The Pierre
San Juan Islands, Washington
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Design Principal
Tom Kundig
The owner’s affection for a stone outcropping on her property inspired the design of this house. Conceived as a retreat nestled into the rock, the Pierre (the French word for stone) celebrates the materiality of the site. From certain angles, the house—with its rough materials, encompassing stone, green roof, and surrounding foliage—almost disappears into nature.
To set the house deep into the site, portions of the rock outcropping were excavated through machine work and handwork. Excavated rock was re-used as crushed aggregate in the concrete flooring. Excavation marks were left exposed on all the stonework, a reminder of the building process.
Throughout the house, the rock extrudes into the space, contrasting with the luxurious textures of the furnishings. Interior and exterior fireplace hearths are carved out of existing stone; leveled on top, they are otherwise left raw. The master bathroom’s sink is composed of water cascading through three polished pools in the existing stone. Both the entry sequence and a powder room are fully carved out of the rock.
The Pierre is a modern house exploring traditional site and building strategies. In the spirit of using available on‑site materials, we took a natural object from the site – the rock – and repurposed it in the building of this home. It’s both a quarry and a structure.Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA
Team
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Design Principal
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Project Manager
Christopher Gerrick
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Interiors Staff
Awards
2014
AIA National Honor Awards, Architecture Award
AIA National Honor Awards, Interior Architecture Award
2013
Architizer A+ Popular Choice Awards, Finalist, Residential Single Family Home
2012
AIA National Housing Awards, Housing Award
AIA Northwest and Pacific Region Honor Awards, Honor Award
AIA Seattle Honor Awards, Honor Award
Builder’s Choice Design & Planning Awards, Builder’s Choice Grand Award
Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Awards, American Architecture Award
IIDA Interior Design Awards, Interior Design Award, Best of Competition
2011
Northwest Design Awards, First Place: Exotic Retreats
Washington Aggregates & Concrete Association, Excellence in Concrete Construction
2010
World Architecture News House of the Year Awards, House of the Year
Publications
2021
Abercrombie, Stanley. “Books.” Interior Design Homes, Mar. 2021, 150. Print.
“America’s incredible hidden homes will make your jaw drop.” MSN UK, 12 Nov. Web.
2020
Bradbury, Dominic and Richard Powers. The Iconic American House: Architectural Masterworks Since 1900. London: Thames & Hudson, 2020, 302-307. Book.
Lasky, Julie. “Custom, Not Customary.” The New York Times, 15 Mar. 2020, F12-F13. Print.
Thakrar, Tina. “In Conversation with Olson Kundig.” Good Homes India, 20 Jul. 2020. Web.
2019
Kundig, Tom. “Inspiration: Tom Kundig on Two Houses that Shaped His Architecture.” Architecture&: the Royal Academy of Arts Magazine, Winter 2019, 10-11. Print.
Rollo, Joe. Concrete Houses: The Poetics of Form, Port Melbourne: Thames & Hudson, Oct. 2019, 116-125. Book.
2017
“Экстремальная архитектура: резиденции со всего мира.” Royal Design, 16 Feb. 2017. Web.
“Architektur in der Natur: Sensible Bauten.” Zeit, 31 March 2017. Web.
“Bildband: Mit Bauen verschönern statt verschandeln.” der Standard, 8 April 2017. Web.
“Dwell Community’s Top 20 Homes of 2017.” Dwell, 29 Dec. 2017. Web.
Goulder, Iona. “8 Dreamy Houses Built Into Nature.” Vice i-D, 4 April 2017. Web.
Lomholt, Isabelle. “The Pierre.” e-architect, 6 Feb. 2017. Web.
2016
Brake, Alan G. “Amazing Architecture on the Rocks.” Architectural Digest, 4 Feb. 2016. Web.
“Five Great Houses in Washington State.” Dezeen, 29 June 2016. Web.
“Five of the best houses in Washington State on Dezeen.” Dezeen, 29 June 2016. Web.
“INSIDE Olson Kundig Architects. Casa De Pierre.” DÉCOR No. 105, 2015, cover, 10, 46-51. Print.
Plockova, Joann. “Nurtured by Nature.” Christie’s International Real Estate – The Outdoor Issue, July-Sept. 2016, 58 – 66. Print.
“Top 100: The Pierre / Olson Kundig.” ArchDaily, 19 July 2012. Web.
2015
Armas, Eva. “On the ROCK.” Architectural Digest, 18 March 2015. Web.
“Tom Kundig Olson Kundig Architects Seattle.” Metropolis Magazine, June 2015. Print. Web.
2014
Rolls Royce: A Legacy of Driving Excellence, London: Regal Press, 2014. 7, 240-241, 269. Book.