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Spirit Of Place
By
Chad Oppenheim
The blurred boundaries between
nature and structure… Spirit of Place
Chad Oppenheim, Oppenheim Architecture
Praise for Chad Oppenheim and
Spirit of Place
“Oppenheim’s Spirit of Place promises to elevate our spirits and reanimate our relationship to our surroundings. These
immersive environments invite us to abandon our quotidian concerns in favor of experiences
both more grounded and atmospheric.”
— Charles Waldheim. John E. Irving Professor of Landscape Architecture,
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
“I believe the architecture of a building says a lot about its soul and I wanted a building for the center that makes a
statement to the world and the kids – something that will stand as a monument of optimism, to inspire the kids in it to
aspire to greater things. I felt Chad was the only architect who could capture that.”
— Pharrell Williams, musician, record producer, composer, and fashion designer
Spirit of Place (TRA Publishing; March 2018), is the rst monograph of celebrated architect Chad Oppenheim,
principal and founder of the award-winning rm, Oppenheim Architecture. This rst publication of the work of
Oppenheim and his studio takes the reader to a world where boundaries are blurred between nature and architecture,
heightening our awareness of the beauty that surrounds us.
Through passion and sensitivity towards man and nature,
Oppenheim creates monumental yet silent work that invokes a site’s inherent power. Oppenheim’s work is about
living with the land versus on the land. The unique format of Spirit of Place,
with over 500 strikingly beautiful color photographs, transport the reader into the world that Oppenheim crafts, celebrating his belief that “form follows feeling.”
The images in Spirit of Place are not only beautiful, they allow readers to consider
timely and provocative related topics, including:
• Why utilizing natural resources and elements — light, air, water, sky, vegetation, locally sourced materials --
not only has the potential to connect people with their environment, but with themselves and to each other
• Why sustainability is a moral imperative
• How to strengthen the synergy between the human and natural world
• What the evolving landscape of architecture and design looks like now and what the future holds
• How to determine a site’s inherent truth
• Why it is important to design a structure that enhances life
• How the unique attributes of a landscape can be used to create a pleasurable experience
• What does “spirit of place” mean
In Spirit of Place, nature is the main character on every page — be it celebrating the sky in an urban condition or
connecting to a place in a more remote environment. A beautifully constructed collection, it offers readers a glimpse
into the full breadth of Oppenheim’s work, including a luxurious tropical home on a dune in the Bahamas whose
central living space is an open breezeway, allowing visual and pedestrian connections across the site.
The work ranges from fully accomplished architecture such as a breathtaking home in Aspen, clad in reclaimed regional wood, stone and steel, merging effortlessly with its idyllic surroundings of forest, stream, and mountain to others brilliantly
imagined, including the Wadi Rum Desert Resort in Jordan, where residences, rooms and hotel amenities would be
built into the cliffs, and inserted into the natural faults and ssures of the land, synchronizing with the topography of
this protected desert wilderness.
The book in and of itself is a work of art, and can be opened to lie flat to easily view
the stunning imagery.
Spirit of Place will resonate with a range of readers — architects, home enthusiasts, professionals in the building/
design space, as well as those with a deep appreciation for aesthetics and the natural world. It is for people who
question the line between who they are and where they are, and believe that the space they occupy
is more than just a roof over their heads
About the Author
Chad Oppenheim is a Miami-based architect whose work has been praised for its ability to transform
the prosaic into the poetic. A graduate of Cornell University and a Fellow of the AIA,
Oppenheim has lectured widely and has taught at various architecture schools, including most recently
at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. In 1999, he founded Oppenheim Architecture (Miami, Basel, New York),
which has garnered global recognition at many scales: from large-scale urban architecture, hotels and resorts,
to private residences, interiors and furnishings.
The international practice has received over 70 awards and distinctions, including the AIA’s highest distinction,
the Silver Medal, and has been featured in numerous publications around the world.
Oppenheim currently resides in Miami Beach with his wife and muse, Ilona,
their son Hendrix and their daughter Liloo.
Spirit of Place is his first book.
Chad Oppenheim’s Spirit of Place is a poetic rumination on how architecture connects
with the earth. This rst published monograph of the work of Oppenheim and his
studio takes the reader to a world
where boundaries are blurred between nature and
architecture, heightening our awareness of the beauty that surrounds us.
http://oppenoffice.com/
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