F5: Tom Kundig Talks a Seal Sculpture, His Cowboy Hat, a Pencil + More

1 hour ago7 min read

There is a profound intimacy in the objects a person chooses to surround themselves with, a quiet autobiography written not in words, but in worn leather, familiar contours, and the patina of daily use. To sit down with architect Tom Kundig, the founder and principal of the revered firm Olson Kundig, and discuss his favorite things—from the functional silhouette of his cowboy hat to the rugged, go-anywhere character of his Jeep Wrangler—is to be granted a privileged glimpse into the mind of a creator for whom the line between art, tool, and life is beautifully, intentionally blurred.Kundig’s architectural philosophy, famously celebrated for its kinetic, muscular, and deeply tactile elements that often incorporate raw industrial hardware into sublime residential spaces, is not merely a professional practice but a personal creed that manifests in his daily possessions. The cowboy hat, for instance, is not a costume; it is a piece of functional design, shaped by sun and wind, that speaks to a Pacific Northwest sensibility intertwined with a kind of American West pragmatism—it provides shelter, it endures, and it carries a story.Similarly, the Jeep Wrangler is the automotive equivalent of one of his famous ‘gizmo’ designs: a machine stripped of pretense, built for direct engagement with the landscape, its very purpose an invitation to adventure and a hands-on experience of the world. One can imagine the simple, fundamental act of him gripping a pencil, another of his cited favorites, and sketching a initial concept on a scrap of paper, the physical connection between hand, mind, and material being paramount in an age of sterile digital rendering.This preference for the analog and the authentic reveals a creator deeply suspicious of the frictionless and the virtual. A seal sculpture he mentions isn't just a decorative piece; it’s a touchstone, a connection to the organic forms and powerful, natural forces that his buildings so often engage with, whether perched on a rocky cliff or overlooking a dense forest.To understand Kundig’s love for these objects is to understand the very soul of his work: a belief that our environments and the things we use should not separate us from the physical world but should instead amplify our experience of it. They should bear the marks of our presence, require our interaction, and possess a narrative weight that mass-produced items lack. In a culture increasingly defined by disposable digital experiences, Kundig’s curated world of hats, Jeeps, and pencils stands as a powerful, silent argument for a life lived with intention, where every chosen object is a tool for engagement, a memory made solid, and a small, perfect piece of architecture in its own right.

#Tom Kundig

#architect

#Olson Kundig

#favorite things

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