Olson Kundig Architects began under architect Jim Olson, whose work in the late 1960s explored the relationship between dwellings and the landscape of the American Northwest. Olson started the firm based on the premise that buildings can serve as a bridge between nature, culture and people. 

In 1996, Tom Kundig joined Olson as an owner, taking the firm to another level of creative exploration and helping it grow into an office with an international reputation. Today, Olson Kundig now numbers over 105 employees. Its work focuses on museums, commercial design, academic buildings, exhibit design, interior design, places of worship and residences. The office combines the capacity of a large firm with the intensity of a small one; its commitment to vigorous, critical design has infused its designers with a shared sense of commitment to every project.