KUNDIG: TOM KUNDIG. HOUSES

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 steel and concrete with an intuitive understanding of scale. As Kundig states, "The idea is inseparable 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.Dung Ngo is an editor and writer and the principal of NGO Studio in New York and San Francisco. He is the author of Bent Ply (PAP, 2003), World House Now (Universe, 2003), and co-author of Open House (Rizzoli).