The Tools and Talismans: How Tom Kundig's Favorite Objects Shape an Architectural Philosophy

12 hours ago7 min read

The artifacts a person cherishes often form a silent, telling memoir of their values and vision. For Tom Kundig, the celebrated founder and principal of Olson Kundig, a list of his favorite possessions—a weathered cowboy hat, a dependable Jeep Wrangler, a simple pencil—serves as a direct blueprint to the core of his architectural practice.Kundig’s work, renowned for its robust materiality and deep-seated connection to the Pacific Northwest's terrain, is rooted in physical engagement and a human-centric scale. His cowboy hat is more than an accessory; it is a mobile form of shelter, embodying a utilitarian spirit and a life shaped by the weather, echoing the ethos of his rolling huts and the dramatic, pivoting walls that seamlessly merge interior spaces with the natural world.The Jeep Wrangler is a kindred spirit to this philosophy—a tool for adventure, for traversing rugged landscapes, and for reaching the isolated sites that inspire his structures. It reflects a commitment to exploration and a tangible, hands-on relationship with the environment, a defiance of being limited to the abstract confines of a drawing.Perhaps most revealing is his steadfast use of the pencil. In an era of digital design suites and intricate 3D models, Kundig’s dedication to this elemental instrument is a powerful statement.The pencil is unmediated and intimate, bearing the unique, human mark of its user. The pressure of a line on paper captures the very genesis of an idea, representing a slow, thoughtful, and inherently personal act that contrasts with the polished uniformity of digital creation.This preference uncovers a maker who prizes the act of creation itself, believing the soul of the process becomes part of the final building. His reference to a seal sculpture further enriches this perspective, highlighting an inspiration sourced from nature’s organic, time-worn shapes—the smooth curve of sea-worn stone, the powerful simplicity of wildlife—which he reinterprets into the bold, often kinetic metal fixtures that characterize his work.To listen to Kundig discuss these objects is to realize that for him, there is no distinction between life and design, between the tools he wields and the principles he lives by. His architecture doesn't merely occupy a site; it converses with it, narrating its history. These cherished items are the daily companions on that creative expedition, each one a vital part of the story of crafting a life that is simultaneously a sanctuary and an exploration.

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