Arcadian Architecture - Bohlin Cywinski Jackson-12 Houses Description:

Arcadian Architecture : Bohlin Cywinski Jackson-12 Houses review:
5 stars (A book of equal quality to the firm's body of work.) - I won't bore you with what an excellent firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is, their 250 architectural design awards are evidence of the quality of the body of their work. I instead would like to review the quality of this publication. In over thirty years of architectural practice and school I don't know if I have seen a better constructed book. The contributions by Peter Bohlin and James Cutler as well as the introduction by Thomas Fisher frame the twelve houses is such a way as to clear understanding of the design and construction process that make these projects worth serious study. It is seldom that I open a book for the first time and fell such "WOW" at the quality of its content and construction of the book. It is a work of art in my opinion. Oscar Riera Ojeda has done an excellent job as editor of this work.
5 stars (Where does the richest man in the world hang his hat?) - Question: Where doe the richest man in the world hang his hat?

Answer: In a house built by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.



In a new monograph from Rizzoli, Arcadian Architecture focuses on 12 private commissions built by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. As the title suggests Arcadian Architecture showcases homes that have a rustic or peaceful feeling, heightened by harmonious blending into their surroundings. The houses have a warm earthy minimal style inside and outside, created from wood, concrete, rock and stone. They look as if they grew in the landscape rather than being built there. Each of the 12 houses is presented in great detail, the captions, elevation drawings, sketches, and photos provide the reader with a personal tour of each property.



One of the featured projects in Arcadian Architecture is, " A Pacific Rim Estate", is a residential compound near Seattle perched on a steep site, leading down to the edge of Lake Washington. Arcadian Architecture does not advertise this as Bill Gates' house in the table of contents; this is indeed Bill's. It has been published in newspapers, magazines and is well documented on web sites, including the Architects' own.



The Pacific Rim Estate is a Pacific Northwest style lodge compound composed of more than a dozen buildings. This site covers about 5 acres with 66,000 square feet of buildings, equivalent to 1.5 acres of buildings. The structures are subtle, created from huge timbers, concrete, and glass. A common theme in houses built by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is a seamless transition from house to nature from inside to outside. Numerous photographs reveal the structural details to be of highest quality and craftsmanship yet very simple. There is almost no covering up of the structural skeleton, wood joinery, the attachment of the timber framing to the walls, ceilings, the joists, trusses, are all revealed.



Some buildings flow one into another through halls, walkways, open patios and others are freestanding such as the boathouse, gatehouse and guesthouse. The architects manipulate what can be seen at any time creating privacy and drama. For example, the main garage holds 20 cars but much if it is below the ground to reduce its bulk and not detract from the landscape. The pool house and the lakeside pavilion have sod roofs that blend into the landscape and can't be seen from higher elevations. One of the most beautiful parts of the complex is the open air amphitheater (reminiscent of Ancient Greece or Rome) which is composed of poured concrete benches arranged in a horseshoe, with "seats" made from sod, punctuated with growing trees. It is a tranquil transitional space between buildings.



The guesthouse, which has won a number of awards, has the most illustrated interior, it is simple and sparsely furnished. There are no fussy details and not even a painting hangs on the walls, just beautiful natural views. The architects designed fine wooden furniture to fit perfectly in the bedroom and dining area. Softer touches come from a simple piece of fabric is draped behind the bed and a few pillows. This is the first portion of the estate built several years earlier and it served as the "lab" for many of the ideas that are repeated throughout the greater complex.



There are a few novel "green" adaptations in this project. The huge timbers that unify the buildings were recycled from a factory that was torn down. These timbers were re-sawn and refinished to perfection. The landscape plantings, 100 truckloads of forest, were transported from an area, which was to be burned in order to clear it. (from an interview with Jim Cutler in AIA) Seattle is known for rain but a 100,000+ gallon underground cistern was built to catch rainwater, which is used to water the landscaping. Water run-off is also funneled into a man made estuary restoring some of the shoreline wetlands on the property's edge. The retaining walls and steep site necessitated additional diversion of water or it would have caused damage.



Members of the architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson have been at the drawing board since 1965, amassing more than 250 regional, national and international awards for their buildings. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson built major commissions for academic institutions, public spaces and corporations (the Apple store on Michigan Ave., Chicago). They also build private homes both large and small. In 1994 they received the equivalent of an Olympic gold medal for their profession, the Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects.



Arcadian Architecture is a big book, 424 pages, 650 color photographs, 250 black and white photographs, 350 drawings and 8 gatefolds all told 7-Â# pounds worth. With impressive production values a great value at $65.00.