“This is a quiet, introverted house that establishes an intimate home life for the family, but can also accommodate the large-scale artworks in their extensive collection.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal
Architect: Olson Kundig
Location: Ketchum, Idaho, USA
Status: Built; Completed 2015
Project Size: 6,472 SF
Project Team: Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal; Edward Lalonde, Project Manager; Jamie Slagel, Project Architect
Key Consultants: Elias Construction, General Contractor; Galena Engineering, Civil Engineer; Ben Young Landscape Architects, Landscape Architect; Grid Engineers, Structural Engineer; O- Lighting, Lighting Design; Lucas Design Associates, Interior Design
Photographers: Aaron Leitz, Benjamin Benschneider
This 6,500-square-foot home, which sits on a quiet cul-de-sac in Ketchum, Idaho between Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain, was designed around the client’s collection of contemporary art alongside commanding mountain views. Windows carefully frame views of exterior artworks against the forested landscape beyond.
Based on a Latin cross plan, this steel-and-wood-clad home consists of two main forms. The primary form contains the entry foyer and the open plan kitchen, dining, and living areas, along with two bedrooms below and two offices above. Upon entering the house, a large art wall in the double-height foyer showcases a favorite abstract painting by Lawrence Fodor titled Rain Forest, establishing the home’s dual emphasis on art and nature.
An interior palette of exposed steel, concrete and wood supports the prominence of the client’s curated art collection. The home’s secondary form completes the “T”-shaped plan, its steel-and-glass entry vestibule and glass-box master suite acting as the yin to the main house’s yang.
OLSON KUNDIG
Olson Kundig is a collaborative global design practice whose work expands the context of built and natural landscapes. Led by five owners, the firm’s work can be found in more than fifteen countries on five continents, with projects ranging from cultural and museum projects to exhibition design, commercial and mixed-use design, private and multi-family residential, hospitality projects, places of worship, interior design, product design and landscape design.
