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Jim Olson and Tom Kundig design five homes that capture the essence of sea and sand.
With a preference for natural materials, the Olson Kundig studio, led by Jim Olson and Tom Kundig, stands out for home designs whose architecture blends into the surrounding landscape.
Here are five projects that capture the essence of beach life, whether that’s on a rugged coastline or a secluded beach, in Scandinavia or Hawaii.
Set on the Pacific coast and framing the natural landscape with its open interiors, Carbon Beach House is an elegant oasis. The home, strongly connected to the Malibu beachfront, sits atop a self-draining pier engineered to withstand high tides and storm surges.
An exposed concrete wall occupies the front of the property, shielding the home from traffic noise from the nearby highway. Stepping through a metal door, which creates a break in the façade, reveals a glass and steel staircase crowned by a large skylight that offers views across the property to the water.
The home’s open floor plan centers on a manicured interior courtyard that lets natural light pour in. Sliding glass doors completely open the flexible spaces of the living room, dining room, and kitchen onto a large deck with sea views. Upstairs, the mood is warmer, with exposed timber floors and beams in the bedrooms, which all face the coast.
Facing the ocean, the southern side of the home has moving walls with horizontal louvers so that the residents can adjust the amount of sunlight while protecting their privacy from the nearby beach.
A welcoming summer retreat in one of Stockholm’s major tourist centers, Dalarö House perches on a hillside, forming a waypoint between a stone path above and the water and docks below.
A natural rock formation wraps around the home, with some of its structure set within it. Integration with the landscape is further embraced by the use of natural materials, such as pine cladding with a traditional Scandinavian finish and a green roof.
With oak floors and exposed concrete walls, the interiors of the home recreate a typical beach house feel. Lighting design was a key part of the project. Clerestory windows let in natural light, while the windows in the living area offer panoramic views of the rocks and sea.
Dalarö House shares its plot with Strindberg Cottage, the historic home of Swedish writer and painter Johan August Strindberg. Despite their different architectural styles, the two houses are united by the color Falu red, frequently used in Scandinavian architecture.
Fully integrated into the surrounding Hawaiian landscape, Hale Lana – which translates as “floating home” – offers a comfortable environment characterized by an almost invisible border between indoors and out, allowing its residents to enjoy expansive ocean views that extend as far as Haleakalā volcano on nearby Maui.
This family home on Hawaii’s Big Island comprises a series of pavilions linked by timber walkways and gardens.
Cantilevered double-pitch roofs, typical of the island, create canopies that surround the buildings, allowing them to fully open to the ocean breezes while providing protection from the sun. In combination with extensive glazing, the canopies create the feeling that the architecture is floating above the landscape. Operable louvered screens let residents tune into their surroundings, while adjusting the level of sun and privacy.
Nestled among the sand dunes, palms, and Norfolk pines of Bilgola Beach on Sydney’s north coast, this elegant family home has 873 sq. m of floorspace.
In response to the environment of its headland site, Bilgola Beach House is designed to withstand Australia’s climatic conditions, where sunlight, strong winds, and flooding frequently occur. The structure rests on concrete piles to allow sand and water to flow under the building. Its design lets its occupants connect with nature, with shaded retractable walls that merge the interior and exterior, while providing passive ventilation. An internal courtyard brings filtered light into the heart of the home, where a pond helps cool the air.
The color of the concrete walls recalls the color of the sand dunes, making the architecture fully merge into its site.
In a houseboat community on Portage Bay, just south of the University of Washington, Water Cabin offers the typical feel of a cabin but in a waterside setting. A floating platform at water level, the home is on two levels, supported by a delicate galvanized steel structure.
The lower level features an open living space that combines dining, kitchen, and office functions, with a hideaway bed for guests. Large sliding windows connect the interiors to the outdoor spaces. On the upper level, the master bedroom frames prospect views of the water, forming a comfortable lookout point with the feeling of being in a refuge. A roof deck and garden extend the bedroom outwards, while large windows with 180-degree views blur the boundaries between inside and out.
The red cedar slats used as siding are arranged irregularly, like the trees in a forest. Durable and easily maintained metal elements, including galvanized steel and zinc, integrate perfectly with the color of the siding while recalling the waterside setting.
Timber is present throughout the home’s interiors, with oak floors, knotty wood finishes, and warm furniture balanced by the cool tones of silver and black metal. The Russian birch plywood ceilings extend outdoors, further eliminating barriers between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
>>> Discover the CheckMate Winery, designed by Olson Kundig in British Columbia.
All images courtesy Olson Kundig
