52 DIGS.NET
| 1.13.23
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P R O F I L E | O L S O N K U N D I G
forest views and, again,
all that heavenly looking
light, which calls attention
to what is a pristine archi-
tectural canvas featuring,
among other elegant and
understated details, wood
paneling and a steel mesh
stair wall that lends texture
to the interior. At the same
time, elements such as
cantilevered overhangs
help connect the inside
of the house to its more
rugged environ. "Truckee
is," after all, "a place of
fantastic nature," says
Kundig, who catered to
the family's active lifestyle
by creating opportunities
to experience and interact
with the site. "Extensive
transparency and clere-
story windows throughout
the house provide access
to views and daylight,"
he points out, "while the
indoor/outdoor connec-
tions form links to the
natural environment."
Challenged by nature to
"lean into the soft, peace-
ful moments and create
spaces that are deferential
to their surroundings, it's
these quiet and intimate
micro-views that become more important
to the experience of a place," Kundig
observes. "It's not just about the prospect—
it's also about the refuge."
The project in broad terms is about
exchange, between environments and
alliances. "From my perspective," Kundig
says of collaborating with Faulkner, "once
the work began, there was an immediate
understanding between us, like designing
in conversation—and probably one of the
most satisfying architectural conversations
I've personally been involved with. It felt like
we were colleagues." The work speaks for
itself. olsonkundig.com
Without spectacle, "the tower is meant to
provide that bird's nest experience." Bold
and swaggering, the architecture-defining
element rises above the main volume of
the home and supplies bedrooms and
attached baths for guests. Its rooftop deck,
meanwhile, offers views to the coveted ski
resort Northstar. While solid steel cladding
cloaks the tower's street-facing north
side in privacy, its transparent sides are
shielded by tree cover year-round.
Consisting of cement, steel, and glass,
the house overall is a kind of sieve: for
