ARCHITECT: GLENN MURCUTT
Glenn Murcutt is an architect from Australia since 1979. He has done a series of small buildings that have been used as examples of sustainable architecture. He creates indigenous structure with a modernistic look.
The Australian landscape differs from other countries and Murcutt places importance on the characteristics of the landscape in which he uses to conceptualise a design and to create an interpretation of the landscape in the form of a small building.
Glenn Murcutt does not design grand works of Architecture, but rather sticks to small scaled domestic Architecture. He believes It challenges authority such as the Australian councils administer, building regulators etc that are more conservative in their style of building and this also stimulates Glenn Murcutt to come up with more ideas than he would have in a larger project. He is a sole practitioner, but every now and then he would work in association with other Architects. Preferably, Glenn Murcutt would rather work outside the city, in the countryside. This is because of the character of the land advances the design.
He does not reject urbanism but despises the way fauna and flora are destroyed because of buildings, he says “I am stirred to the point of anger…” . Murcutt rather suggests that we should “become friends with the landscape and not be threatened by it”. His father Arthur Murcutt was very attached to nature, and the son alike.
The Upper Watut seemed to be the influence for Glenn’s Architecture, in New Guinea (before moving to Australia at the age of five), an example of this is his Marie Short Farmhouse. The people in the Upper Watut have similar looking to Marcutt’s designs, it is said that whilst in New Guinea that he lived in some huts.
The Australian landscape differs from other countries and Murcutt places importance on the characteristics of the landscape in which he uses to conceptualise a design and to create an interpretation of the landscape in the form of a small building.
Glenn Murcutt does not design grand works of Architecture, but rather sticks to small scaled domestic Architecture. He believes It challenges authority such as the Australian councils administer, building regulators etc that are more conservative in their style of building and this also stimulates Glenn Murcutt to come up with more ideas than he would have in a larger project. He is a sole practitioner, but every now and then he would work in association with other Architects. Preferably, Glenn Murcutt would rather work outside the city, in the countryside. This is because of the character of the land advances the design.
He does not reject urbanism but despises the way fauna and flora are destroyed because of buildings, he says “I am stirred to the point of anger…” . Murcutt rather suggests that we should “become friends with the landscape and not be threatened by it”. His father Arthur Murcutt was very attached to nature, and the son alike.
The Upper Watut seemed to be the influence for Glenn’s Architecture, in New Guinea (before moving to Australia at the age of five), an example of this is his Marie Short Farmhouse. The people in the Upper Watut have similar looking to Marcutt’s designs, it is said that whilst in New Guinea that he lived in some huts.
Here are some huts from New Guinea's Upper Watut people, which resemble most of Murcutt's creations.
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Picture of the Marie Short Farmhouse (which is almost the same as the huts) which the use of post and beams, the long rectangular structure, timber and a metal roof.
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A sketch what kind of hut the Glenn Murcutt and his family would have lived during their time in New Guinea.
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References (for the images):
Left: http://gwinpng.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/upper-watut-society-to-baiune.html
Center: http://www.ozetecture.org/2012/marie-short-glenn-murcutt-house/
Right: http://www.janesoceania.com/png_visit1/index.htm
Left: http://gwinpng.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/upper-watut-society-to-baiune.html
Center: http://www.ozetecture.org/2012/marie-short-glenn-murcutt-house/
Right: http://www.janesoceania.com/png_visit1/index.htm
As aircrafts were common, as they were used as parcel delivery in New Guinea, the people used old aircraft parts usually made out usually corrugated iron (which was light weight and strong). *The idea of using recycled material to build. Corrugated metal cladding became common in Glenn Murcutt’s edifices.
Another of Glenn’s Murcutt’s influences came from Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House (in 1951). The post and beams and the long rectangular boxed structure resembles Murcutt's signature style, which is exemplified in Marie Short Farmhouse. However, compared to the New Guinea huts, it has a rather modern twist, using large sheets of glass windows.
References:
*http://www.archdaily.com/407155/glenn-murcutt-turns-77
Book:
Drew, Philip. Leaves Of Iron. Sydney: Law Book Co., 1985. Print.
*http://www.archdaily.com/407155/glenn-murcutt-turns-77
Book:
Drew, Philip. Leaves Of Iron. Sydney: Law Book Co., 1985. Print.
Focus Building: Marie Short Farmhouse
This is house located on farmland which was designed around 1970’s and then sold and redone by Glenn Murcutt. It is two similar looking pavillion (one seems to be rotated), whetre one pavillion is the sleeping area, whereas the other is living area.
The house was made from timber (from a sawmill nearby) and it has a post and beam structure. This system was put together so that the client could be reassembled and transported to another location altogther. The house also faces north to get most of the sun for most of the day, bring high levels of sunlight.
The house was made from timber (from a sawmill nearby) and it has a post and beam structure. This system was put together so that the client could be reassembled and transported to another location altogther. The house also faces north to get most of the sun for most of the day, bring high levels of sunlight.