Mickey Muennig, Gibbs Smith Publishers, 192 pages, $62.
Long before there was a movement for green architecture, Mickey Muennig was incorporating those principles into his designs.
Solar heat, green roofs, and local materials have long been a part of how he works to make a home connect with the landscape.
In 1971 Muennig received a request to design a house to be built in Big Sur. That request led Muennig to move permanently to California and start a career that extended for more than three decades.
The rugged landscape and the isolated building locations suited Muennig's sensibilities and he savoured those influences. The homes he designed defined a West Coast post-modernism that melded with the landscape. His style embraced the unique qualities of each location, sometimes sitting lightly on a rocky precipice, other times burrowing into a slope to become a part of the grounds and the natural surroundings.
With colour photos, architectural drawings and Muennig's own descriptions, 23 buildings are brought to life in this stunning collection. From his own glass teepee-styled studio to the extensive Post Ranch Inn, there is a wide range of properties featured.
The buildings Muennig designed share a common link to the land and are a legacy to the brilliant imagination of this remarkable architect.
