ABOUT THE BUILDER | DESIGNER

Dirk Nelson grew up on a farm in the foothills of Walla Walla’s Blue Mountains. The rolling hills of wheat country, and the Blue Mountains themselves have played a big role in shaping his perspective. From a young age he has held an interest in how the lay of the land affects the lifestyle of its inhabitants. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, he credits his upbringing with honoring the process of “creating” and taking ideas from original thought all the way through to completion.

Dirk pursued coursework in Architecture and design at both the University of Idaho and University of Washington. The practical application of design, however, was his primary focus, and he knew that to really absorb each design lesson, he had to do the building himself. He ultimately received a degree in Construction Management from the University of Washington. “I need to get my hands on each task of the building process for me to feel comfortable with really knowing my design. I’m a big fan of “the process” and that’s my true teacher.” Even to this day, Nelson acknowledges that each project has its own path; and he allows for the building process to dictate back to the design.

Since the effects of environment on dwelling and lifestyle are such a keen interest for Dirk, he began his career by having his own family (wife Kathy, and two children) live in two of his projects. “Each home is its own entity, and I like to see how it will “breathe”. Spending years in a few of the designs have allowed him to evolve and perfect a home, as some issues need several years to become apparent. These earlier building projects (rebuild of 326 Newell, and 1156 Reser Rd, ‘The Russell Creek Project’) mark the continuation of his self-education. After completing the ground-up construction of the Russell Creek Project, and heeding the requests of many observers, Dirk felt ready to plan his next project for the general market. The Boneyard Project (1250 Reser Rd) is the culmination of about many years of research into efficient home design.

BUILDING AND DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Dirk first and foremost believes that one must consider, and work in harmony with all surroundings and characteristics of a property when building a home. “I am interested in connecting the dots from nature to person to building and then to life.” As a result, he has come to be the rare builder designer in the area who works in a truly Walla Walla vernacular. Sun angle, weather patterns, waterways, old growth trees, mountain orientation, and roadways are all factors that play a role in home and property design. Nelson also believes that one should work with the true nature of each building material. Always shunning veneers, Nelson plays up the “nuts and bolts of each home’s building blocks. One can then appreciate the form of a spider-shaped tractor gear used to support the joining of ceiling beams. An on-site tree used to make a prominent beam in a home will remain uncovered, hand honed and treated to reveal its true grain. Dirk acknowledges that his need to be involved in every step of the “process” doesn’t always make things “easy”; but the end result is worth the extra effort.

DESIGN INFLUENCES

Dirk has found long term inspiration in the work of Bruce Goff, Bart Prince, the “Jersey Devils” design group, and Samuel Mockbee. Malcolm Wells’ green roofs, and ecologically friendly ideas have inspired much of Nelson’s heating and cooling plans. He also doesn’t want to diminish the importance of the archeological wonders still standing today that represent the most enduring of human architecture such as the Anasazi homes of Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde buildings, and even Stonehenge.