Murcutt, Glenn (1936-…), is an Australian architect known for his designs for houses. Most of Murcutt’s houses are in rural Australia. These houses are comparatively inexpensive to build, and they conserve energy and are sensitive to the environment and to the nature of the Australian climate. Essential to Murcutt’s buildings are the attention to the site, the careful and restrained use of materials, and the skillful handling of light and shade. In 2002, Murcutt was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious international award in architecture (see Pritzker Architecture Prize ).
Many of Murcutt’s houses show the influence of Australian colonial architecture, especially in their successful incorporation of a large porch called a veranda into the design. Murcutt’s structures typically employ corrugated metal sheets. His use of the easily shaped metal sheets in his houses influenced other Australian architects beginning in the 1970’s. Murcutt’s structures also incorporate glass and concrete in energy-efficient ways.
Glenn Marcus Murcutt was born on July 25, 1936, in London, where his parents had stopped during travels in Europe. He grew up in New Guinea, and the native architecture there made a major impression on him with its use of lightweight corrugated iron roofs and its integration into the landscape. Murcutt studied architecture at the University of New South Wales from 1956 to 1961. He traveled in Europe from 1962 to 1964. He then worked for various Australian architects in the Sydney area before establishing his own office in 1969. Unlike other notable internationally known architects, most of whom employ large staffs, Murcutt works alone.
Most of Murcutt’s projects have been built in New South Wales. His best-known houses include the Laurie Short House (1973), the Fredericks House (1982), the Ball-Eastaway House (1983), two Magney Houses (1984 and 1990), the Done House (1991), and the Bowral House (2001). His other projects include the Visitor Information Centre and Historical Museum in Kempsey (1982) and the Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre in Riversdale (1999).
See also Australia, Art and architecture of (Modern architecture) .
