In the Context of Architecture JIM OLSON & TOM KUNDIG

IN the year 1959, at age 18, young architecture student Jim Olson was given an opportunity by his father to design and build a cabin for himself. On a shoestring budget, he made a small structure in an isolated part of Longbranch, Washington, where he could experience nature all around him.

It’s been 60 years since, and the Longbranch Cabin has gone through modifications and transformations, quite like Olson’s career. Extensions were added in 1981, 1997, 2003 and most recently, in 2014, to match pace with Olson’s life trajectory; from a personal dwelling for himself and a set of friends to a retreat for extended family. What remains constant though, is the closeness to nature, which is the core of all the projects he designs with his team at Seattle-based Olson Kundig.

Armed with an