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Sawmill

Sawmill

CA, United States

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Sawmill

CA, United States

Firm

Olson Kundig

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2014

SIZE

5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

Photos

Kevin Scott / Olson Kundig (14), Gabe Border Photography (8)

Set in the harsh high desert of California, Sawmill is a family retreat embedded into the tough, scrubby landscape. Sawmill harnesses the challenges and opportunities of its remote site, emphasizing sustainable strategies and reclaimed materials. Demonstrating that high design can also be high performance, Sawmill is a net-zero home that operates completely off the grid.

The client brief called for a self-sufficient home that maximized connection between architecture and nature, and between family members inside. Riffing on the tradition of tents around a campfire, the house is comprised of three wings connected by the central hearth in the living area. Here, a 12-by-26-foot window wall retracts with the turn of a wheel, transforming the outdoor patio into the fourth “tent” around the fire.

Tough as nails, Sawmill is made from durable materials that can withstand the harsh climate, where fires are a major hazard in summer and winters are extremely cold. The design approach was driven by a scavenger mentality, seeking always to do more with less, including using salvaged and recycled materials whenever possible.

Carefully sited to minimize disturbance to its remote environment, Sawmill acknowledges that while the desert is harsh, it is also fragile. Historically, the valley had been used for mining, ranching and logging – hence the name “Sawmill.” Recognizing this past exploitation of the site, the homeowners wanted their house to give back to the land, rather than take from it. Sawmill stands as a testament to high design as an environmental ethic – a building that connects people to place.

Project Team:
Tom Kundig, FAIA, Design Principal
Elizabeth Bianchi Conklin, AIA, LEED® AP BD+C, Project Manager

Contractor: Bruce Shafer

Photographers: Gabe Border and Kevin Scott / Olson Kundig

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Sawmill

CA, United States

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Sawmill

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Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team

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Sawmill

CA, United States

Other Projects by Olson Kundig

Darkalino's + Hometeam

The LeBron James Innovation Center at Nike World Headquarters

8899 Beverly Boulevard

Leach Botanical Garden - The Upper Garden

Capitol Hill Remodel

Martha's Vineyard Horizon House

ANOHA—The Children’s World of the Jewish Museum Berlin

Water Cabin

Hudson Valley Residence

DRIFT Yoga Studio

Cave B Cabins

Chemin Byron

Tofino Beach House

Vermont Cabin

Hale Lana

Dragonfly

Blakely Island Artist Studio

Whistler Ski House

Rio House

Wave House

Sawmill

CA, United States

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team