2018 Emerging Architect Award - goCstudio

Seattle-based goCstudio has received the 2018 Emerging Architect Award from the Northwest and Pacific Region Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This award recognizes emerging firms that are less than ten years old and that are challenging traditional perceptions and methods of architecture.

The AIA Northwest and Pacific Region (NWPR) includes the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Hawaii, and the territory of Guam. goCstudio’s floating sauna project, which could be seen occasionally on Lake Union, had also won a 2016 National AIA Small Projects Award. 

In recognizing the studio for the Emerging Firm Award, the jury noted, “goCstudio’s submittal was phenomenal. Their projects have a sophisticated yet thoughtful and restrained material palette. The studio has completed a wide range of very imaginative projects in a relatively short firm life.”

Since co-founding goCstudio in 2012, Jon Gentry, AIA, and Aimée O’Carroll, ARB, have been deeply involved in the design and management of every project at the firm. “We are honored to receive this recognition from the AIA,” noted Gentry. “We’ve packed a lot of work into a short amount of time. Reflecting on the early years of our studio, it seems that some of the greatest rewards in our work have come from taking the greatest risk. Our self initiated projects—whether formal conceptual competition entries or weekend design/build projects like the floating sauna—have expanded the depth of our work and the connectedness of our studio with our community in ways far beyond what we could have expected. This recognition from the AIA is incentive for us to continue seeking out risk taking projects and clients, and to follow through on those wild, unlikely ideas that require the most heart and dedication,” adds Gentry.