Boomerang Coffee Table by Morocco M Branting, Branting Design; Photograph courtesy of Morocco M Branting
GRAY Media announces the student design finalists for the 7th Annual GRAY Awards.
SEATTLE, January 3, 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 held 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 - STUDENT DESIGN
Audrey Tulip Chair by Jeremy Rothman Salesin
Photograph courtesy of Jeremy Rothman Salesin
This chair was designed and built by Jeremy Rothman Salesin, a graduate student in the Master of Architecture Program in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, Seattle. The work was performed as part of Rothman Salesin’s participation in the Scan Design Furniture Studio in the Spring of 2023. He began with two goals: first, to design and construct a chair which could be used at a seated desk as well as at a standing-height drafting table, and second, to learn as many new fabrication techniques as possible in the course of building the chair.
The design began with hand sketches, progressed through several small-scale models, and then moved into fabrication of a full-size prototype. The chair seat is constructed of solid cherry while the back and armrest petals are layers of cherry and oak veneers. The number of layers of veneer varies from up to 25 layers at the base to as few as 14 at the tips, allowing the petals to flex without breaking. The wood is then finished with a commercially available, zero VOC product containing boiled linseed oil and varnish resin. Steel, red brass pipe, and silicon bronze complete the chair's base.
Boomerang Coffee Table by Morocco M Branting, Branting Design
Photograph courtesy of Morocco M Branting
The Boomerang Coffee Table is the third commission by Branting Design, a design studio founded by Morocco Branting, Master of Architecture candidate at University of Washington, Seattle. The conceptual discussion centered on a mid-century to 70's design aesthetic with at least one table surface. The scale of the project was determined by the dimensions of the client's living room furnishings to ensure it would enhance the look and function of their living room without impeding movement, a shortcoming the client noted of their existing table. The latter point also informed the boomerang legs which are pulled in to allow the foot to easily swing around vs. a corner leg (the client's dog also approves). The white melamine tops were made of salvage material provided by a local architectural firm, saving on cost while also diverting it from a landfill.
Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center by Idaho Design Build - University of Idaho
Photograph by Matt Weigand
The Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, located in the heart of the city’s historic downtown, plays a vital role in bringing maximum commerce and community together. Unfortunately, the organization’s existing building was not effectively facilitating this role. Instead it was a mishmash of past uses, dating back to the 1920s, ranging from a utility company, to private offices, to a bank.
Here, Idaho Design Build - an outreach studio within the Architecture Department at the University of Idaho - partnered with the Chamber to renovate the 3,150 sf building interior and create an inviting protected secondary entry. The Chamber needed a place to host events, welcome visitors, and display unique aspects of Moscow’s diverse culture to new audiences. The renovated facility better aligns visitor and staff experience with the organization’s core mission.
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:
