A School of Architecture Lecture Series Event
When
Immersive Design: The Intersection of Site, Craft, and Collaboration
Olson Kundig is a collaborative design practice whose work spans built and natural landscapes. Founded in the Pacific Northwest and initially known for its residential work, the firm has since evolved into a global practice encompassing projects of all types and scales, while remaining grounded in sensitivity to site, celebration of craft, and a commitment to collaboration throughout the design process.
Olson Kundig principal/owner Kevin Kudo-King will speak to the culture of Olson Kundig— emphasizing the firm’s collaborative approach, traditions, and design process. He’ll explore strategies for immersive design at the intersections of site, craft, and collaboration. Responsive architecture goes beyond capturing a site’s physical qualities, it reflects the non-physical qualities—culture, history, and collective memory—in built form. Craft reveals this context through a tactile connection to local building traditions, transforming architecture into a layered experience that intimately reveals place. The most successful projects integrate these elements through a process in which the architect is an extension of the builders and craftspeople, engaging them through every phase to shape the outcome. Through case studies, Kevin will share how these philosophies and the firm’s culture of collaboration shape transformative, experiential architecture.
Learn more about the Studio:
Olson Kundig — A collaborative global design practice whose work expands the context of built and natural landscapes.
About the Speaker
Kevin Kudo-King, AIA, LEED AP, is a principal and owner at Olson Kundig. Since joining the firm in 1996, he has led award-winning residential and hospitality projects worldwide. Influenced by his education in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert while earning his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Arizona, along with extensive travel, Kevin designs immersive, sensory-rich spaces that honor site, culture, and craft. His collaborative approach engages builders and craftspeople to create architecture that quietly frames the landscape and fosters deep connections to place. Whether designing private homes or hospitality destinations, his work prioritizes material authenticity, tactile experiences, and the unfolding discovery of space.
About Olson Kundig
Now in its sixth decade of practice, Olson Kundig is a collaborative design practice whose work includes cultural and museum projects, exhibition design, commercial and mixed-use design (including wineries and sports facilities), private and multi-family residential, hospitality projects, places of worship, interior design, product design and landscape design. With offices in Seattle, Chicago, and New York City, the firm and its team of over 350 work with clients around the world.