Studio
Yunker Associates (YA) Architecture
ESTABLISHED: 1984 CITY AND BUILDING: Northeast Minneapolis NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 4
yaarch.com
Martha Yunker, AIA, heads a light-filled and inspiration-friendly modern studio
Corey Gaffer
CORE PHILOSOPHY: After more than 30 years of living and breathing architecture, I know that our most successful designs are the result of understanding the client. I think about the client as content, and our design ideas become the form in response to the content. STYLE: Our clients’ personalities vary and so does their attraction to style. Our work reflects these individualities. INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Walter Gropius’ home in Walden, Massachusetts; Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion; the gardens, temples, and landscapes in Kyoto, Japan; Lahinch and Waterville golf courses in Western Ireland. The list goes on. WOW, GOLF COURSES? Senior associate Rehn Hassell and I share a deep appreciation for the game. It’s led to our designing golf clubs. Our most recent was Hazeltine National Golf Club—Minnesota’s most famous golf club and home of major tournaments. DREAM PROJECT: My own house! It’s an exciting test case for new, green ideas in space planning and construction. BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HOUSES: Bigger is better.
The glass front, high ceilings, and modern lines make the studio feel much roomier than it actually is.
July/August 2014
Architecture Minnesota
15