In The Context Of Architecture - Jim Olson & Tom Kundig

The principals at Seattle-based Olson Kundig talk life trajectories, architectural perspectives, design beliefs and landmark residential projects

- Tina Thakrar

IN the year 1959, at age 18, young architecture student Jim Olson was given an opportunity by his father to design and build a cabin for himself. On a shoestring budget, he made a small structure in an isolated part of Longbranch, Washington, where he could experience nature all around him.

It’s been 60 years since, and the Longbranch Cabin has gone through modifications and transformations, quite like Olson’s career. Extensions were added in 1981, 1997, 2003 and most recently, in 2014, to match pace with Olson’s life trajectory; from a personal dwelling for himself and a set of friends to a retreat for extended family. What remains constant though, is the closeness to nature, which is the core of all the projects he designs with his team at Seattle-based Olson Kundig.

Armed with an architecture degree from the University of Washington, Olson set up his own firm in 1967. He never intended to work alone, though. The idea was to bring in a team that was dedicated to creating the best architecture possible and using feedback and advice to create a breeding ground for great ideas. Tom Kundig joined the firm, then Olson Sundberg Architects, in 1986 and became an owner 10 years later. (The firm’s name changed through the years to reflect various ownership groups, formally adopting Olson Kundig in 2015.) Olson and Kundig are now joined by three additional owners, Kirsten Murray, Alan Maskin, and Kevin Kudo-King.

A 200+ member firm with a small workspace based in Seattle and New York, Olson Kundig is known primarily for its residences – abodes that are spacious, raw, contextual, continuous and connected to the built and natural landscape, and have a strong relationship with the inhabitants.