Thelove of nature that motivates JimOlson,founderof theAmerican
OlsonKundigpractice, findsits highest expressionin thecabin-retreat
that thearchitect hasbuiltfor himselfon PugetSound, a scenic areaof
fjordsthat is part of a complex estuarinesystemon thecoast of thePa-
cificOcean, in thestate of Washington. It all started in 1959 witha tiny
bunkhousemeasuringjust 20 squaremetres designedby Olson,whoat
thetimewas a first-yearstudent of architecture. Thenthrough a series
of additions– in 1981, 1997, 2003and2014 – thesmallwoodencab-
in hasbeenturned into a properholiday homewithampleterraces and
glass walls facingonto old-growth forest. Each extensionhasexpanded
the building without erasing the previous structure. Thus the cabin bears
withinit thememory of an evolutionary process.L’amore perlanatura cheanimaJimOlson,fondatoredellostudio
americanoOlsonKundig, trova lasuamassimaespressionenellaca-
sa-rifugiochel’architettohacostruitoperséa PugetSound,unasce-
nograficaareadifiordichefaparte diunarticolatoestuariosull’Oceano
Pacifico, nelloStato diWashington.Tutto haavuto inizionel 1959 con
unamicro-cabinadiventimetriquadrati disegnatadaOlson,cheall’e-
pocaera unostudente delprimoannodiArchitettura.Poi persuccessive
addizioni– nel1981, 199 7, 2003 , 20 14 – il piccolocapannodilegnosi
è trasformatoinunaverae propriacasadivacanzeconampie terrazze
e vetrateaffacciatesuquestaantica foresta.Ogniampliamento integra
l’abitazionesenza cancellare laprecedentestruttura.Così l’edificioporta
insélamemoriadiunprocessoevolutivo.1959
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PugetSoundCabinLongbranchWashington
Il rifugiodiJimOlsonracchiudelamemoriaevolutiva diun’intera vita
JimOlson’s retreat containstheevolvingmemories of a wholelife