Mr. Gray graduated from Franklin High school in Seattle Washington at the age of 16 in June of 1956,  after a summer of work driving a freight truck, unloading box cars, and after his 17th birthday he joined the United States Marine Corps for 6 months of basic and advance combat training.

After completing his 6 month obligation and knowing he needed to complete another 7 1/2 years of active reserve training he registered for College at the University of Washington in Seattle.

In the fall of 1960 Mr. Gray entered the school of Architecture at the University of Washington and graduated in 1964 at the same time he completed his reserve training and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.

The next 2 years were spent in Europe working for the Pritzker award winning architect Dr. Frei Otto, and traveling throughout Europe.

After being accepted into Graduate school with a teaching associate scholarship at Berkeley in 1967 and with a master’s degree in architecture in 1968 he began “building houses” in Seattle Washington where he opened his practice. “I thought architects built buildings”

Mr. Gray next moved in 1972, when the recession hit Seattle, to Sun Valley Idaho, where he built additional houses.

Gerald Weisbach, his faculty advisor at Berkeley, was the new dean at the school of architecture at USC in Los Angeles.  Mr. Gray was hired as an assistant professor and this began a 44 year career as an educator. He opened his Los Angeles practice in 1979 called David Lawrence Gray Architects, AIA.

He has taught at the following universities:

  • University of California Los Angeles

  • Southern California Institute of architecture

  • University of Southern California School of architecture

  • The University Of California School of environmental design at Berkeley California.

Mr. Grays honors include:

  • In vesture as a fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 1993

  • Recipient of the Albert C. Martin chair at the University of Southern California school of architecture in 2002

  • Multiple AIA honor awards including the restoration of the Sunset Towers.

  • Faculty office dedication at the University of Southern California school of architecture

  • Acknowledged in multiple books and magazines for design excellence

  • Founder of the Robert H. Timme architectural research Center at USC.

  • The Board of directors and executive committee of the Los Angeles Street car.

  • Trends top 50 Homes world wide 2013

His accomplishments include:

  • Ownership of multiple national historic buildings including the Maud and Crown hotel in Seattle and the Sunset Towers in Los Angeles

  • Restoration of over 500 units of historic adaptive reuse housing in down town Los Angeles.

  • Designed and physically built his first house in Seattle by himself on Superior Street.

  • Mr Gray has built projects in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Florida Colorado and California

  • Currently building his 9th house for himself and his wife Karen

Philosophy:

·       Building on a lifetime of architectural exploration David Lawrence Gray Architects seeks to define a timeless architecture through the use of concrete, glass and steel and to develop an expressive vocabulary by exploring their structural and tectonic relationships.

·       In addition Mr. Gray through his development Company Flatiron development LLC as attempted to design, build, own and manage critical pieces of architecture with the goal to influence the growth in emerging areas throughout the West Coast.

·       The firm’s most significant contributions were in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, the venerable neighborhood of Leschi in Seattle and the restoration of the Sunset Towers in a declining West Hollywood. In addition well over 500 units of residential adaptive reuse and his current office building on Broadway, the Grayson, in downtown Los Angeles.