The primary vision of the inaugural site conceives structures with spaces that ask to exist permanently with the landscape, cave like in their poetry. We imagined a symbiosis with the wildlife, snowfall, polar days and nights in a hidden corner of the world, while also being elaborated by the natural extremes. There is a beauty in response to these realities. Adopting a frontier mentality much like those who lived with the land over vast time.

Roger Bores, of HW Studio Arquitectos, the architect of the site sees this project as a harmonious sanctuary within Alaska’s natural elements. The spaces subtly emerging from the bluff they sit on, and frame the view where the distant horizon meets the earth below.

The total space expands to just under 130 sqm, remaining versatile, welcoming, yet never disconnected from the effects of exposed nature. Each space is mindful of the physical and mental psychologically of safe enclosure, with singular functioning areas to initiate pure focus.

A devotion to the balance of exposure and enclosure achieved by a constant view of the exterior southwest meets west facing treelined landscape, each interior surface of each space is wrapped in wood paneling native to the region with a hue to interact with light turning it warm in its resemblance to a fire’s distant glow.

The intention of the inaugural location is a versatile habitat for artists to utilize the space for testing and discovery, by way of immersion in an unfamiliar environment to contrast their own familiarities.

As the living quarters is meant to stimulate purity through isolated focus — the open plan studio stimulates variable freedom from ones own creative expectations. With collaborative efforts the Soon Foundation expects to host artists commissioned to conceive, complete, and develop public and semi-public works that are permanently site specific (within Alaska).

Works will be exhibited throughout the studio, living quarters, and surrounding acreage with appointment scheduled programming encouraging local and out-of-state visitation year-round.

(1.) Alaska’s surface comprises over 1.7 million acres of wetlands, with almost 88% publicly owned and managed.

Efforts to maintain the boundaries of wetlands is crucial as these areas are age old naturally designated flood zone spill off for the surrounding area. (2.) In 19XX the U.S. government created a policy preventing development and any construction designed to jeopardize this cadence of the land holding water. Their definitions, classifications, and categorizations make for large areas of beautifully uninterrupted wilderness that attracts communities of wildlife.

We at Soon Foundation are committed to maintaining wetlands protection while allowing tourism to non-invasively enjoy what would otherwise be considered difficult and dangerous to navigate areas.

Over the course of 5 years we plan to work with the state to determine public trails and easements that could serve for artist designed pavilion sites, marking wildlife information and regional history along popular routes to Alaska State Parks.

(1.) Status of Alaska Wetlands — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2.) XXXX