Monday, June 26, 2006

Freedom of expression is often a rare event in forming urban spaces

I wrote a couple of entries ago ago the formation of spaces between the buildings.

Well the image below starts to show the space that Murcutt & lewin have set about creating between these five houses. Whilst we are building 2 & 3 and they are the closest of all the buildings these buildings have the benefit of being completly free from all planning controls with respect to set backs, distance from boundary etc etc, actually the list could on for a while.

So how will the spaces feel, well we have to wait but I recognise that it will not be very often that a Architect gets the opportunity to place a building in the landscape relatively free of planning controls. It will be as I said before interesting to observe how the experiment and the formation of the spaces between each of the houses develops and feels. A social experiment, who knows,spatioal definition drawn from another culture that has been experienced, I do not know. Is the spatial arangement climate driven, not yet aware, this is an intersting part of the journey.

Murcutt 2 & 3

Philip Drew weekend lecture series at Moonlight

Moonlight Head is hosting two weekends in October and November with Australia's leading Architectural critic and author, Mr Philip Drew. Each weekend is limited to 4 couples or friends on a twin share basis staying in the lodge. The all inclusive cost for the weekend is $2,750/couple.

If you interested and would like furtheer information please contact john@moonlighthead.com

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

repetition, yes but no, lets consider the spaces that will form

The trestles are up for the second Murcutt/Lewin House. The fabrication of the steel some 27 tonnes is well underway. The bricks have been ordered and the team has a feeling that it now knows where it is going which in itself is very exciting, why because the team has a lot of pride in it's work, a desire to deliver. Whilst the first house was difficult in many ways, as it was open for interpretation and occasionally has resulted in correction, this next house is identical to the first but there is a but!

What is the but? Well now we are going to look at the spaces, the form between buildings and how the spaces will change, no longer will we be looking at a building in it's landscape alone, but now it will be a collection of buildings in the landscape.

How we look and feel in these spaces will be interesting as first we move to two, then three, followed by four and finally five Murcutt/Lewin houses, identical but they have been orientated to specfic angles, whilst the land falls away beneath each of the houses, the ffl for each is a constant, now we look at the arrangement, how they interact and how a collection of people will eventually interact in occupying these houses, this is a first for to the best of my Knowledge in that there will be no other collection of Murcutt/Lewin houses in such close proximity so just how will they ineract and read in the landscape? Well construction time will begin to answer these questions.

What is interesting is that first great wall, which has no windows, that wall of confidence will not be exposed in spendid isolation as the spaces between these houses are formed, that is a shame, though I am sure it will be interesting once the walls of Murcutt No.3 are built, then we can consider these spaces and why about the form individually and collectively how the others will form spaces. So the next step will still be writing about the construction but now also look at the urban style spaces that are to form.

What was or is influence for this layout?

Mark