He is one of the most innovative independent brokers in town.
Last month, David Griffin, founder of the David Griffin & Company real estate firm, asked me to help judge his company’s first-ever Gingerbread House Contest.
“We will hold the event at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture on Routh Street, where there is plenty of space for our agent designers!” he wrote. “Three of our associates have degrees in architecture, so we’re expecting some tough competition! We’ve got invitations out to two well-known architects to be the other judges.”
The prize was $1000 to be donated to the charity of winner’s choice.
It turned out to be a Project Runway/Top Chef type competition as the contestants worked fingers to the bone gluing, pasting, frosting and decorating, all in an hour or two.
Judging was actually quite hard. Judges were Wilson Fuquay, Bang Dang (both prominent architects) and your’s truly. David and company gathered all the necessary ingredients for making gingerbread homes — surface board, Graham crackers, icing, Fruit Loops, stick pretzels, frosting (huge tubs which I had trouble keeping my finger out of), candy, gumdrops, the usual paraphernalia for creating such homes. Participants were asked to bring hot glue guns, extension cords, pastry bags and anything else creative.
Shortly after noon, the creators went to work. They were: Janelle Alcantara, Jack Cater, David Collier, Teresa Costa, Kim Dunbar, Lori Ericsson, David Griffin, Robert Kucharski, Jason Melton, Keith Merz, Chris Munoz, Marlis Rossetta, Anastasia Semos, Ali Stewart, Brandon Stewart, Bart Thrasher, and Casey Wileman. Judges were Wilson Fuquay, Bang Dang (both prominent architects) and your’s truly.
At one-forty-five p.m. the alarm went off Sheri Baer’s phone: time! Contestants walked their creations into the Judgement Room, and then left us three judges alone to scrutinize.
We ended up giving each house the “prize” of a name/title best suited to what the house depicted. Then we picked the winner. Or was it winners? Before I tell you, how about you judge the homes for yourself after the jump?
