The Pierre, San Juan Islands House, Images, American Residential Architecture, US Residence Architect
The Pierre on San Juan Islands
American Residential Property, WA, USA ? design by Olson Kundig architects
6 Feb 2017
The Pierre
Location: San Juan Islands, Washington, United States
Architects: Olson Kundig
The Pierre

Conceived as a secure and unexpected retreat nestled into a rock, the Pierre (the French for stone) celebrates the materiality of this site. From certain angles, the house ? with its rough materials, encompassing stone, green roof and surrounding foliage ? almost disappears into nature.

With the exception of a guest suite, the Pierre functions on one main level, with an open plan kitchen, dining and living space. A large pivoting steel and glass door opens for access to an outdoor terrace.
To set the house deep into the site, portions of the rock outcropping were excavated through machine work and handwork. The contractor used large drills to set the outline of the building, then used dynamite, hydraulic chippers, a selection of wire saws and other hand tools, working with finer and finer implements as construction progressed. 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 car...