Yeleen Beauty Makerspace
Gensler
BLACK BEAUTY BUSINESS INCUBATOR / MAKERSPACE
PROJECT OVERVIEW
A Creative Hub for Beauty Entrepreneurs
Yeleen Beauty Makerspace is a purpose-driven manufacturing and innovation space committed to transforming how beauty products are made, who gets to make them, and who benefits. Rooted in principles of design justice, economic equity, and community wellness, the project reimagines the beauty industry as an accessible and inclusive ecosystem.
Located in Ward 7 of Washington, DC, the makerspace serves as a launchpad for women- and minority-owned beauty brands, offering small-batch production, formulation labs, and educational programming. The design balances clean, modern industrial elements with warm, welcoming materials—creating an environment where creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship can thrive.
Where beauty meets business. Where community creates impact.
THE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT
Designing for Creativity and Access
Gensler’s design for Yeleen Beauty Makerspace centers on openness, flexibility, and intentionality—creating a space that supports both production and community engagement. The layout integrates manufacturing areas, collaborative workspaces, and learning environments, allowing entrepreneurs to move seamlessly between ideation, creation, and growth.
Natural materials, open circulation, and clean lines ground the space in both elegance and accessibility, reinforcing the mission of lowering barriers within the beauty industry. The design not only accommodates technical needs, but also fosters connection, mentorship, and shared experience.
Architecture as a platform for opportunity, equity, and growth.
ARTIST INTERPRETATION
Hands That Healh
“Hands That Heal” is a vibrant, tactile installation exploring beauty as a form of care, restoration, and empowerment. Through bold visual language and layered storytelling, the artists translate the mission of Yeleen Beauty Makerspace into an immersive experience centered on healing, identity, and collective growth.
Featuring expressive hand imagery, rich textures, and symbolic pattern work, the installation highlights the power of touch, self-care, and cultural pride. The work reflects the role of beauty not only as an industry, but as a tool for connection, resilience, and transformation within marginalized communities.
Through beauty, we heal.
Through community, we rise.
Through creation, we thrive.
THE COLLABORATION
Where Architecture and Art Intersect
The collaboration between Gensler and artists Christian Belton and B. Peppers Art transforms Yeleen Beauty Makerspace into a multidimensional narrative of care, creativity, and empowerment. Through this partnership, architecture and art come together to express how space can support healing, entrepreneurship, and cultural identity.
Rather than existing as separate disciplines, the architectural environment and artistic intervention work in dialogue—amplifying the mission of Yeleen Beauty to build inclusive pathways within the beauty industry and foster community-driven growth.
A shared vision—rooted in healing, expressed through design.
Yeleen Beauty Makerspace
PROJECT DETAILS
Black Beauty Business Incubator / Makerspace
FIRM
Gensler
ARTISTS
Christian Belton, B. Peppers Art
THEME
Community & Entrepreneurship
YEAR
2025