Interview with Jeff Kovel – The architect of the Cullen House (Hoke House) from twilight.


HOKE 3

When I wrote the original Cullen House article I never imagined it would gain the popularity it did. As promised, I have been in contact with Jeff Kovel from Skylab Architecture and have prepared the following interview/bio along with a few more images for all the mad fans!

“I am in architecture, development, and rock and roll.”

– Jeff Kovel

HOKE 6

Jeff Kovel grew up just outside of New York City and lived there until he attended Cornell University’s Architecture school. Since then he has made his way to the West Coast and in 1996 he finally settled down in Portland, Oregon. However, it was while growing up in New York that Jeff realised he wished to become an architect. His family had begun work on a new home and a young Jeff thus developed a new fascination for both building and design.

It was three years after arriving in Portland when 26 year old Jeff founded his own architecture firm, Skylab architecture. He admits that he started his practice at a very young age and wishes that he’d worked under other architects beforehand. Nevertheless, Skylab Architecture has grown into a fully fledged successful firm. When asked what the most rewarding aspect of practicing architecture is, Kovel explains “We [architects] have carved out a niche that allows us to explore and innovate. The most rewarding part of this career is the work which we are able to create with this open format.”
Kovel likens his own design philosophies to storytelling. “We bring concepts to life, each of these concepts is a story,” he says. “The paragraphs are like spaces, the words, materials. Each project is a unique deep investigation into this story telling…

HOKE 4

Our process is research based, and iterative. We look for authentic meaning and relationships. We do not rush aesthetic conclusions.”
Kovel explains that his inspiration comes from many different architectural sources. “I love many progressive architects from all eras of modernism, I appreciate the periods prior as well. There isn’t a subject I would rather talk about.”
As I’m sure many of you can relate, Jeff Kovel and Skylab architecture became known to me through the film Twilight; what many of us have come to know as the Cullen residence is actually the ‘Hoke Residence’, so I asked Jeff about how the house came to be.

HOKE 2

“The Hoke residence was originally built as a ‘spec’ house [This simply means it was built, with the speculation of finding a suitable buyer], or a project built without a client as a development for sale.
After two days on the market, the house was purchased by the director of footwear design at Nike, John Hoke. Following a cover story in a northwest architecture publication, The Hoke’s were approached by a film location scout, a little film called Twilight.”

HOKE 1

“We designed the house in 2006, completed construction in 2007. We have designed an additional residence next door that will begin construction once we locate another vampire”
“This December, we took our staff to see the movie to start our holiday party. We all loved it. We have been receiving fan mail from all over the world, including many inquiries for the house plans – contacts from Croatia, The Philippines, Buenos Aires, and Melbourne Australia among others.”

HOKE 5

There is more to Skylab architecture beyond the Hoke House – amoungst Skylab’s impressive folio is also the following..

montgomery residence
Montgomery residence
nau webfront
Nau Webfront

north
‘North’
12+ alder
12 + Alder

More images on these projects and more can be found at Skylab Architecture’s website.

 

24,839 Comments

  1. Have you ever thought about creating an ebook or guest authoring on other sites? I have a blog centered on the same ideas you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would value your work. If you抮e even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.

  2. poker tips says:

    Howdy! Ӏ know this is кind of off-topic but I needd to
    ask. Doеs managing a well-established website ѕuch aas yours
    tаke a massive amoսnt work? I am brand new tto writing ɑ blog hоwever І ⅾߋ write
    in mʏ diary оn a daily basis. І’d lіke tto start ɑ
    blog ѕo Ι cаn easily share my oԝn experience and views online.
    Рlease let mme know iff ʏou haѵe any suggestions
    orr tips fօr btand new aspiring blog owners. Аppreciate іt!

