Celebrating Tom Kundig: Complete Houses
The Local Project brought together Australia and New Zealand’s leading architects and designers for two intimate evenings to celebrate the launch of renowned architect Tom Kundig’s monograph Tom Kundig: Complete Houses.
It is certainly a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of architecture’s most inventive minds. Over two events hosted in Auckland and Sydney, Tom Kundig, the founder and principal of Seattle-based practice Olson Kundig, treated a rapt audience to a reflection on his astounding four decades of residential design.
Tom Kundig, the founder and principal of Seattle-based practice Olson Kundig, treated a rapt audience to a reflection on his astounding four decades of residential design.
The Auckland event was held within The Libraries Lounge at The Hotel Britomart, designed by Cheshire Architects. Elevated and intimate in tone, the evening welcomed 70 guests for cocktails followed by a seated discussion between The Local Project editor Millie Thwaites and Kundig. The conversation explored his creative journey, the evolution of his practice and the role residential architecture has played as a testing ground for innovation throughout his career.
At the centre of the lively discussion was Tom Kundig: Complete Houses, described as a “complete residential retrospective” charting more than 40 years of work across six continents. Published by Monacelli in October 2025, the expansive 600-page volume presents a chronology of 462 residential projects for the first time, alongside in-depth explorations of 38 homes, including 12 previously unpublished works. Rich with hand-drawn sketches, interviews and incredible photography, the book offers a unique insight into Kundig’s career-long fascination with place, craft and kinetic design.
Particular attention was given to Te Whare Tupu Kirikiri, the North Island project featured in the book and embossed on its vibrant orange clothbound cover. The project’s inclusion resonated with the local audience, speaking to the shared architectural sensibility between Kundig’s work and the landscapes and vernacular traditions of Australia and New Zealand.
Guests also engaged enthusiastically during the Q&A, posing thoughtful technical questions that touched on engineering, collaboration and leading a global design team. “It was such a pleasure to speak with Tom. He is so generous and a natural storyteller,” Thwaites says.
A week later, the conversation continued in Sydney at Kiln, the rooftop restaurant at Ace Hotel Sydney, designed by Fiona Lynch Office. With a backdrop of sweeping views across the city skyline, the event took the form of an intimate seated dinner for just 26 guests. Hosted by Aidan Anderson, The Local Project founder and CEO, alongside Kundig, the evening echoed many of the themes explored in Auckland while offering a curated dining experience and a uniquely personal and private atmosphere.
Conversation moved between Kundig’s design philosophy, the ideas behind Complete Houses and the extraordinary breadth of the residential work documented within its pages. Across both evenings, the emphasis remained on creating a space for meaningful exchange: a chance for architects and designers to engage directly with a practitioner whose work continues to break boundaries and challenge convention.
Both events captured the spirit of Kundig’s practice while celebrating a publication that stands as the definitive collection of his residential work to date.
