ABSTRACT
Tom Kundig's architecture is about connecting art and physics, linking inside with outside, and placing small houses in big, wild landscapes for maximum joy. His own personal library is stocked partially with lessons learned during his childhood in Spokane, Washington, where he served an apprenticeship of sorts as a laborer and carpenter's assistant for sculptor Harold Balazs. He follows the work of architects Glenn Murcutt and Peter Zumthor, and admires that of the late Pierre Chareau. The natural world is his strongest influence. To him, a pencil is a thousand-year-old tool that fits his hand like a hammer fits a carpenter's, enabling him to express his thoughts. He uses sketches to create a narrative to respond to client needs. While working through the Chicken Point Cabin, he drew both with his clients and by himself. In essence, his sketches served as vessels for the poetry of one of the most profound and iconic projects in his portfolio.