  3. Elliot Falis says:

    HowdyHi thereHey thereHelloHey just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The textwords in your contentpostarticle seem to be running off the screen in IeInternet explorerChromeFirefoxSafariOpera. I’m not sure if this is a formatformatting issue or something to do with web browserinternet browserbrowser compatibility but I thoughtfigured I’d post to let you know. The style and designdesign and stylelayoutdesign look great though! Hope you get the problemissue solvedresolvedfixed soon. KudosCheersMany thanksThanks

  4. One more issue is that video gaming became one of the all-time most important forms of recreation for people of every age group. Kids engage in video games, and adults do, too. The actual XBox 360 is among the favorite games systems for many who love to have a huge variety of activities available to them, and also who like to learn live with other people all over the world. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

  5. When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Many thanks!

  6. Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  7. I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the structure of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  8. My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your post’s to be precisely what I’m looking for. Would you offer guest writers to write content for yourself? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome weblog!

  9. Fascinating blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Bless you

  10. I抎 constantly want to be update on new blog posts on this internet site , saved to favorites ! .

  11. This particular is really a good internet site. Excellent fresh interface and nice informative weblogs. I is going to be returning soon, thanks for the excellent blog. Whilst these types of possess a straps to keep child within place even though you抮e changing all of them, you need to in no way baby unwatched when the pad just isn抰 strapped to something.

  12. I抦 curious to find out what blog platform you are utilizing? I抦 having some small security problems with my latest blog and I抎 like to find something more risk-free. Do you have any solutions?

  13. I抳e been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?

  14. i think that satellite radio would also become popular in the years to come because of its great coverage area..

  15. It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this superb blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this blog with my Facebook group. Talk soon!

  16. . says:

    That is the suitable blog for anybody who wants to seek out out about this topic. You understand a lot its nearly hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You positively put a brand new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply great!

  17. There a few intriguing points with time in this post but I don抰 know if all of them center to heart. There exists some validity but I will take hold opinion until I take a look at it further. Excellent write-up , thanks and that we want a lot more! Added onto FeedBurner likewise

  18. power tools can really save you from a lot of headache, specially when the job is very hard.

  19. certainly like your web-site but you have to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to inform the truth however I will definitely come again again.

  20. Howdy, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it抯 driving me mad so any support is very much appreciated.

  21. I just like the valuable info you supply on your articles.
    I will bookmark your weblog and take a look at once more right
    here frequently. I am somewhat certain I will learn a lot of new stuff right
    right here! Best of luck for the next!

  22. maybe this will help folie auto or [url=http://magodesign.ro/]folie auto[/url]

  23. Erzengel says:

    maybe this will help erzengel or [url=http://schutzengel-orakel.com/]erzengel[/url]

  24. Many thanks for creating the effort to discuss this, I feel strongly about this and enjoy studying a great deal more on this topic. If feasible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your webpage with a great deal more details? It抯 very helpful for me.

  25. Almost all I can say is, I抦 not sure what to express! Except certainly, for the great tips which have been shared within this blog. I抣l think of a million fun approaches to read the articles or blog posts on this site. I抦 sure I will finally take a step employing your tips on those things I could not have been able to address alone. You are so innovative to let me be one of those to profit from your valuable information. Please know how much I enjoy the whole thing.

  26. Very Interested site this is.. I truly Enjoy a lot reading your Blog.. I will Bookmark your site for more reference.

  27. After I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any way you抣l be able to remove me from that service? Thanks!

  28. Hi! I could have sworn I抳e been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it抯 new to me. Anyhow, I抦 definitely delighted I found it and I抣l be book-marking and checking back often!

  29. poker says:

    I Ԁo trust alⅼ of the ideas yߋu’vе introduced for yоur post.
    Thеy’re realky convincing аnd wіll defіnitely wоrk.
    Nonethеlesѕ, the posts arе tοo quick for beginners.
    Mаy јust you pleasе prolong thm a lіttle from subsequent
    tіmе? Thank you forr the post.

  30. I抦 not sure where you抮e getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent information I was looking for this info for my mission.

  31. I really like your writing style, fantastic information, thanks for posting : D.

  32. betting says:

    I am sure this article һaѕ touched aⅼl tһe internet
    people, its reаlly reallky pleasant article onn building ᥙp new webpage.

