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GAME. ON.
IF YOU’RE READING THIS, YOU’RE EITHER AT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DESIGN PARTY OF THE YEAR OR YOU’VE JUST MISSED IT! This issue—
and the winners of the inaugural GRAY Awards design competition—was unveiled at the first GRAY Awards party, held November 29 at the Sanctuary at the Mark, a newly renovated historic church–turned– grand ballroom in downtown Seattle designed in collaboration with Philippe Starck (his first project in the Pacific Northwest). Here we celebrate not just the winners but the entire Pacific Northwest design community. The winning projects were announced amid a glittering explosion of confetti as the judges personally lauded each exceptional project and the University of Washington marching band burst into the room and onto the stage stage to mark the grand reveal of this issue. Accompanied by their signature song, “Tequila,” we passed out a round of shots, and everyone pretended it wasn’t the middle of the week and we wouldn’t regret the inevitable hangover come morning. When we launched the awards program earlier this year, inviting regional design talent to throw their hats into the ring, we knew the competition would be tough—and it was. This issue gives you an up-close look at the incredible work that surfaced, all marked by the quality, ingenuity, and sheer beauty characteristic of the Pacific Northwest itself. We begin with 16 favorite projects earmarked by our editors and then move on to showcase the winning entries selected by our all-star panel of judges: Deborah Berke, Roman Alonso and Steven Johanknecht of Commune, James Corner, Olivia Kim, Ingo Maurer, Karim Rashid, Philippe Starck, and Vicente Wolf.
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On behalf of the entire GRAY Awards team, I offer big thank-yous to our sponsors, partners, volunteers, the team at Daniels Real Estate (especially Kevin Daniels, Tawny Paperd, and celebrated chef Gavin Stephenson), all of whom went above and beyond to make the event possible. Thanks also go to our judges for their time and their commitment to the arduous task of selecting just one winner per category. GRAY is very proud of the work being done in this region. Our gratitude to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the 2017 winners! —— The arrival of this issue also marks our anniversary: GRAY has enjoyed thirty-seven issues and six magnificent years in the game. Our entire team works hard and laughs hard—making the best memories—and are as dedicated as ever to our charge of raising the design profile of the Pacific Northwest. Our anniversary is a sweet reminder that we are living the dream, surrounded by exceptional talent within GRAY itself and among the design community. We are blessed and immensely humbled by the groundbreaking designers we have come to know and celebrate. xo, Shawn Williams,
CEO/Founder + Publisher
P.S.: CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FROM THE PARTY AT GRAYAWARDS.COM