Other trends became evident this year. The jurors reviewed 164 applications, honing that list down to about twenty comprised of the winners and finalists, all of which were visited by members of the jury. While winning projects are not necessarily offices, this year the majority were—11 of the 18 finalists. One important theme among winners was the role of community in the workplace. This sense of community is evident in the emphasis on horizontal organization, where segregation and hierarchy are minimized and employee empowerment and lifestyle enhancement is on the rise. Juror Cathy Simon remarked that "in a world where more and more employees can work independently, the need for community is ever stronger. Every project is about visibility and transparency, which is also a metaphor for the companies that built these buildings. It seems to me a wonderful affirmation about the need that people as social creatures have to come together, now more than ever."

Branding was often at the forefront of winning projects. On this topic, Robert Vanech remarked: "It isn't one size fits all but each project captured something special—like Allsteel, which captured an honest Midwest manufacturing environment." And what made the winners stand apart this year? In Toshiko Mori words, it was "the degree of aspiration that both client and architect displayed and the risk they shared; they actually dreamt a dream and shared a vision; they became personally accountable, took chances, made a commitment." The winners, as if by sheer force of nature, rose to the top effortlessly. Coverage of winners, finalists, and the unbuilt award winners follows.