Olson Kundig perches Canadian seaside residence on stilts among the many forest
US agency Olson Kundig designed an oceanfront residence on Canada’s Vancouver Island on stilts, with panoramic views of the encircling forest and the Pacific Ocean past.
The two,500-square-foot (232-square-metre) house is situated in Tofino, a distant city on the island’s west coast identified for its breathtaking surroundings, laid-back browsing tradition, and harsh climate.
An extended walkway flanked on both facet by wood boards results in the house’s principal entrance, which is partially lined by the roof’s broad overhang.
“Nestled in a weather-beaten forest, this seaside home creates a connection between the drama of the close by ocean and the sense of sanctuary supplied by the bushes,” mentioned Olson Kundig in a mission description.
An open-concept residing space, eating room, and kitchen occupies roughly half of the house, on the facet dealing with the ocean. The architects included full-height glass partitions right here to seize the many of the space’s pure environment.
“The seaside home is basically one single room, with the emphasis on feeling related to the ocean and the encircling woods,” mentioned principal Jim Olson, who co-founded the Seattle-based agency in 1966.
Glass additionally runs across the perimeter of the nice room at flooring stage, providing peeks on the forest undergrowth under. “The home is raised up off the bottom due to the salal crops, which develop naturally to 5 or 6 ft tall,” mentioned Olson, referring to one of many space’s endemic flora.
“That is the peak of the ground stage, which lets you look out excessive of the native crops,” he added. “Inside, it seems like you might be in a ship floating over a inexperienced sea of salal.”
Two cast-concrete fireplaces anchor both finish of the lounge, an expertise that the architects liken to sitting exterior between two campfires.
On the alternative facet of the house, dealing with the plush surrounding forest, is the proprietor’s bed room. Sliding glass doorways right here open out onto an out of doors patio with a reflective pool that stretches out into the woods past.
The house’s finishes are supposed to complement the construction’s minimal aesthetic and surrounding setting. Cedar runs repeatedly throughout your complete expanse of the roof’s underside, serving to to visually join the inside and exterior.
Olson Kundig additionally designed the house’s furnishings, which was primarily crafted from wooden, leather-based, and metal.
The studio has accomplished a plethora of houses all through the US and Canada, and sometimes makes use of superior structural engineering and customized mechanical methods for his or her tasks.
Examples embrace a pavilion which could be closed shut with drawbridge-like panels, and a villa in Hawaii with a particularly lengthy cantilevered roof.
The pictures is by Nic Lehoux.
Venture credit:
Olson Kundig workforce: Jim Olson (design principal), Olivier Landa (mission supervisor) Will Kemper (mission architect), Christine Burkland (inside design)
Structural and mechanical engineer: ARUP
Civil engineer: Lewkowich Engineering Associates
Lighting design: Brian Hood Lighting Design
Envelope guide: RDH
