Description
a+u’s February 2026 issue features award-winning American architect Thomas Phifer. As seen in the 10 houses and 12 cultural buildings examined here, Phifer’s work engages with the landscape in a manner that is deeply respectful, yet asserts its presence. Whether situated in a pastoral meadow or an urban setting, the buildings do not dominate their surroundings but strike a balance. This contextually sensitive dialogue between building and landscape extends beyond formal expression of the building to its environmental performance. In the operable sunshades in Taghkanic House, the thick concrete eaves overhanging the ephemeral walls of Hudson Valley House III, and the complexly multilayered canopy of Moody Amphitheater, the quiet contemplative quality of Phifer’s work emerges from a scientific understanding of site, climate, and light.
