Pritzker winning Architect Glenn Murcutt from Australia and his works, HIs works like- Marika Alderton House, Riversdale, Berowra Waters Inn, his motto- Touch the earth lightly have been discussed in this ppt. His style is vernacular and climate responsive.

1. ARCHITECT: GLENN MURCUTT
Noted for designing
innovative climate-
sensitive houses with
his motto-
“TOUCH THE EARTH
LIGHTLY”
SUBMITTED BY:
AARTI RANI
DEPT. OF ARCHITECTURE
NIT PATNA

2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
GLENN MARCUS MURCUTT also known
as TIN MAN sometimes….
 Born in England on July 25th 1936.
 Graduated from Sydney Technical
College in 1969.
 And started practising with architects
like, Neville Gruzman, Ken Woolley and
Bryce Mortlock which exposed him to
their style of organic architecture
focusing on relationships to nature.
 He was exposed to a range of simple,
yet naturally oriented architecture.
 He came to feel that a building should
respond to its changes.
‘RIVERSDALE’
ARTHUR AND YVONNE
BOYD CENTRE –
Murcutt’s masterpiece.

3. In 1969 Murcutt established his own practice in the Sydney suburb of Mosman,
where he works as a sole practioner, where he works for projects all over
Australia.
He also takes masters classes for beginning an established architects
held at Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Centre.
His designs are based on the idea
that as a race we have an ego-logical
Responsibility to nature.
WALSH HOUSE

4. MURCUTT’S MOTTO-
“TOUCH THE EARTH LIGHTLY ”
“Buildings should open and close and
modify and remodify and blinds
should turn and open and close,
open a little bit without
complications. This is a part of
architecture for me, the resolution
of light that we desire ,the
resolution of wind that we wish for,
the modification of climate as we
want it.
All these make a building alive.”
- Glenn Murcutt.
- It means taking special safeguard to the
surrounding landscape, sun, topography,
wind directions, temperature and light
surrounding.

5. MURCUTT’S DESIGN’S SALIENT FEATURES
 His style is uniquely vernacular
architecture. His designs fit into the
Australian landscape features.
 He works with keen observation of the
natural conditions like, wind direction,
water movement, temperature and
light surrounding his sites before he
designs the building itself.
 Sustainable designing i.e., highly
economical and multi-functional and
earth-friendly.
 FOLLOW THE SUN- capitalizing natural
light with long and low shape featuring
verandas, skylights, adjustable louvers,
and movable screens in his linear
designs.
BREEZE CIRCULATION IN
MARIKA –ALDERTON HOUSE
BALL EASTAWAY HOUSE

6. LISTEN TO THE WIND- His ingenious
systems for ventilation assure that cooling
breezes circulate through open rooms. At the
same time insulated from heat and protected
from strong cyclone winds.
USE OF SIMPLE MATERIALS- Instead of
imported tropical wood, polished marble and
costly brass and pewter, he uses
inexpensive materials readily available in his
native Aussie landscape, like steel, local
timber, glass and stone.
As a result of building’s
functionality, few of his designs
are called for natural
air-conditioning.
His buildings reflect his desire to maintain
harmony with environment.
WALSH HOUSE
Murcutt with a model of MARIKA
–ALDERTON

7. GLENN MURCUTT’S PROJECTS
MAGNEY HOUSE
MARIE SHORT HOUSE SIMPSON-LEE HOUSE
FREDRICKS WHITE HOUSE

8. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF ‘RIVERSDALE’

9. PRIZES AND ACHIEVMENTS
ALVAR ALTO MEDAL in 1992.
ROYAL AUSTRILIAN
INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
GOLD MEDAL in 2002.
PRITZKER PRIZE in 2002 for
BEROWRA WATERS INN.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF
ARCHITECTS GOLD MEDAL IN 2009.
The RICHARD NEUTRA AWARD FOR TEACHING in1998.
The Thomas Jefferson Medal for Architecture in 2001.
Officer of the ORDER OF AUSTRILIA in 1996.
The ‘GREEN PIN’ award from Royal Danish Academy of
architects in 1999.
BEROWRA WATERS INN

10. BEROWRA WATERS INN
Its an iconic restaurant, set in Bushland on the beautiful Hawkesbury River in
Berrowra Waters, north of Sydney, Australia. It can be accessed only
through water.
 it was an Edwardian style teahouse before being redesigned by Glenn
Murcutt between 1976 to 1983.

