Product Description

The work of Seattle-based architect Tom Kundig has been called both raw and refined, as well as super-crafted and warm. Kundig's projects, especially his houses, uniquely combine these two seemingly disparate sets of characteristics to produce some of the most inventive structures found in the architecture world today. Kundig's internationally acclaimed work is inspired by both the industrial structures with which he grew up in the Pacific Northwest and the vibrant craft cultures that are fostered there. His buildings uniquely meld industrial sensibilities and materials such as Cor-ten steel and concrete with an intuitive understanding of scale. As Kundig states, "The idea is insaperable from the fabrication, inseparable from the materials used." Tom Kundig: Houses presents five projects in depth, from their early conceptual sketches to their final lovingly wrought, intimate details. Kundig's houses reflect a sustained and active collaborative process between designer, craftsmen, and owners, resulting in houses that bring to life the architect's intentions, the materials used, and lines of unforgettable beauty.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9737 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Turtleback
• 176 pages

Review
(This book) should find its way to the bookshelves of everyone interested in remarkable contemporary domestic architecture... If there is a current master of the modern house, it must be Kundig. -- Hinge, Feb. 2007

...these houses not only convey the keen eye of the architect's inspiration but also the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. -- RIBA, Nov. 2006

Documents five splendid but very different houses in the Pacific Northwest. . . . The careful layout of color photographs conveys the architect's masterful handling of space and light. One client says that sitting in the 1,000-square-foot studio Kundig designed for him is "like being in my brain." In that case, his brain is a fascinating space. -- Art + Auction, April 2007

Intriguing pictures... a welcome resource on a local architect. -- Seattle Times & Post Intelligencer, Dec. 10, 2006

The book (gives) us unique insight into the evolution of this gifted designer's architectural vocabulary and the collaboration with craftspeople and clients that make it come alive. -- World Architecture News, February 2007

The houses featured in the book reveal Kundig's interest in combining art, craft and the experience of built space with respect for the environment. -- Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, Nov. 15, 2006

About the Author
Dung Ngo is the author of numerous design books including Bent Ply: The Art of Plywood Furniture, World House Now, and Art + Architrecture: The Ebsworth Collection and Residence.

Customer Reviews

Lots of content
I own many books dedicated to a single architects work. Often times these type of books display two or three rooms of a house and never get into the nitty gritty of a project. "Tom Kundig: Houses" is different. This book leaves little to the imagination, offering sometimes up to 15-20 pages to a single project. The pictures are very clear and tell a lot about the concept of a house as a whole. The only knock I'd say is that every project is so similar to the next that it becomes hard to differentiate. But if you admire his style, that shouldn't be much of a problem.

Amazing craftsmanship and details illustrated
I first came across Tom Kundig's works in the monograph for Olson Sundberg Kindig Allen's monograph (Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects: Architecture, Art, and Craft) and was amazed then at the refined "human" touch of materials and finishes chosen for the projects.
This book focuses further on this aesthetic appeal by showcasing Tom Kundig's houses only. It shows some of the numerous sketches and drawings that Tom Kundig drew in order to convey his ideas to the client/contractor. The level of details depicted in the photography is also breathtaking as it reveals the intricate details of bespoke door handles, hinges, rollers that the architect custom designed. I only wish I knew how long and how much each of his projects must've costed his clients because this level of detail in any residence is very. very rare.
I highly recommend this book for anyone that is interested in modern houses that uses rustic materials in a refined composition~

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Il design americano
Gli esmpi riportati su questo ottimo libro, ampliano la visione di ciò che l'architettura post-industriale può significare nei grandi spazi americani.