Architect Tom Kundig to Be Featured at Toto Gallery MA in Tokyo

Seattle-based <a href="http://www.olsonkundigarchitects.com">Olson Kundig Architects</a> has created a remarkable body of work in the world of sustainable architecture. Founded in the late 1960's, the architecture firm has focused on exploring the relationship between dwellings and the landscape in each and every one of their designs. Their structures form natural extensions to the preexisting site, and each design gesture is grounded in two simple ideas: that buildings can serve as a bridge between nature, culture and people, and that inspiring surroundings have a positive effect on people’s lives. We are pleased to announce that <a href="http://www.olsonkundigarchitects.com/About/Leadership/TomKundig">Tom Kundig </a>will be the sole North American representative in <a href="http://www.toto.co.jp/gallerma/index.htm">Toto Gallery MA’s</a> “Global Ends – Towards the Beginning,” a thought-provoking exhibit featuring seven architects who have refused to subscribe to the currents of uniform globalism, and instead have developed design practices that are rooted in local regions, cultures, and environments. Jump ahead for a look into some of Tom Kundig’s featured projects, which are every bit as stunning as they are sustainable.

Chicken Point Cabin The idea for this cabin is that of a lakeside shelter in the woods — a little box with a big window that opens to the surrounding landscape.

Chicken Point Cabin The cabin’s large window-wall (30 feet by 20 feet) opens the entire living space to the forest and lake. Materials are low maintenance — concrete block, steel, concrete floors and plywood — in keeping with the notion of a cabin, and left unfinished to naturally age and acquire a patina that fits in with the natural setting. The cabin sleeps ten.

Delta Shelter <p> This 1,000 square-foot weekend cabin, basically a steel box on stilts, can be completely shuttered when the owner is away.

Delta Shelter <p> The 20’ x 20’ square footprint rises three stories and is topped by the living room/kitchen. Large, 10’ x 18’ steel shutters can be closed simultaneously using a hand crank.

Delta Shelter <p> The cabin is situated near a river in a floodplain, withing an incredible landscape of tall trees and open, natural space.

Montecito Residence <p> The Montecito Residence is a single-family home set in the fire-prone Toro Canyon. The owners wanted a house that minimized its use of scarce natural resources and recognized the challenging environmental conditions of the area. The design solution is a structure that functions as an umbrella to shield the house from the sun and allows cool offshore breezes to move through the space.

Montecito Residence <p> The house is made of simple, fire-resistant materials. Steel will be allowed to oxidize and concrete will be toned to allow the house to blend into the landscape.

The Outpost <p> Set in the remote, harsh, high desert landscape of Idaho, Outpost is a residence and studio/workshop for making and displaying art. An important aspect of the complex is the protected “paradise garden,” which is separated from the wild landscape by thick concrete walls.

The Outpost The materials used in the structure, including concrete blocks, car decking, and plywood, require little or no maintenance, and are capable of withstanding the extreme weather conditions that characterize the desert’s four seasons.

Rolling Huts Responding to the owner’s need for flexible space for visiting friends and family, the Rolling Huts strike several steps above camping, while remaining low-tech and low-impact in their design. The huts sit lightly on the site, a flood plain meadow in an alpine river valley. The owner purchased the site, formerly a RV campground, with the aim of allowing the landscape return to its natural state. The wheels lift the structures above the meadow, providing an unobstructed view into nature and the prospect of the surrounding mountains.

Rolling Huts <p> The huts are grouped as a herd: while each is sited with a view of the mountains (and away from the other structures), their proximity unites them. They evoke Thoreau’s simple cabin in the woods; the structures take second place to nature.

Studio House A combination home and photographer’s studio, the project is an exploration of memories and their potential to resonate over time. Remnant landscape elements, building geometries, and materials from the previous home on the site reappear in the new building. These fragments act as artifacts that recall earlier times. The two-story living room/studio has a curved roof that serves as a large reflector for diffusing natural and artificial light. Details, such as the stairs, fireplace, light fixtures and hardware, are made of metal and reflect the owner’s interests in art and craftsmanship.

The Brain The Brain is a 14,280 cubic-foot cinematic laboratory where the client, a filmmaker, can work out ideas. Physically, that neighborhood birthplace of invention, the garage, provides the conceptual model. The form is essentially a cast-in-place concrete box, intended to be a strong yet neutral background that provides complete flexibility to adapt the space at will. Inserted into the box along the north wall is a steel mezzanine. All interior structures are made using raw, hot-rolled steel sheets.