Jonathan Kukk is, admittedly, a terrible travel companion. “My family jokes that I take all of these pictures with no people in it: details, joints, connections, doorways,” he says with a laugh. “I’m just a general fan of architecture. I can find delight in a simple trim molding on an old traditional American house or a stone carving on the Colosseum.”
That meticulousness is as much a function of Kukk’s personality as his job. As founder of Naples’ Kukk Architects, he spends his days appreciating and maximizing the aesthetic beauty of residential and commercial structures in and around Naples. Some of his favorites are historic preservation projects, like the two 10th Avenue homes he restored for the Allyn family, whose local roots tie back to the 1940s. “One of the things that’s enjoyable about working on historical properties, and properties in general, is discovering how other architects have solved their problems: How did they accommodate this or that? What process did they go through to get the house built?” he says. “When it’s done in a creative, unique or logical way, it’s just beautiful to understand.”
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Photography by Dan Cutrona
john kukk talking
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Photography by Diana Todorova
aerial view of outdoor pool space john kukk design
The architect’s projects all carry a distinct sense of place with their use of pitched roofs, deep eaves and plenty of space for gathering alfresco—elements in line with the local climate and culture.
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Photography by Diana Todorova
outodoor bamboo entrance john kukk design
Living in Naples affords architects plenty of creative sustenance for the sheer fact that many of the prevailing puzzles to be solved have been around since the town’s inception, a result of Southwest Florida’s unique ecosystem and environmental challenges. The movement of the sun and wind, protection from rain and pests, and the advancing threat of severe weather are all issues that Naples homeowners and architects contend with daily.
The first Neapolitans addressed the elements with design features like waterproof board and batten siding, temperature-cooling jalousie windows, and shady verandas and porches with deep eaves. For Kukk, appreciating his antecedents’ aesthetic and practical choices informs his approach to a house. These solutions can still be seen in the vastly different architectural styles that are a part of the ever-evolving fabric of Naples. Whether it’s West Indies, contemporary or transitional, Kukk asserts that, if done correctly, every building can contribute to a distinct sense of place that reverberates throughout the town. “Modern architecture may have a vocabulary and materials that may not fit the aesthetic of a location, but it should react to the same environmental impact,” he says. Elements like lighting and the positioning of windows, shade structures, and pitched roofs react to the climate while creating a cohesive architectural narrative.
Photography by Dan Cutrona
outdoor pool space backyard john kukk design
Kukk obsesses over all the things you don’t see or consider but that define a space and how it feels: “[I] always look for that perfect geometry, that perfect space—and when I say space, I don’t mean a room. I mean the negative volume of air, the negative space, that the air fills in the room.”
Older buildings, he says, contain our collective memory. “Not enough local architecture is being preserved, but there are pressures beyond our control,” Kukk says. Booming growth and a shifting landscape have brought Naples’ architecture to a crossroads. On the one hand, the plethora of developments allows architects space to experiment. “There is such a freedom and opportunity to pursue different styles,” Kukk says. On the other hand, historic buildings are disappearing at a rapid clip. “Hurricane Ian flooded most of the historic homes that weren’t built to the current elevation [standards],” he says.
Kukk helps clients navigate FEMA regulations to rebuild historic properties. One of his favorite projects was the 2011 restoration of the Olde Naples Building on Third Street South. The 1921 structure served as Naples’ first town hall before it was a courthouse, a library, a movie theater, a pharmacy, and most recently, Fantozzi’s grocery. “Imagine the discussions and parties that took place there in the early part of the last century,” he says. During the renovation, the team uncovered a large gathering space that once existed at the center and the cupola clerestory windows that had been plastered over. “I loved crawling around in there and discovering the history and looking at old photographs to guide the design,” Kukk says.
Photography by Nick Shirghio
front door of home featuring wood door john kukk design
While he has an affinity for historic homes and what’s described as Old Florida design, Kukk doesn’t subscribe to any given style. “They are all words, and I like to let architecture talk for itself,” he says. Instead, he focuses on core architectural principles and human experience (scale, space, balance, heart) to create spaces that live in harmony with the Southwest Florida setting.
As he designs, Kukk thinks about what you don’t see: “[I] always look for that perfect geometry, that perfect space—and when I say space, I don’t mean a room. I mean the negative volume of air, the negative space that the air fills in the room.” He works with natural light, integrating skylights and clerestory windows to emphasize areas and play with light and shadow. And, you’ll rarely see a flat ceiling in a Kukk design. “We do articulated ceilings and walls to create a more inviting space,” he says. He deliberates over all the micro-elements that affect how you feel in a space. For the architect, less is often more. “One of the things that makes good architecture, ironically, is editing—not doing too much,” he adds.
As Kukk sees it, the future of architecture in Naples depends on honoring the merits of the past while embracing the innovations of the modern era, including proven technologies like solar panels (he says every new build should have them) and a more considered approach to the whole life cycle of a piece of material, from creation to building use to demolition. “I think of it as trying to build with materials that are less invasive and considering the transportation costs—even the packaging of the things we buy,” he says. “It’s estimated that the built environment contributes 40% of the world’s emissions, but that pales in comparison to the energy that building will use to exist in its life cycle.”
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Photography by Dan Cutrona
john kukk pictured in work in progress home
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Photography by Craig Hildebrand
outdoor space during dusk featuring a pool and chairs john kukk design
“[Architecture] can reflect the environment of which it is a part and anchor a community in time, creating a rhythm and context that we live within,” Kukk says. He adds that historic buildings contain our collective memories.
Given the rapid rate of construction, the confluence of environmental factors, and the rise of increasing technology-focused applications, it will be interesting to see how the next generation of Naples architects tackles the city’s building. When he’s not practically applying his learning on the front lines, Kukk, for one, will be taking notes.