Idaho, US

Photo: Stuart Isett: www.isett.com
NYTimes:

When Jan McFarland Cox, an artist and designer, first approached the architect Tom Kundig about building a house here in the high desert of southern Idaho, she did not know the project would consume nearly a decade of her life. But as the years went by — most of the delays had to do with selling her old house and getting permission to build the new one — she never thought seriously about abandoning it, she said. More surprising, both she and her architect ended up feeling the delays were a good thing.

“We had time to refine and refine and refine,” said Ms. Cox, who is 61. “And the house got better each time.”

When a project goes on for so long, Mr. Kundig said, and when the client is fighting to stick to a budget amid rising construction costs, as Ms. Cox was, “there’s a discipline that starts to come into play.” During the long process, he added, Ms. Cox clarified her needs, allowing him to “edit out the indulgences.” The resulting house, finished last summer, is strikingly simple even for Mr. Kundig, whose award-winning work is known for its uncomplicated forms.