A Vision

Casa J, Architectural Record House of the Month, February, 2016.

It was my vision to create something special in this remote and pristine area on the Costalegre of Mexico. The house is totally unexpected in this location with rustic being the norm. The process, starting with the purchase of the land, putting in infrastructure, a well, power, water systems, and the house itself, could be subject for a book. All told, it represents a decade of persistence, imagination, and hard work. It would not have happened without an amazing crew on the construction, and the friends in the local community. It was time to move on to new things and new projects. I consider this my best design work... to date.

I took a seven year intermission from design in 2017 creating content, photography and video for a educational/documentary project I called An American Mosaic. I have written a book BOOM! by John Van Dyke that takes the reader along with me on my journey. Available on AMAZON and your bookseller. You can listen to my podcast series, DIALOGUE, AN AMERICAN MOSAIC streaming on Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic and others.  http://american-mosaic.com

Today I am planning another architectural project in the Palouse area of eastern Washington State. A project for another new year beginning in 2025.

Less is More at Casa J

“I did not believe a place like this still existed, I knew I needed to design this house.”

Casa J is not just a house, it is an experience

In Architecture & Design by Suzanne Koch November 10, 2016

“It reminded me of Baja and Cabo San Lucas 40 years earlier.” The place John Van Dyke is talking about is Cabo Corrientes, a region just two hours southwest of Puerto Vallarta and the site of Casa J, a minimalist house that melts into the desolate surroundings. Located on the Pacific Coast, Casa J was designed by owner-architect Van Dyke, who is a Seattle-based award-winning designer that discovered the pristine landscape nearly ten years ago. Encompassed by practically untouched miles of beach and the looming Sierra Madre mountains, Casa J uses its surroundings to its advantage to create a unique and peaceful experience.

A quite place that inspires creative thought. The design was influenced by my travels in Morocco, a favorite place in early Cabo San Lucas, and a place on the island of Lamu off the coast of Kenya.

I shot this video of a photo shoot at Casa J. It was for a high end Mexican luxury brand. A fun day.