A house that opens to the forest, a hotel that reflects the rhythm of a busy city, and a museum that feels connected to its landscape may look completely different, yet they all share the same design philosophy. That idea has guided Olson Kundig for decades. Rather than following design trends, the Seattle-based firm creates buildings and interiors that respond to the people who use them and the places where they stand. Every project begins with its surroundings, whether it is a remote mountain site, a busy urban neighborhood, or a coastal landscape. This thoughtful approach has helped Olson Kundig become one of the most respected names in architecture and interior design.
Olson Kundig built its reputation through thoughtful design
Olson Kundig is an architecture and interior design firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The practice offers architecture, interior design, exhibit design, landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning services. Today, the firm works on projects across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and other regions while maintaining its design headquarters in Seattle.
The firm’s history dates back to 1966, when architect Jim Olson established the practice in Seattle. Over the years, the studio expanded its leadership, welcomed new partners, and evolved into what is now known as Olson Kundig. Although the firm has grown significantly, it has continued to follow the same guiding principle: every project should respond to its location instead of following a fixed architectural style. Rather than creating signature buildings that look identical in every city, Olson Kundig studies each site’s climate, culture, landscape, and community before beginning the design process. This philosophy has become one of the firm’s defining characteristics and continues to shape projects of every scale.
Architecture and interiors work together from the beginning
One reason Olson Kundig stands apart is its integrated design approach. Instead of treating architecture and interior design as separate services, the firm develops both together from the earliest stages of a project. Architects, interior designers, landscape architects, exhibit designers, and urban designers collaborate throughout the design process. This allows buildings and interiors to share the same vision while creating spaces that feel comfortable, practical, and connected to their surroundings.
Many of Olson Kundig’s well-known projects include carefully framed views, generous natural lighting, durable materials such as wood, stone, steel, and concrete, and, in some cases, kinetic architectural elements like movable walls or large operable windows. These features help strengthen the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces while improving the experience of people using the building. The firm’s interiors follow the same philosophy. Whether designing a private residence, hotel, office, or cultural institution, Olson Kundig focuses on creating spaces that feel welcoming, functional, and timeless rather than driven by short-lived design trends.
The firm works across many industries
Olson Kundig has developed a diverse portfolio that extends well beyond residential architecture. Over the years, the practice has completed projects across hospitality, commercial workplaces, education, museums, cultural institutions, wineries, mixed-use developments, and adaptive reuse projects. Its residential work includes waterfront homes, mountain retreats, urban residences, and family houses designed to connect closely with their natural surroundings. Hospitality projects include luxury hotels, resorts, restaurants, and wellness destinations that reflect local culture while providing high-quality guest experiences.
The firm’s workplace designs emphasize flexibility, collaboration, and employee wellbeing, while museums and cultural buildings balance public engagement with architectural expression. This broad range of experience allows Olson Kundig to apply lessons learned from different sectors without losing the unique identity of each project. As its international presence has expanded, the firm has continued to adapt its designs to local conditions instead of applying one universal architectural language.
Consistent recognition reflects decades of design excellence
Olson Kundig has earned recognition from respected organizations throughout the architecture profession. Its awards represent consistent performance over many years rather than success from a single project.
One of the firm’s most significant achievements came in 2009, when the American Institute of Architects (AIA) presented the practice with the AIA Architecture Firm Award, the organization’s highest honor for an architectural firm. At the time, the practice operated under the name OlsonSundberg Kundig Allen Architects. The award recognized the firm’s lasting contribution to architecture through design excellence and professional leadership.
The firm’s commitment to design quality has continued to receive industry recognition. In 2025, The Architect’s Newspaper named Olson Kundig Best of Practice – Large Firm (West). According to the award announcement, the recognition reflected the firm’s achievements in innovation, sustainability, workplace culture, equity, and collaborative practice. Olson Kundig has received dozens of regional and national awards from the American Institute of Architects, along with recognition from organizations including the Chicago Athenaeum. These honors demonstrate the firm’s ability to deliver high-quality projects across a wide range of building types.
Tom Kundig helped shape the firm’s international reputation
Among the firm’s leading architects, Tom Kundig has played an important role in establishing Olson Kundig’s global reputation.
