Glenn Murcutt; Architect and Environmentalist

Born:
1936 in London, England

Primary Residence:
Sydney, Australia

Education:
Studied architecture at the University of New South Wales from 1956 to 1961


The Pritzker Prize-winning architect Glenn Murcutt is not a builder of skyscrapers. He doesn't design grand, showy structures or use flashy, luxurious materials. Instead, Australian architect Glenn Murcutt pours his creativity into smaller projects that let him work alone and design economical buildings that will conserve energy and blend with the environment (Beck and Cooper 2002, 4). All of his buildings are located in Australia.

Glenn Murcutt was inspired by the Californian architecture of Richard Neutra and Craig Ellwood, and the crisp, uncomplicated work of Scandinavian architect Alvar Aalto (Gusheh 2004, 34). However, Murcutt's designs quickly took on a distinctively Australian flavor.

Murcutt chooses materials that can be produced easily and economically: Glass, stone, brick, concrete, and corrugated metal. He pays close attention to the movement of the sun, moon, and seasons, and designs his buildings to harmonize with the movement of light and wind.

Many of Murcutt's buildings are not air conditioned. Resembling open verandas, Murchutt's houses suggest the simplicity of Farnsworth House of Mies van der Rohe, yet have the pragmatism of a sheepherder's hut (Gusheh 2004, 38).

The Aboriginal proverb - 'touch the earth lightly' - plays a central role in the inception of his designs, solidifying the intimiate relationship between the built and natural environment (Murcutt 2003, 7).

Further Reading

- Touch This Earth Lightly: Glenn Murcutt in His Own Words

- Glenn Murcutt: A Singular Architectural Practise

The Architectural Apprenticeship - Archetype, Analysis and Application

Exemplar House

Name: Marika-Alderton House
Architect: Glenn Murcutt
Location: Yirrkala Community, NT, Australia

The Marika-Alderton house exemplifies the dwelling in its simplest form. Designed for an Aboriginal couple, the construction has a strong environmental focus and is ingeniously designed to adapt to the hot, tropical climate of the Northern Territory (The Marika-Alderton House, March 17, 2010). A strong emphasis is placed on the capturing of available breezes and the expulsion of hot air from within the structure (Glenn Murcutt, March 13, 2010).

Glenn Murcutt's ideal of "touch the earth lightly" is evident in every facet of the design. The frame of the structure is built using lightweight steel beams which elevate the primary building platform off the ground (Glenn Murcutt, March 13 2010). This effectively instills a sense of levitation, blurring the connection between the house and the ground itself.

The following two volumetric representations of the Marika-Alderton house show the absence of glass windows and the alternative use of tallow-wood shutters to allow for the penetration of breezes.

Marika-Alderton House; Simplicity in the making

The following images show the design process employed by Glenn Murcutt in the creation of the Marika-Alderton House.




































All images were retrieved from http://www.arcspace.com/books/Murcutt/murcutt_book.html (accessed March 13, 2010)

Marika-Alderton House; A Delightful Experience

Delight is attained through varying means and is based on the collective experiences of an individual.

In the case of the Marika-Alderton house delight is achieved through the simplicity in which the requirements of the clients brief were achieved. Glenn Murcutt utilised basic design principles in an efficient manner to create a structure that was alligned with its surrounding environment. The resultant forms of the structure are in direct reponse to its environmental responsibility, rather than a pursuit of aesthetic appeal.

It is this approach that instills delight in the viewer, not of visual stimulation, but of marvel at the efficiency in which the final design was concieved.

Marika-Alderton House; Container of Human Activities

The Marika-Alderton house utilises an uncanny approach to creating a house as a container of human activities. Unlike the privatised living practises of westernised society, the Aboriginal clients of the house required a dwelling that allowed interaction with the surrounding environment.

Glenn Murcutt's answer was to create a structure that could fluctuate with the natural changes of the environment. During the day the house can be completely opened up, revealing a lightweight structure that allows the harvesting of natural breezes. During the night the house can be completely locked down, providing the cave-like intimacies we require while sleeping.

Through this process of constant change Glenn Murcutt created a building that imitates the actions of nature - a vital component to the Aboriginal way of life.

Marika-Alderton House; Environmental Filter

The Marika-Alderton House epitomises simplicity in its design. It is this driving factor that filters the multi-faceted effects of the environment throughout the structure. Murcutt paid particular attention to factors such as wind direction, water movement, temperature and light.

The absence of any extravagant details within the design meant that Murcutt could deal directly with the connection between the built and natural environment - a relationship inherent within the Aboriginal culture.

The stilted structure of the house caters for the flood-prone area in which it resides. The abundant use of tallow-wood shutters and corrugated iron roofing keep the house open to fresh air, but insulated from intense heat and protected from strong cyclonic winds.

Wide eaves shelter the house from the sun, and tubes along the roof expel hot air, while vertical fins direct cooling breezes into the living spaces.

It is this focus on functionality rather than aesthetics that solidifies the Marika-Alderton house as an environmentally conscious design.

Supplementary Exemplar Houses - Picture Gallery

Great Bamboo Wall House
Beijing, China
Completed in 2002 by Kengo Kuma & Associates

House Description

The Great (Bamboo) Wall House is a handsome and successful exploration of the possibilities that lie ahead for new forms of dwellings on the Chinese mainland (Making magic with materials and light, March 12, 2010). Kengo Kuma chose to leave the original geographical features intact and use locally produced materials as much as possible.

Departing from the 20th century suburban practice of building on flattened land, the architect decided to build a different kind of wall. This main feature, made of bamboo, serves as a filter for the surroundings. In sharp contrast to the Great Wall’s brick and stone, bamboo’s charm lies in its weakness. Exploiting this aspect, the wall allows light and wind to pass through. Historically imported to Japan from China, bamboo is also a symbol of cultural exchange, and perfectly suits the work of a Japanese architect in China (Great Bamboo Wall House, March 12, 2010).





http://cubeme.com/blog/2009/10/23/great-bamboo-wall-by-kengo-kuma-associates/ (accessed March 12, 2010)





http://cubeme.com/blog/2009/10/23/great-bamboo-wall-by-kengo-kuma-associates/ (accessed March 12, 2010)



http://int.kateigaho.com/mar04/architect-kuma.html (accessed March 12, 2010)



http://int.kateigaho.com/mar04/architect-kuma.html (accessed March 12, 2010)










Gully House
Yeronga, Queensland
Completed in 2004 by Bligh Voller Neild Architects

House Description

Located in a verdant Brisbane gully, near the river in Brisbane's inner southern suburbs, this small house seeks to take full advantage of its secluded site and intimate views over the lush sub-tropical vegetation. By its location in the lower lying areas of the suburb and being close to the river, the site is subject to severe flooding in periods of intense rainfall (Gully House, March 12, 2010). The need to raise the living areas above flood level whilst also retaining significant existing trees on the small site influenced the decision to arrange the house over 3 levels, maintaining a small footprint (Gully House, March 12, 2010).



http://arkinetia.com/articulos/art123.aspx (accessed March 12,2010)



http://arkinetia.com/articulos/art123.aspx (accessed March 12,2010)



http://arkinetia.com/articulos/art123.aspx (accessed March 12,2010)

























http://www.bvn.com.au/projects/gully_house.html?OpenDocument&idx=Type&pcat=Residential (accessed March 12, 2010)


















http://www.bvn.com.au/projects/gully_house.html?OpenDocument&idx=Type&pcat=Residential (accessed March 12, 2010)