complete houses: new monograph gathers a lifetime of experimental homes by tom kundig

explore four decades of work by olson kundig co-founder

Seattle-based architect Tom Kundig has long approached the house as a field for experimentation — a typology that allows for direct engagement with materials and with the landscape. His forthcoming book, Tom Kundig: Complete Houses, published by Monacelli, consolidates this lifelong investigation into a single, definitive volume.

Documenting 462 projects across nearly forty years, the 600-page publication captures the evolution of Kundig’s oeuvre through an extensive visual and textual record. While the book spans an international range of sites — from the forested archipelagos of the Pacific Northwest to arid deserts in Mexico and volcanic terrain in Hawaii — it is tied together by the architect’s consistent exploration of the essential elements of design: space, light, material, and view.

Tom Kundig: Complete Houses, book cover | image courtesy Monacelli

A Comprehensive Record of Domestic Architecture

Among the architect‘s total body of work, Tom Kundig: Complete Houses highlights a selection of thirty-eight residences for more in-depth analysis. Twelve of these are newly completed and published here for the first time. Each is accompanied by photography, hand-drawn sketches, and interviews between Kundig and editor Dung Ngo that trace his influences, from his Swiss heritage to his architectural training at the University of Washington. The conversations reveal a practice characterized by curiosity and risk-taking, — qualities that have defined his career at Olson Kundig, the Seattle firm he co-leads together with architect Jim Olson.

Kundig’s residential work is marked by a fascination with movement and adaptability. Many of his projects incorporate mechanical systems — large pivoting windows, sliding walls, and operable facades — that merge the boundary between enclosure and environment. Moreover, the book points to the architect’s sensitivity to craft and the tactile presence of structure.

Delta Shelter, Mazama, Washington, 2005 | image © Tim Bies / Olson Kundig

‘tom kundig: complete houses,’ the most comprehensive yet

This Complete Houses publication marks Tom Kundig’s fifth monograph and stands as the most comprehensive to date. It offers a chronological overview of his residential practice — past, present, and future — and reveals the threads that connect decades of work. Each project, no matter how remote or refined, reflects a consistent inquiry into how architecture mediates between people and place.

Bound in vibrant cloth with an embossed sketch on the cover and encased in a slipcase featuring project photography, the monograph mirrors the material integrity of Kundig’s built work. The volume’s design makes reading a tactile experience.

For Kundig, the house is a laboratory as well as a refuge. It is a place where his design ideas are tested and refined before being translated into larger civic and cultural projects. ‘Each home is a chance to test an idea, refine a detail, or take a risk,’ he reflects. ‘This book is a moment of reflection in my practice, an attempt to capture something that is always in motion.’

Maxon House and Studio, Carnation, Washington, 2023 | image © Aaron Leitz

Outpost, Bellevue, Idaho, 2008 | image © Tim Bies

The Pierre, San Juan Islands, Washington, 2010 | image © Dwight Eschliman

Chicken Point Cabin, Northern Idaho, 2002 | image © Benjamin Benschneider

Costa Rica Treehouse, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, 2017 | image © Nic Lehoux

project info:

name: Tom Kundig: Complete Houses

architect: Tom Kundig | @olsonkundig

publisher: Monacelli | @monacellipress

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