Todd Saunders: New Northern Houses

Homes and villas designed by architect Todd Saunders come to life in this gorgeous collection from journalist Bradbury (The Iconic House). Saunders’s work is “deeply in tune with the landscape,” Bradbury writes, as he takes an intimate look at the architect’s motivations and methods, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at his conversations with clients. Things begin with an examination of Saunders’s influences from Canada and Norway, the “cross-fertilization between the architecture of the country where he was born... and where he eventually settled down,” followed by a series of the architect’s projects. There’s the cross-shaped Villa Austevoll on an archipelago in Vestland, Norway; a light-filled home/studio in Salt Spring, Canada; and Villa S&E, the bottom floors of which function as dorms for students at Bergen University College. Each location is captured in stunning detail, with breathtaking photos, close-ups, seasonal images, and blueprints. The photography is so captivating that readers may be tempted to ignore the accompanying text; that would be a mistake, as Bradbury’s elegant explanations do a great job of unpacking Saunders’s work, his philosophy that architects “touch the land lightly,” and his observations (“The little projects that we do often help inform the larger projects”). Design aficionados are in for a treat. (Nov.)