HiP Awards > People > Designer: HiP Workplace Rising Star

Photo: Courtesy of Gensler

As a Design Director at Gensler, Arielle Levy exemplifies compassion in action — using design to create inclusive spaces that promote dignity, opportunity, and human connection. A sought-after design champion for creative class clients who are looking for something tailor-made and unexpected, Arielle has designed innovative workspaces for top-tier creative clients including Google, Vox Media, Adidas, Deloitte Digital, Campari, and Etsy. For over a decade, Arielle and her tech-focused studio has led Etsy’s Future-of-Work vision—from the 200,000-square-foot Brooklyn headquarters, New York’s first Living Building Challenge Petal-Certified project, to the newest office in Dublin. Every location feels unmistakably Etsy, brimming with authenticity, personality, and the maker spirit that defines the brand. Arielle’s recent work on the Best Buy Teen Tech Center on the Lower East Side is a powerful example of her approach to compassionate design. Working with the Grand St. Settlement, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting low-income New Yorkers, she transformed this space from a local café and pandemic resource center into a safe, inspiring hub where youth find mentorship and a sense of belonging. In collaboration with the community, educators, students, and makerspace partners, Arielle helped bring together a vision for the Teen Tech Center that reflects the voices of the community it serves and impacts. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including Interior Design, Architectural Record, Fast Company, and The Washington Post, and The New York Times and has won awards including NYCxDesign, Best of Year, Crain’s New York Coolest Workplace, and AIA COTE Top 10, underscoring Arielle’s talent for crafting memorable, thoughtful and beautifully designed spaces. In addition, to her award-winning project work, Arielle is an artist and craftsperson who enjoys working with her hands, including letterpress greeting cards and macrame. A graduate of Cornell University, Arielle is LEED GA and NCIDQ Certified.