“I often work with elemental materials such as steel, concrete, wood and glass in their raw states,” says Tom Kundig, Principal / Owner / Founder of bi-coastal US design firm, Olson Kundig.

“This aspect of my work is a response to observing and participating in natural landscapes: how a tree protects itself, how a rock weathers, how water flows.”

One of the core principles that underpins all of Tom’s work, he says, is the imperative for the formal and technical side of design to embrace these natural systems to create comfortable, functional built environments. “Human beings are animals, fundamentally. We evolved to need fresh air and to respond to circadian rhythms, but most people don’t consider the impact that those elements can have on whether we’re happy or unhappy in a space. Some places feel a little wrong or a little claustrophobic, and some places just feel right. That’s a piece of design that’s hard to define or quantify, but we all know it when we experience it.”

A significant piece of this puzzle is in kinetic building elements, which allow people to physically move pieces of the structure, Tom says. “Aspects like opening or closing windows, walls and shutters are a technically rigorous aspect of design that’s all about engaging the human hand. When a user takes hold of a wheel and turns it, opening up some aspect of a building, its effect is not only physical and tactile but emotional as well. It promotes a kind of mindfulness about how you take up space which, in turn, promotes a sense of stewardship of your environment.”

Olson Kundig specialises in creating designs that foster a cohesive experience of the entire built environment, from master planning to landscape design to interiors. “A driving agenda of my work is to create buildings that respond to their surrounding context and encourage users to interact with that environment,” Tom says. “I’ve worked around the world – including Australia and New Zealand – on projects like mountain and shoreline resorts, residential projects in both remote and urban sites, wineries, mid- to high-rise towers and sports-oriented facilities.”

Tom’s view is that buildings are never finished but, rather, continue to grow and change throughout their lifetime. “Architecture that’s allowed to display a sense of history and place feels, to me, more authentic. Materials weather and change. Clients move windows and walls and shutters. I love to revisit projects and see how the clients are continuing to engage with and transform the space. That’s when you see a design really come to life.”

Tom cites the Burke Museum in Olson Kundig’s home city of Seattle as a showcase of how a building’s materials and impact can evolve over time. “It’s the oldest museum in Washington State and is housed on the University of Washington campus where I studied. The previous building was very introverted; it didn’t engage the campus community or the surrounding urban community. Now, the Burke Museum sits right on the edge between the campus and the city and engages both. The design uses a Kebony exterior cladding, which is a sustainable wood product. We left the wood to weather, echoing the traditional cedar houses of western Washington’s Indigenous communities. It’s already started to silver beautifully, just as we hoped.

“The floor plan is arranged along an open, linear central atrium, with research labs and exhibits lining this main circulation pathway. This layout allows visitors to easily navigate collections, following a natural progression through museum spaces guided by their own curiosity. Throughout the interior, large windows provide views out to the surrounding University District neighbourhood, allowing visitors to orient themselves as they progress through collections. Likewise, views into the museum from the street expose the ongoing work of the museums to passers-by. It also establishes a new quad for the campus, which will impact the entire campus community well into the future. This kind of project really creates a legacy.”

Growing up, Tom says he would always choose to be outside rather than inside. “I was raised in eastern Washington – what we call ‘Big Sky’ country – and I loved anything to do with the mountains. When you grow up in that environment, there’s a sense that you’re a small part of something much bigger. So, as an architect, I don’t set out to compete with that larger, natural context – which is more beautiful than anything I could design – but to interpret it; to harmonise with it in a small way.”

The son of an architect, Tom says he was reluctant to follow in his father’s footsteps. “I felt like I had been immersed in that world and kind of knew what architecture was all about, and that it wasn’t for me. I was drawn to physics, initially. It wasn’t until I was at the University of Washington and taking all kinds of different courses – history, maths, hard sciences, literature and art – that I realised the intersection of all those interests was architecture.”

Tom has brought this holistic approach into his growing practice where, he says, he is passionate about every step of each journey. “I’m very lucky that my career has expanded into so many different realms and I’ve been able to work with interesting clients in exciting landscapes. Every project is enormously satisfying because each one is a new context to respond to; a new challenge to solve. Even when it’s a client I’ve worked with previously and know well, they’re bringing new ideas, experiences and a new set of goals for the project.”

In November, Tom will join the Teulo community in New Zealand for the upcoming ArchiPro Commercial Expo. “Your area of the world is extremely special, and now that we have active projects in New Zealand and Australia, I’m able to visit even more regularly. I love the New Zealand bach culture, where the emphasis is on spending time with family and friends in a beautiful setting. Even in more formal architecture, there’s a sense of the landscape being an integral piece of the built environment; that resonates with the kind of buildings I appreciate and the lifestyle I prefer. I’m honoured to be invited to the ArchiPro Commercial Expo and to continue to meet and learn from the Teulo community who are leading those conversations in New Zealand.”

Having recently expanded from Seattle to a new office New York, Olson Kundig currently has projects underway across all corners of the world. “We’re working on private homes, remote mountain resorts, sports and innovation facilities, even a championship golf destination. I hope to continue taking familiar parts of each building and looking at them in a different way, turning them upside-down to create something new.”

The firm is one of adventurers, Tom says, where the team is adaptable and eager to innovate. “As we continue to pursue new challenges and adventures, we’ll continue to nurture our internal culture of open collaboration and relentless pursuit of improvement; to push ourselves collectively and individually to that next level. We’re lucky to be able to be nimble as interesting work comes our way. We try not to be too prescriptive. It’s like riding a wave, you adjust and evolve to move with the surf.”

To connect with Tom and learn more about his work, visit https://olsonkundig.com/ and follow Olson Kundig on Instagram. To see Tom in person in NZ, please register for the upcoming ArchiPro Commercial Expo on the 1st and 2nd November, 2022.