International Wood International Wood 2008 | Page 48

Inside the Designer’s Head
V
enerated architect Mickey Muennig was commissioned
to design the original 30 guest units at Post Ranch Inn,
as well as the award winning Sierra Mar restaurant that
opened for business in 1992.
Muennig’s love of nature developed during his childhood in
Joplin, Missouri, where he spent a lot of time spelunking local
caves and exploring the moss-covered log habitats of woodland
creatures. This influence is evident in his sod units, which are
built into the ground and offer a feeling of security, in addition
to many options for energy efficiency. “Underground houses
stay a constant temperature of 72 degrees.” Muennig said, “Also,
they are fireproof and more protected from high winds.”
Muennig’s unique expression of architecture evolved under the
tutelage of revered organic architect Bruce Goff, a friend and contem-
porary of Frank Lloyd Wright. “Goff’s classes at Oklahoma involved
reading fairy tales, looking at Japanese prints and listening to music by
Debussy and Ravel,” recalls Muennig. “He explained architecture very
thoroughly on the rare occasions he talked about it.” Perhaps it was
this non-traditional education that empowered Muennig to tune in to
his surroundings and allow them to resonate in his designs.
In the beginning the visionaries of Post Ranch Inn gave Muennig
general directions, then they turned Muennig loose, giving him free
reign. “They did not have any idea what I was going for until it was all
designed,” mused Muennig.
The first step in the design process of Post Ranch Inn for Muennig
was to spend weeks camping on the 100+ acre property, learning how
the sun comes up, where the shadows lie and which way the wind
blows. Once Muennig became truly familiar with the site, he began
to design the buildings, mostly on napkins, with the sacred shapes of
nature in mind. Each design is unique, and each has the effect of being
built with the landscape, not on it. From the outside every individual
space appears to be a fortress, a testament to Post Ranch Inn’s panache
for valuing the privacy of their guests. But once you enter a unit, the
design opens up, connecting immediately back into the surrounding
natural splendor.
The bubinga (Guibourtia spp.) specified in the Post Ranch Inn
project for the millwork, tables and beds earned its place by virtue of
being sustainable with the added quality of luminescent beauty. Its
exotic roots extend the deep, earthy primal connection that is Post
Ranch Inn’s signature attraction. iw
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