Olson Kundig Architects is the Seattle-based design firm headed by Tom Kundig, whose work has been catching my eye for the past year. Last November I profiled their “Rock Star” design, a concrete home elegantly fitted into the rocky terrain on one of Washington State’s San Juan Islands, and my personal favorite: their design of The Slaughterhouse Beach House located in Maui, Hawaii (which has become the centerpiece of my new lifelong dream of some day building my own home in Hawaii). Their latest project to capture my imagination is this Seattle workshop they designed for one of their clients, a local filmmaker who wanted a space where he could work through his ideas in zen-like peace and harmony. The structure is a cast-in-place steel box, with all internal structures made with hot-rolled steel sheets. The 14,280 cubic-foot space affectionately known as “The Brain” took inspiration from the same place that has inspired all of the world’s greatest thinkers — the garage. As strong as it is neutral, it’s safe to assume this filmmaker has already had some amazing brainstorming sessions inside. To learn more about the terrific range of projects from the architects be sure to visit their website at OlsonKundigArchitects.com.
