaboration, and Convergence – Phase Two, Los Angeles, California
Monday, September 23, 2019
Frontier technologies like the AR Cloud are so complex and evolving so rapidly, that a new form of ‘collaboration’ will be demanded. The impact on society will become so vast that teams will need to expand beyond business, technology, and design leaders to include the likes of sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, and ethics professionals. As the digital interface of the web moves out into the physical world, it will no longer belong to the traditional production team but will depend on the inclusion of architects, city planners, construction workers, data scientists, 3D artists, health professionals, and many more–collaboration will give way to the need for a symbiotic interdependence.
Join our eclectic panel of experts that are currently working to make the AR Cloud / Metaverse / Spatial Web 3.0 a reality. They will share their current projects and discuss the vital need for diverse symbiosis and interdependence among an astounding range of professionals to build a future that is inclusive and works for the benefit of all.
Design and Visualization
EWTS – Enterprise Wearable Technology Summit – Sheraton, Dallas, Texas
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Leading end users discuss how they’re leveraging AR/VR & wearables to:
- Improve design processes
- Improve communication and prevent rework
- Collaborate remotely with team members & stakeholders
- Gain key insights from 3D asset visualization
Architecture case study: AR/VR and the importance of visualising space
AR VR World Summit – London Tech Week – ExCel London, UK
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
16:40 – 17:00
- Understanding the importance of visualisation for architecture in articulating significant and complex designs.
- What advancements in AR and VR will aid immersive technology as a design tool – and how to implement into the business structure
- Facilitating buy-in: Learn how immersive environment becomes both a b2c and b2b asset for showcasing design.
- Recognising ARVR as a tool for enhancing human creativity in design and revealing new possibilities through workplace experimentation in immersive environments
Making Headway with Headset Devices: Which One Works for Your Business Model?
AR VR World Summit – London Tech Week – ExCel London, UK
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
14:30 – 15:10
- AR/VR/MR: which headsets are most effective for training, monitoring, maintenance and design?
- What capacity changes are expected within headset devices over the next two years, and how will they converge with other disruptive technologies?
- Is 5G enabled a must? Consider their working environments and who will be utilizing their technologies.
Reimagining Retail with Insights from the Experience Index
Infocomm Center Stage Orlando, Florida
Friday, June 14, 2019
What makes a retail experience great? Gensler’s Experience Index is the result of a multiyear, mixed-methods research effort to gain a holistic understanding of what makes a great experience and the impact of design on experience. Our findings show that, far from the ‘death of retail’ predicted, we are in a new age of commerce and because of this we must reimagine our view of the traditional retail store. We’ll discuss why consumers gravitate to some stores and brands over others, and recommend specific design strategies retailers can implement to improve the customer experience. We’ll also share stories and images from some of the best retail projects to connect the research directly to real-world examples.
How Might We Make Retail More Responsive to People?
Infocomm Center Stage, Orlando Florida