P R O F I L E | O L S O N K U N D I G
"I don't think that I
could ever design
something as
beautiful as what's
already out there,"
Kundig says.
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to popularize this style in the 1920s
and 1930s. These elements, which go
beyond the facades and create large
terraces, protect dwellers from the sun
while maintaining the breeze, providing
better natural ventilation and ensuring as
little air condition as possible. "Studies of
the site revealed virtually constant winds,"
Kundig says. "Using the Dickey-style
roof as a starting point, the design was
turbocharged, deliberately shaping roof
forms and openings to allow breezes to
pull hot air out."
The large, floor-to-ceiling glass windows
can be completely opened to the ipe wood
deck (which almost doubles the home's
livable area), garden and swimming pool,
encouraging the enjoyment of spectacular
ocean views. The materials are local,
durable, low-maintenance and virtually
fireproof while also protecting the home
from noise. Throughout all the spaces,
wool, steel and rammed earth walls made
with soil from the site are mixed. The result
is that tranquility and harmony pervade
every aspect of this project, where the
greatness of the landscape is noticed
at every second, and in every corner,
becoming the true protagonist of the home,
both inside and out.
"I don't think that I could ever design
something as beautiful as what's already
out there," Kundig says. "We're here
to frame the landscape, to create an
experience of that place, and perhaps
to bring some of that experience—the
intimacy, the vulnerability—inside the
house."
olsonkundig.com
7.28.23 | DIGS.NET 53
