Studio House by Olson Kundig: A Living Space for Architecture and Photography
A house and a place for making images
Studio House in Seattle combines a residence with a working photographer's studio. Tom Kundig's design investigates how a building can incorporate memories of its own site rather than erase what existed before. The new architecture makes use of fragments, materials and geometries that recall an earlier house, creating an environment that is both practical for photography and rich in spatial associations.
An old plan rotated into a new building
The new floor plan is laid over the geometry of the former house but turned approximately thirteen degrees to improve views and spatial relationships. This small but deliberate rotation introduces moments where old and new axes meet. Rather than try to disguise these differences, the architecture makes them visible as evidence of the site's layered history.
A steel lantern between the old and new
Entry is through a two-storey steel lantern positioned between the former foundation wall and the new structure. The vertical volume makes arrival a memorable experience, placing visitors directly in contact with the different periods of the site's development. Steel is used not as a decorative industrial motif but as a clearly legible construction material that marks the contemporary insertion.
A double-height room for living and photography
The central interior is a two-storey space that functions as both a main living room and a photographer's working studio. This dual use demands a flexible environment, capable of supporting domestic routines as well as controlled lighting and large visual compositions. The project gives the room generous volume and leaves its primary structural materials visible.
An opening to the western landscape
A large open western wall allows the studio to engage with the outdoors, while shading elements help regulate light. For a photographer, the quality and direction of illumination are central to the work. For residents, the same opening provides views and a sense of connection to the environment beyond the concrete enclosure. The architecture serves both uses without treating them as unrelated functions.
Concrete and steel allowed to age
The structure uses exposed concrete walls and bold steel framing, materials whose natural ageing is accepted as part of the design. Rather than conceal marks and patina, the architects allow surfaces to record the passage of time. This approach connects with the larger project theme of memory and gives the interior a direct, tactile character.
A curved roof that moderates light
A curved roof helps diffuse natural and artificial ambient light. The roof's geometry gives the large studio a more controlled atmosphere while providing a distinctive architectural silhouette. Unfinished steel arms project over the interior to support lighting, fans and specialised equipment, making technical needs an integral part of the space's visual language.
Two inserted volumes for daily life
At one end of the studio, a tall volume contains the kitchen and pantry below and bedrooms above. Its upper level projects outward like an open drawer, a deliberate expression of the building's arrangement. At the other end, a photography workroom and office create a second inserted volume. These compact enclosures allow the main double-height room to remain visually generous while accommodating the necessary functions of the home.
Stairs and overlapping geometries
Open metal stairs and landings connect the different levels and align with the old and new geometries of the building. Their visibility makes circulation part of the architectural composition. As people move through the house, they encounter changing perspectives on the larger studio space, the surrounding enclosure and the relationship between the historical footprint and the new construction.
Materials as evidence of time
Concrete walls protect the house on three sides, while the curved roof and garage roof structures use lead-coated copper. The materials are expressive in their own right and contribute to an architecture designed to weather. This honest treatment of surfaces makes the building feel like an ongoing record of occupation rather than a sealed object designed to look unchanged.
Domestic life meets creative work
The project is an early example of how Olson Kundig's architecture creates opportunities for active occupation. A photographer's studio needs flexibility, technical support and controlled light, while a home requires comfort and privacy. Studio House brings these demands together by arranging enclosed functions around a generous shared volume.
A project with a long photographic history
The official portfolio includes images by multiple architectural photographers across the project's documentation. Rather than assign unverified credit to an individual file, this draft records the names supplied by Olson Kundig and preserves every selected image's original source reference. The design's enduring value lies in the way it turns memory, construction and creative work into one architectural experience.
Project information and photographer credits
Project: Studio House, Seattle, Washington, USA. Architecture: Olson Kundig. Design principal: Tom Kundig; project manager: Bob Jakubik. The project combines a home and photographer's studio, preserving the memory of a prior house through material fragments and rotated geometries. The studio's long archival gallery credits several photographers including Michael Burns, Paul Warchol, Tim Bies / Olson Kundig, Mark Darley, Peter Eckert and Tom Kundig. The fifteen selected photographs are from that exact project gallery; photographer-to-file mapping and reproduction permissions require final confirmation.
Comments