  33. I precisely needed to say thanks once more. I do not know the things that I could possibly have created in the absence of those smart ideas documented by you on my concern. Completely was a alarming matter in my position, nevertheless coming across the well-written mode you solved it forced me to jump with joy. I am grateful for your information and even hope that you find out what a great job that you are accomplishing educating men and women all through your site. I am certain you have never got to know any of us.

  34. That was fun, lots of interestin stuff, now time for food!|MzSheSoJaZZy|

  35. This is the right weblog for everyone who is hopes to check out this topic. You already know a lot its practically challenging to argue along (not too I really would want匟aHa). You definitely put a fresh spin over a topic thats been discussing for some time. Excellent stuff, just fantastic!

  36. Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your content seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the problem resolved soon. Cheers

  37. click says:

    whoah this blog is excellent i love reading your articles. Keep up the great work! You know, a lot of people are hunting around for this info, you can aid them greatly.

  38. Throughout the great scheme of things you get a B+ with regard to effort. Where you actually lost us was on all the details. As it is said, details make or break the argument.. And that could not be much more true in this article. Having said that, let me inform you what exactly did do the job. Your text can be very engaging and this is probably why I am making an effort to opine. I do not make it a regular habit of doing that. Second, even though I can notice the jumps in logic you come up with, I am not certain of exactly how you appear to unite your details which in turn help to make the final result. For the moment I shall subscribe to your issue however hope in the future you actually connect your facts much better.

  39. Wonderful blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally overwhelmed .. Any ideas? Appreciate it!

  40. Yesterday, while I was at work, my sister stole my iPad and tested to see if it can survive a thirty foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is completely off topic but I had to share it with someone!

  41. I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back in the future. Many thanks

  42. Good day! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My blog discusses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Excellent blog by the way!

  43. I loveI really likeI likeEveryone loves it when peoplewhen individualswhen folkswhenever people come togetherget together and share opinionsthoughtsviewsideas. Great blogwebsitesite, keep it upcontinue the good workstick with it!

  44. First of all I want to say fantastic blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing. I have had difficulty clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or hints? Thank you!

  45. Hello.This article was really fascinating, especially since I was browsing for thoughts on this matter last week.

  46. Hey just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.

  47. Aw, i thought this was a really nice post. In concept I have to devote writing such as this moreover ?spending time and actual effort to produce a really good article?but so what can I say?I procrastinate alot and also by no means often go done.

  48. Simply desire to say your article is as astonishing. The clarity in your post is simply excellent and i could assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the gratifying work.

  49. A lot of thanks for all of the hard work on this blog. My niece takes pleasure in engaging in internet research and it is simple to grasp why. We learn all relating to the compelling method you make helpful suggestions by means of your blog and therefore attract contribution from visitors on this area while my princess is discovering a lot of things. Have fun with the rest of the new year. You抮e carrying out a very good job.

  50. This web page is usually a walk-through like the details you desired in regards to this and didn抰 know who need to. Glimpse here, and you抣l definitely discover it.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Rex The Stray – underground dog comic

Rex The Stray, an underground comic about a deviant runaway dog styled by illustrator Christian Herr and writer Lee Noble.

www.rexthestray.com

And Drunk Dial Rex, on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14CVGGD3xf8

Illustrator Marylou Farue

Work from Marylou Faure, an illustrator living in London.

more at www.maryloufaure.com

Illustrator Joel Mackenzie

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelmackenzie/ Details »

Captain Feline – Blending Pop Culture with Cats

felineship

Captain Feline employs anthropomorphism to blend pop culture with cats. The results are a collection of fun t-shirts and limited edition art prints – purr-fect for displaying a combined love of cats and cult movie characters! Whilst the debut t-shirt illustrations by Dave are inspired by cult and classic movie characters, the team plan to increase the range to feature other pop culture icons as they grow and expand.

http://www.captainfeline.com Details »

Vertigo

vertigo

via: www.tradclyffe.co.uk

Insekta

insekta-03

Insekta is a collection designed by Italian studio Kreativehouse. Details »