Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects’ Wabi Sabi House Unites the Manmade and the Natural in Houston
Rick Sundberg, FAIA, continues Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects’ trademark tradition of uniting building with natural surround with his design of the Wabi Sabi House. The house, designed on spec for developer Carol Isaak Barden + Company, is in Houston, a new venue for Sundberg and a far cry environment-wise from the firm’s native Seattle. In the Zen tradition, wabi sabi is a Japanese expression that implies the restrained expression of the humble and the simple; serenity and calm, as well as love and respect for nature. The house itself commingles Eastern and Western aesthetics into a serene blend of “the work done by nature and the work done by man.” Close to Rice University in a traditional neighborhood near Houston’s cultural heart, the 3,750-square-foot, three-bedroom wood house, creates simple forms of natural materials, including naturally aged cedar siding, bamboo, and salvaged teak. Old-growth trees on the site were preserved and provide focal points for the strategically placed windows, while an outside deck flows around a pecan tree. Skylights in the building’s center, operable windows, and an expansive roof deck allow for natural light and ventilation, offering a sustainable statement in “the most air-conditioned city in the U.S.” Carol Isaak Barden + Company plan to build a series of Wabi Sabi houses in Houston. Photo © Don Glentzer.
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Rick Sundberg, FAIA, continues Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects’ trademark tradition of uniting building with natural surround with his design of the Wabi Sabi House. The house, designed on spec for developer Carol Isaak Barden + Company, is in Houston, a new venue for Sundberg and a far cry environment-wise from the firm’s native Seattle. In the Zen tradition, wabi sabi is a Japanese expression that implies the restrained expression of the humble and the simple; serenity and calm, as well as love and respect for nature. The house itself commingles Eastern and Western aesthetics into a serene blend of “the work done by nature and the work done by man.” Close to Rice University in a traditional neighborhood near Houston’s cultural heart, the 3,750-square-foot, three-bedroom wood house, creates simple forms of natural materials, including naturally aged cedar siding, bamboo, and salvaged teak. Old-growth trees on the site were preserved and provide focal points for the strategically placed windows, while an outside deck flows around a pecan tree. Skylights in the building’s center, operable windows, and an expansive roof deck allow for natural light and ventilation, offering a sustainable statement in “the most air-conditioned city in the U.S.” Carol Isaak Barden + Company plan to build a series of Wabi Sabi houses in Houston. Photo © Don Glentzer.