Day 1 It’s a Sunday lunchtime in late August when we leave Melbourne, giving us plenty of time for a leisurely drive through the Yarra Valley and out to Murrindindi. We’re following in the footsteps of the great architect Richard Leplastrier, who camps out on a site to feel the land and place as he... Continue Reading →
Sweat the small stuff
This is the 11th of twenty-one lessons for design students, gathered from the combined experience of being a student, and teaching students. I will published one lesson each weekday until they're done. 11. Sweat the small stuff In the architecture studio I run with my wife, we believe that design doesn't stop until the builder hands over the keys. I... Continue Reading →
Good research is essential
This is the 2nd of twenty-one lessons for design students, gathered from the combined experience of being a student, and teaching students. I will published one lesson each weekday until they're done. 2. Good research is essential At the beginning of your project, you are eager to begin designing. Some of you might sketch in the obligatory solar paths and... Continue Reading →
Richard Leplastrier
In the early 1960s, during construction of the Sydney Opera House, Jørn Utzon and his office designed and documented his own house in Bayview, 30km north of Sydney (1965, unbuilt). Utzon agonised over the extent of windows facing a particularly beautiful view. Should the wall be fully glazed or only partially? After many weeks of... Continue Reading →