Tangram by JG Neukomm Architecture; Photograph by S. Frances
GRAY Media announces the breakout category, health & wellness finalists for the 7th Annual GRAY Awards.
SEATTLE, January 25, 2024 — Now in its 7th year, GRAY Awards — the international cross-disciplinary design awards program — continues to recognize the outstanding work happening around the world. Finalists have been selected in the fields of ARCHITECTURE, INTERIORS, LANDSCAPE, and PRODUCT DESIGN.
JUDGES CATEGORIES
Designers and manufacturers were invited to submit their projects in nine judges categories plus an editors’ pick Design for Good category. An esteemed panel of international design luminaries will select a winner in each of the initial nine categories. The winning designers will receive print and digital recognition as well as a custom designed trophy by acclaimed glass artist John Hogan.
GRAY CATEGORIES
GRAY encourages designers and manufacturers to create "Design for Good" projects —projects that have made a positive impact through design on a humanitarian, community, or environmental issue — and offers an award dedicated to these works each year.
In 2020, when the GRAY Awards expanded from a regional to international program, GRAY added a Legacy Award dedicated exclusively to a Pacific Northwest-based designer's lifetime achievement, honoring the region where GRAY began and the home to the GRAY Awards Parties. GRAY will name the next Legacy at the Party.
BREAKOUT CATEGORIES
Newly introduced at the 6th annual GRAY Awards last year, GRAY added several Breakout Categories, opening up opportunities to win GRAY Awards in micro-categories from Kitchens to Collaborations.
All winners will be announced at the GRAY Awards Party in Seattle in March, 2024. The party is one of the most highly anticipated design bashes of the year, where all guests are treated like winners.
To purchase tickets, visit the 7th annual GRAY Awards Party page.
JUDGES
It is our privilege each year to welcome an international group of distinguished creatives to the GRAY Awards judging panel. Each working at the top of their game, these professionals now focus a discerning eye on determining the winners of the coveted GRAY Awards trophies.
7th annual GRAY Awards judging panel: Lee Broom, Brigitte Shim, Alessandro Munge, Silvia Tcherassi, Stephen Burks
FINALISTS - BREAKOUT CATEGORY, HEALTH & WELLNESS
Photograph by Burling Photography
Treat is a whole-health lifestyle brand, pioneering a new category of travel, health and wellness. This project was the first physical retail location for the new brand. Customers can shop for premium travel retail, schedule health services like travel anxiety care, or book wellness rooms for yoga, fitness, or meditation. This physical retail experience is connected to the Treat app where members have access to 24/7 medical care, their health passport, travel/health/wellness resources and blogs, and an online retail experience.
The primary design challenge for developing the new Treat retail concept, was figuring out the best way to combine retail space with health treatment rooms and wellness rooms – all in one very tight space. Design Well Spent Company created two room types for these two main service offerings.
As health rooms had exam room-type requirements, but could not feel like a doctor’s office, the designers prioritized a hospitality feel and included thoughtful elements such as places to tuck away a roller bag, hang a coat, and charge a phone during an appointment. Wellness room services were the least defined, so they designed a folding bench that could be lowered for guided meditation or folded up to make room for a yoga or fitness experience.
The retail space needed to be small, yet impactful, to draw new customers in as they shuffle by to their next flight. The chosen material palette is layered, textured and warm with the use of tiles, plaster-like wall coverings, fabrics, and colors like rose beige, brown, and bronze – a beacon of warmth in contrast to surrounding retail.
Photograph by Michael Wells
Nestled in the heart of Beverly Hills, the Diamond Face Institute welcomes clients looking to celebrate and enhance their beauty with an artist’s touch. A satellite office to their penthouse location, this space offers a haven from everyday stresses and invites people to relax in this flawless and harmonious space. It conveys the institute’s focus on overall well-being while encompassing physical, mental, and aesthetic health.
The Diamond Face Institute began the design process looking for additional office space that had its own identity from their current office and was equally elevated in experience. The space they selected was a dated, cramped child psychiatrists’ office with little natural light and a long narrow layout. When bringing in an architect, they knew they needed a complete transformation with an elevated design in a lightning-fast timeframe to support their growing success.
The Architect began on a design that was not just an office, but a place that embodied the Diamond Institute’s focus on health, well-being, artistry, and purpose while also conveying their meticulous cleanliness, and professional approach. The design evolved into a harmonious balance between modernity and tranquility, offering clients a luxurious and serene sanctuary. It embraced soft curves to evoke a smooth, luxurious experience that draws people in and is reminiscent of the curvature of the human form. It is designed with a modern and luxurious aesthetic featuring sleek curving lines and a minimalist approach.
Photograph by S. Frances
Tangram, F&T’s mega development in Queens, NY is a fitness area that serves both the hotel and the residences. As such, this project had numerous complexities to resolve in its location, access, and adjacencies. Poised above the complex’s elevated garden space, the fitness area enjoys the benefit of natural light, but is far enough away from the hotel rooms and residences to feel like a private space.
Designs for amenity pools can often feel like an afterthought, having harsh lighting and acoustics not conducive to a calming or pleasing experience. Given these concerns, JG Neukomm Architecture's mission was to devise an aesthetically pleasing space which would simultaneously alleviate these usual lighting and acoustic challenges. The result was the fan-shaped ceiling which allows for recessed and soft lighting, as well as a space for acoustic waves to be broken up. Lighting reflectivity on the water’s surface is minimized through ambient light coves, while an acoustic plaster solution was used for the flat surfaces, creating a peaceful getaway free from ambient distraction.
Photograph by Adam Rouse
The client for this small project on the valley floor in the heart of the Napa Valley wanted a detached retreat - a small oasis within the large existing property where they could disengage from the world. The architectural response to their request for sanctuary is a collection of spaces, comprising 1,000 square feet of conditioned interior space and 500 square feet of terraces, where they can go to rest, relax and recharge.
Inspired by the interconnectedness of traditional stone cairns, the team designed a collection of simple structures set quietly within the vineyard landscape. When viewed in plan, the series of small buildings, connected by pathways and covered terraces, indeed resembles a cairn. The organization of the plan, and the quiet and uncomplicated architectural language, exist in deference to the primary intention: form a sense of balance and calm within a supportive space devoted to wellbeing. The five structures house a massage area, steam room, sauna, changing area and guest suite.
Photograph courtesy of Valley Bath and Kitchen
The creation of Valley’s OFURO freestanding bath was influenced by the compact soakers traditionally introduced in Japan. Culturally, these are meant to be an oasis of relaxation and this is exactly what the OFURO offers. The bath is fabricated from high gloss, crack-resistant acrylic and includes an integral slotted overflow and pop-up drain, while incorporated seating creates a comfortable and peaceful bathing experience.
7th Annual GRAY Awards finalists' announcements began December 18, 2023 and will continue to publish daily until all categories have been announced. For more information, visit our GRAY Awards Party page.
Thank you to our 7th annual GRAY Awards sponsors and industry partners:
