Jim Olson & Tom Kundig are my current architectural heroes. Their work, their philosophy, and their way of moving through the world is amazing and wonderful to me. And they live and work in my favorite geographical area in the United States - the Pacific Northwest.

The Shadowboxx video I featured in an earlier post comes from Olson Kundig Architects - and this video I am posting now let's you see a broad spectrum of their work as well as an introduction to the two geniuses creating astounding spaces.

Their devotion to their craft is remarkable and self-evident.

Jim: "The main reason that we're here is to try to do the best design that we possibly can, whatever that means to us. I think there's this earnestness about both of us about what we're doing....we're really into to - I mean, we really are into it."

Tom: "It's not just an architectural firm, it's not just an art firm, it's not a design firm. It's an attitude about making our world a better place."

I have similar sentiments about my work as a landscape designer. My work is my life - it's what I do - it's what I am about. And everyday I work towards it. Attending the Inchbald School of Design will be my life's game changer. I will receive the training and credentials I need to be able to work at the same level of Jim Olson and Tom Kundig. I hope to have the ear and respect of builders and architects when I get back because I know I can become an immense asset to them and their work. I know I can make a difference that matters.

Less than 6 weeks until all that becomes a reality - I can hardly believe it!

P.S. Alan Maskin follows me on Twitter.

P.P.S One of my favorite quotes from the video: "Architecture is about life." - Jim Olson

Olson Kundig Architects Website - Check it Out

It's back! Architecture Tuesday is back.

I found this short video about an amazing piece of architecture: Shadowboxx, by Olson Kundig Architects, San Juan Islands, WA, 2010.

Give it a watch and be amazed!

Shadowboxx responds to a desire to facilitate an intimate understanding of this special place and explores the tradition of gathering around a fire. Tucked between a thicket of trees and a rising bank, the house sits in a natural clearing created by the strong winds that force back the trees from the rocky bank. The building purposely confuses the traditional boundaries between a built structure and its surroundings. Its masses are modeled by winds off the water, exterior cladding is allowed to weather and rust, and shifting doors, shutters, walls and roofs constantly modulate the threshold between inside and outside.

Inside the home, a gallery runs the length of the house with rooms spilling off of it. Two 15’ by 10’ steel clad doors slide open to reveal the main living space, named the cloud room for its ever-changing atmospherics. A glass-walled bunkroom, it contains six custom-designed rolling platforms that serve both as sofas and beds and enable the room to morph and accommodate different functions. Exterior awning shutters facing the water can be closed for protection from the elements or for security when the owner is away.

A guest room sits at one end of the house, and the bathhouse at the other. The bathhouse is topped by a 16×20’ roof that opens the room like a cigar box at the push of a button. Materials with a strong tactility are used throughout the house, including rammed earth floors, reclaimed oak floorplanks, unpainted gypsum board and steel walls, corrugated steel siding and roofing, and reclaimed scaffolding planks for the ceiling.

Interior design by Viekman.

(text taken from the Olsen Kundig Architects website)