Olson Kundig

Dragonfly House

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

DRAGONFLY HOUSE

Olson Kundig

ARCHITECTS
Olson Kundig

LOCATION
Whitefish, United States

CATEGORY
Houses

COLLABORATOR
O-Lighting, lighting design, Kb Architectural Services, Phil Turner, Gizmo Design, Acutech, Gizmo Fabrication

AREA
6500 ft²

YEAR
2016

PHOTOGRAPHS
Nic Lehoux

MANUFACTURERS
AutoDesk, Lutron, B&B Italia, Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors, Paola Lenti, ARC Flooring, Adobe, Bonderized, Jieldé, Newforma, Norris Woodworking, Olson Kundig, Phantom, Sawkille, Sutherland, Tom Kundig, Vladimir Kagar

CONTRACTOR
Bear Mountain Builders

LANDSCAPE
White Cloud Design

DESIGN TEAM
Gizmo Design, Tom Kundig, Justin Helmbrecht, Debbie Kennedy, Laina Navarro, Brianna Schoeneman, Irina Bokova, Phil Turner

Text description provided by architect.

At its heart, this vacation house is about creating a place where a young family can gather away from the city to enjoy the outdoors and build a legacy of memories.

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

Located on the ecotone, or border, between a Ponderosa pine forest and lake, the home is a framework for the family to experience nature.

The house emphasizes the crossing point between these two ecological zones – a distinct yet subtle marker of the family’s presence and legacy. The home’s materiality helps it fold into the landscape.

Exterior siding of reclaimed Barnwood will silver as it weathers, weaving the home into the forest.

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

The center of the home is the open-plan living and dining area, which has double-height guillotine window walls on either side.

From afar, this transparency allows for views through the home to the lake beyond.

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

When both window walls are open, the effect is of a single plinth floating above the forest floor.

Native plantings grow up to the home’s edges, and a screened porch on the south end opens to a covered deck.

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

These varying degrees of the enclosure allow the family to engage with nature during all seasons.

A longtime vacation spot for the family, who camped there before their home was built, the home was designed to maintain a sense of natural discovery the family enjoyed when spending time on the land.

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

The site plan is organized around a path leading through the forest and down to the lake.

From the driveway, a gravel path leads across a meadow to the home’s entrance, then winds around the house and down the hill to the lake.

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

Along the way, a constellation of outdoor spaces including covered decks, a fire pit, and a hot pool nestled into the hillside chart a path of discovery from the house to the lake.

“This home celebrates its ecotone condition between forest, lake, and meadow.

Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux
Dragonfly House
© Nic Lehoux

It’s on an edge – it transitions from the lighter part of the meadow to a steeper slope leading down to the lake below.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal.


Dragonfly House
Plan
Dragonfly House
Plan
Dragonfly House
Plan
Dragonfly House
Diagram

Olson Kundig
T +1 206 6245670 F +1 206 6243730
Olson Kundig
159 S Jackson St # 600, Seattle, WA 98104, United States