North from Anchorage, through the history of sprawling young cities, past the Cook Inlet and the Chugach mountains, on-to the commercialized rural suburban of Wasilla, continuing on the roadway to Denali State Park and Fairbanks, but not quite the quaint town of Talkeetna. Passing miles of majestic mountains in the background of interspersed construction billboards and gas station signs, forests, meadows and several hidden narrow gravel roads.
One of these paths leads to a handful of disparate cabin-style homes nestled among the trees, some finished and others remaining in a state suitable for off-grid living. Indications of past fires where some forests have been thinned and blackened, a form of cleansing according to some Native Americans.
Situated about 1hr 56min traveling north, by car from downtown Anchorage Alaska.
Somewhere between "the real" of nature and the advancements of human technology lies a small horizon. The landscape here creates an environment that necessitates contemplation of internality.
Often demonized is the healthy life that existed before the state, which represents our current civilized existence—this is a sentiment expressed by Christopher Ryan, author of "Civilized to Death." While reversion to that past is not possible, understanding the processes that shaped humanity allows for the potential creation of natural conditions. This replication of an evolutionary environment can elicit a healthy response to existence. Whether or not one sees this as a solution for preservation, it presents a method worth considering—one whereby advanced humans can design environments that resemble former natural states to facilitate evolution.
The Soon Foundation’s 4.11-acre (16,632 square meter) plot is situated atop a level bluff facing an expansive state-preserved area known as “Moose Meadows,” named for the moose that frequently visit. With high water levels, the ground is wet and features small runoffs from a salmon-fed river, creating an ideal habitat for berries, other vegetation, bears, eagles, and native wildlife.
It was important for us to locate a semi-remote area within a pseudo-neighborhood to assimilate with the existing communities while maintaining a connection to rich, unimproved land.
This geographic location embodies the ideal of retreat into self-sufficiency, offering an open invitation to those seeking contrast and inspiration.
“Sand and gravel.”
The soil beneath the ground is not predominately rich for lush vegetation, as is the nature of the region.
This earth however is a rich foundation for conceptual structure and sculpture due to it’s compound properties.