His work is known for combining engineering creativity with architecture that responds closely to nature and the environment. Several of his projects include innovative movable building components that allow structures to adapt to changing weather and landscapes while maintaining strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces.
In 2018, Tom Kundig received the AIA Seattle Gold Medal, recognizing his contribution to architecture and design leadership. According to Olson Kundig, his work has also received more than sixty awards from the American Institute of Architects, including ten National Honor Awards and ten National Housing Awards. His achievements have helped strengthen the firm’s international profile while supporting its reputation for thoughtful and technically advanced design.
Olson Kundig has grown through design rather than acquisitions
Many companies expand through mergers, acquisitions, or outside investment. Olson Kundig has followed a different path.
Olson Kundig has expanded steadily by building long-term client relationships, taking on increasingly complex projects, and broadening its range of professional services. This measured growth has allowed the practice to strengthen its international presence while maintaining its collaborative culture and design philosophy. Rather than appearing in business headlines for financial transactions, the firm is more widely recognized for award-winning projects, professional achievements, and leadership within the architecture industry.
CEO and Owner Hemanshu Parwani brings decades of business leadership
A significant part of Olson Kundig’s recent growth has taken place under the leadership of Hemanshu Parwani, widely known as HP, who serves as the firm’s Principal, Owner, and Chief Executive Officer. Parwani joined Olson Kundig in 2018, bringing more than three decades of international experience in business operations, capital markets, organizational strategy, and the architecture, engineering, and construction industries.
His educational background reflects his strong business foundation. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Delhi University and holds professional qualifications as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA), and Associate Cost and Management Accountant (ACMA). Unlike many leaders of architecture firms, Parwani’s expertise lies in finance, business strategy, and organizational development. This experience has helped strengthen the firm’s operational capabilities while supporting its long-term design ambitions.
Hemanshu Parwani helped strengthen the firm’s global operations
Since joining Olson Kundig, Hemanshu Parwani has focused on aligning business strategy with the firm’s design-led culture. His leadership has supported improvements in organizational capacity, operational excellence, financial management, and business development. He has also helped expand Olson Kundig’s hospitality portfolio while strengthening relationships with internationally recognized luxury hospitality brands, including Aman, One&Only, Six Senses, Montage, Auberge Resorts Collection, Fairmont, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Armani Hotels, and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
These efforts have supported the firm’s ability to undertake larger and more complex international projects while maintaining the collaborative approach that has defined Olson Kundig for decades. His contribution has focused on creating a strong operational foundation that enables the firm’s architects and designers to continue delivering high-quality work across multiple sectors.
Collaboration continues to define the firm’s culture
Collaboration remains central to the way Olson Kundig operates. Architects, interior designers, landscape architects, exhibit designers, planners, and technical specialists work together throughout each project instead of operating independently.
The firm also places importance on sustainability and workplace culture. Initiatives such as its open-source zero-carbon dashboard and employee-led affinity groups that encourage inclusion, learning, and collaboration across the practice. These initiatives demonstrate that Olson Kundig’s focus extends beyond designing buildings. The firm also invests in improving the way its teams work together while supporting more sustainable approaches to design and construction.
Olson Kundig continues to shape architecture through lasting design
For nearly six decades, Olson Kundig has built a reputation through thoughtful architecture, carefully designed interiors, and a consistent commitment to projects that respond to their surroundings. Instead of relying on rapid expansion through mergers or outside investment, the firm has grown through design excellence, long-term client relationships, and professional recognition. Its award-winning portfolio, integrated design approach, and collaborative culture continue to influence architecture and interior design across residential, hospitality, commercial, and cultural sectors. Under the leadership of CEO and Owner Hemanshu Parwani, the firm has strengthened its operational foundation while continuing to support the creative values that have shaped its identity since 1966.
Olson Kundig’s journey shows that lasting success in architecture comes from understanding people, respecting place, and maintaining high design standards over time. The firm’s steady growth, industry recognition, and collaborative culture demonstrate how creativity and strong leadership can work together to shape meaningful spaces around the world. At Modern Construction360, we continue to highlight firms like Olson Kundig because they reflect the ideas, leadership, and design approaches that are shaping the future of architecture and interior design.
