West 2nd Street Project and Downtown Development

Ed Friedrichs completed his undergraduate degree in pre-architecture at Stanford University in 1965 and received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968.  He joined Gensler in San Francisco in 1969 (at that time with 20 people; now the largest and most respected architecture, design and planning firm in the world), opening the firm’s Los Angeles office in 1976. In 1995 he was appointed President and, in 2000, Chief Executive Officer of the firm, leading its development as one of the most successful and influential design firms in the world, growing the firm from 7 offices in 8 cities, primarily in the US, to 25 offices and 2,400 people around the world when he retired from Gensler in 2003.  Two of his protégés, Andy Cohen and Diane Hoskins, lead the firm today, growing it to 44 offices and over 3,500 people in all parts of the world.

Ed completed a book on leading a Creative enterprise titled Long-Cycle Strategies for a Short-cycle World in 2004 and formed Friedrichs Group to work with architectural and engineering firms to guide them based on his experiences in leading Gensler.

Since moving to Reno in late 2014, he is working as a development partner on the West 2^nd District, led by the Don J Clark Group (www.west2nddistrict.com).

He is a co-chair of the Reno Streetcar Coalition, which is providing leadership to construct a streetcar line connecting the University of Nevada Reno with downtown, mid-town and the convention center along Virginia Street. 

Ed is also a member of the Northern Nevada Network.