Haute Estates: Tom Kundig’s Northwest Homes

Architect Tom Kundig is known for his passion and obsession with bare concrete, raw steel and creations that have distinctive personalities with modern interpretations. Haute Living takes a look at some of Kundig’s Northwest homes. Tom Kundig is a principal at Seattle-based Olson Kundig Architects and here are few of his great creations:

The Chicken Point Cabin, Lake Hayden in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho:

Built in 2002 this home continues to win over connoisseurs with its special feature: an operable wall of windows. The home is located on a stunning site and features rustic materials and unique details like a steel fireplace cut from a recycled section of an Alaskan oil pipeline.

The Studio House in Seattle, Washington:

Built in 1998, this home features a tessellated glass façade, fashionably rusted steel support beams and concrete interior walls. The property is a combination home and photo studio with a great room equipped with studio-grade ceiling lighting.

The Tye River Cabin in Skykomish, Washington:

This home, built in 2006, is located in the forest and described as “essentially a wooden tent on a platform that opens to the forest and river”. It measures just 600 square feet and encourages an outward orientation toward nature with rotating glass panels that allow entire walls of the structure to open up onto a surrounding patio.

The Pierre on San Juan Islands, Washington:

Perfect for anyone who loves being out by the rocky outcrop on San Juan Islands, this home was designed by Kundig in 2010 and integrated into the surrounding landscape. The home features a green roof and concrete exterior walls and appears to be nearly invisible from certain angles. It also has trademark steel windows that perfectly capture the water views.

The Shadowboxx on San Juan Islands, Washington:

Built in 2010, the Shadowboxx combines a more conventional profile with oversized portals that are slowly emerging as a new Kundig trademark. The front windows of the house can be concealed by a series of floor to ceiling corrugated doors that offer protection from island winds. It has a whimsical bath house wing with a roof that pivots up to allow for open air bathing.

Source: Curbed Seattle