Winter Wonderland: Mork-Ulnes Architects and Henrik H Bull
Troll Hus, Mork-Ulnes Architects, Photo: Bruce Damonte
With winter upon us, we think of Lake Tahoe with its snow-capped mountains, crystal-clear water, and classic cabins. Grassi admires two architects who have worked in the area: the firm Mork-Ulnes Architects and the late Henrik H Bull. Mork-Ulnes, with offices in San Francisco and Oslo, combines the aesthetics and sensibilities of both places in their projects. For Troll Hus, a 3,300sf single-family residence at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, they clad the three-level structure in tar-treated pine inspired by 1000-year-old Norwegian barns. The alpine chalet features vaulted ceilings with skylights while the restrained structure recedes into the landscape.
Henrik H Bull A-Frame Ski Cabin
Henrik H Bull l (1929-2013) also had connections to Scandinavia, which influenced his design. The legendary Norwegian American architect grew up in Vermont but spent summers in Norway. An avid skier from age three, Bull began his career designing simple ski retreats, helping pioneer the A-Frame. He earned his architectural degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where California Modernist architect William W. Wurster served as Dean of the Department of Architecture. A trailblazing faculty taught him, including futurist Buckminster Fuller, Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, and multi-faceted Ralph Rapson. Bull moved to San Francisco in the 1950s.
Klaussen Cabin
The architect's friend Peter Klaussen commissioned him to design a ski cabin in 1955. Located on a steep slope of pre-Olympic Squaw Valley, the two-level, 876-square-foot home graced the cover of Sunset Magazine, launching Bull's career. He left a legacy of site-specific projects at his death, garnering 43 significant awards, including one for the Northstar-at-Tahoe resort. Mork-Ulnes, founded in 2005 by Casper Mork-Ulnes, has already earned numerous national and international honors, including over ten awards from the AIA and extensive press coverage. Grassi looks forward to seeing what the future will bring for the uniquely Nordic Californian company.
