Outpost

Set in the remote, harsh high desert of Idaho, Outpost is an artist’s live/work studio and sculpture garden. The building’s compactness restricts site impact and reinforces the desire to be outside. This is a windy place, and the enclosed “paradise garden,” is separated from the wild landscape by thick masonry walls. The footprint of the house is the limit of intrusion into the land—a simple, clearly defined space. This structure exemplifies Kundig’s belief that the architect’s job is to create an experience of place. Outpost’s compactness limits site impact and reinforces the desire to be outside. The architects chose a readily available construction material—concrete block—for the primary structure; commercial builders