Squeezing in just under maximum occupancy, GGLO’s staff filled the Big Picture's screening room to bursting. The afternoon passed quickly as Managing Principal and Master of Ceremonies, Jeff Foster, led the audience on a journey through GGLO's history, present and future. It was apparent from the beginning that this firm, born from the ambitions of four young architects, has stayed true to its core spirit and values. For over 26 years GGLO has proven that good design is synonymous with smart design. With enthusiastic (and lyrical, and hilarious!) participation, project teams demonstrated that beauty and economic, social and environmental viability are not mutually exclusive, but are instead mutually supportive.
Project team presentations ranged from heartfelt project descriptions to detailed stories. The most popular theme for the night was haiku. Hip-hop and Seussian rhyme were also popular formats. With sunglasses on and an intense amount of street attitude, Chris Libby and team delivered a stirring hip hop anthem about downtown’s Via6. Bill Gaylord led a spoken word poetry ode to the U District’s CURVe project while Alan Grainger walked staff through the immense beneficial impact that the renaissance of Yesler Terrace will have on the city of Seattle.
And we spoke of our aspirations. From the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict to our joint-study on Transit Oriented Communities, GGLO is setting the bar ever higher in the design world and beyond. We're not just designing buildings - our staff's diverse talents and interests are not constrained to the realm of the built environment. We reach deep into our neighborhoods and communities. We design for the human experience. Here's to another 26 years!