11.  He redesigned the property
using his distinctive
Australian vernacular style.
He used corrugated tin roof over
glass louver windows, on a Sydney
sandstone base, set among
eucalypts and angophoras.
Glenn’s idea was that of an open
veranda on water behind this
magnificent piece of architecture.

12. MARIKA-ALDERTON HOUSE
Location- yirrkala Community, eastern Arnheim Land,
Northern territory, Australia.
Built in year 1994
for aboriginal artists Banduk-Marika and her partner Mark
Alderton and their family.

13. LANSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FOR
MARIKA ALDERTON HOUSE
The challenge
of creating a
livable home in
a tropical
climate where
temperature
never drop
below 25°C and
can reach 40°C.
Its design should avoid methods “culturally alien” as the air conditioning
mechanical intervention.
Another challenge was to keep out the various species of reptiles and spiders,
some poisonous.
To create a structure strong enough to withstand hurricane winds
commonplace.

14. GLENN’S DESIGN-
Before designing the house, he did extensive research
for three years bout aboriginal culture and history.
Part of the research was to share a life with family
which helped him better understand client’s needs. The
layout of other space follows aboriginal customs.
The whole house must always be in contact with
nature, apart from bathroom and utility facilities
which should be placed deep inside
the external
envelope.
He created a
structure that could
fluctuate with the
natural changes of
the environment.
Interiors of Marika
Alderton House

15. FLOOR PLAN
Follows the aboriginal belief Parents
should sleep to the west of children (so
relating age to the sunrise and sunset,
which represents the beginning and end
of the life).
The main living area receives
breezes from sea during day and
stays cool.
While, the master bedroom
becomes coolest at night
because of its placement at the
rear end.
The entry takes us to the main living area accompanied by kitchen cum
dining. Then there are four small bedrooms meant for guest or visiting family
members.
The bathroom and utilities are away from exterior walls as required by the
clients but fully ventilated by pivoting tubes.

16.  The pivoted tube expels hot
air and helps in cooling down
the interiors.
 It is open to fresh air but insulated from intense heat and protected from
strong cyclone winds.
There are adjustable shutters
to control the flow of air and
wind. The vertical fins direct
cooling breezes in the living
spaces.
The landscape can be viewed
from any par of the house.
< MECHANISM FOR
EXPELLING HOT AIR.
ALLOWING BREEZES TO FLOW INSIDE THROUGH ADJUSTABLE SHUTTERS>

17.  Because the structure rests
on stilts, air circulates
underneath and helps cool the
floor. And also protects it from
tropical reptiles and tidal
surges.
 The materials
used are simple,
easily assembled
from prefabricated
units helped contain
construction costs.
Wide eaves shelter the house
from the sun.
There are no glass windows but
plywood walls, tallow wood
shutters, and corrugated iron
roofing.
<WIDE EAVES PROTECTING
FROM SUN
FLOW OF WIND UNDERNEATH THE
HOUSE

18. SIDE ELEVATION
FRONT ELEVATION
INKED PERSPECTIVE
SKETCH
It epitomises simplicity in its design.
It is the driving factor that filters the multi faceted effects of the
environment throughout the structures.
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, which
Glenn’s design fully satisfies.

19. HOW MARIKA ALDERTON HOUSE
HARVEST BREEZES
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.

20.  Along the central hall at the Marika Alderton
house, tilting plywood panels can be raised and
lowered like wings.
 Opening and closing like a plant, the house
embodies Murcutt’s concept of a flexible shelter that
exists in harmony with nature’s rhythm.
In Marika Alderton house Glenn has combined his
own creative vision with the aboriginal idea, creating a
unique and valuable bridge between cultures, that's
why Marika has called it THE BRIDGE HOUSE.

21. “THINK LOCALLY ACT GLOBALLY ”
“ LIFE IS NOT ABOUT MAXIMIZING EVERYTHING, ITS ABOUT
GIVING SOMTHING BACK- LIKE LIGHT, SPACE, FORM,
SERENITY, JOY. YOU HAVE TO GIVE SOMTHING BACK”