09 New Zealand Master Class

Location for the NZ Master Class, Awaroa in the Abel Tasman National Park

The fifth one-week residential New Zealand Architecture Master Class for professional architects, academics, postgraduates, and senior students will take place 27 September - 3 October at Awaroa Lodge, top left of the beautiful south island of New Zealand. Tutors are Ian Athfiled, Richard Leplastrier and Peter Stutchbury. Bookings have already been received (24.06.09) from across New Zealand and Australia and from Costa Rica, USA and Norway. Only 30 places available. See www.ozetecture.org

“The entire experience was perfect. The lectures, conversations, project, place, friendships, family, all were amazing in a way that I was not prepared for in really any way. In one of the first emails we exchanged, you mentioned something of the "impact" of the class. I know a little what you meant now. For the moment, I am a little dizzy with it all. The week in Awaroa was an education unto itself, and ultimately, unlike anything I expected it could be. There were several moments each day where different class members would exchange a look that summed up the whole experience. In part, it was a look of disbelief at our good fortune to be a part of it all. It was also a sense of awe at the conversations we were having and listening to. I didn't know there were other people that felt and thought the way I do about architecture, design, or even life. It was invigorating to speak to them, and hear new ways of looking at the challenges I think about at home in Denver. The looks we exchanged had a lot of joy in them. Not got-the-big-project joy, or I'm-on-vacation joy, it was deeper and more pure than that. More than anything else, though, our shared glances, and the conversations that came out of them were filled with gratitute. Personally, I am so indebted to you, Peter, Richard, Ath, and the other students, that I can't fathom repaying what I owe. I can only promise first, to use, and pass along what I have learned, and second, to throw myself openheartedly at other opportunities to expand on the lessons of Awaroa. Thank you again. You have put together something magical.”
Scott Lawrence, Colorado, USA, NZMC 08.

South Africa Master Class

Richard Leplastrier and Peter Stutchbury debate the location of solar north at the Cradle of Mankind.

The Cement and Concrete Institute of South Africa in association with the Architecture Foundation Australia arranged a one-week residential professional Master Class for architects with Australian architects, Richard Leplastrier and Peter Stutchbury and leading South African architect Andrew Makin, at the Cradle of Mankind outside Jo'burg 26 April - 5 May 2009. The program has grown from the annual two-week Glenn Murcutt Master Class in Australia and the one-week New Zealand Master Class with Ian Athfield. See www.ozetecture.org

“I wanted to express my appreciation for the (first South African Architecture) Master Class arranged by the Cement and Concrete Institute, which I attended. It was a unique and life changing experience for me. One does not often have the opportunity to interact with great local and international practitioners. The standard of the teaching, the talks, the crit sessions and the design submissions from the groups was extremely high, I thought, and very inspiring. It has given me lasting inspiration and a renewal of vision for my practice in the future. The event was professionally organized, well structured and carefully coordinated.” Jon Jacobson, Managing Partner, Metropolis Architects

Murcutt Exhibition at Museum of Sydney

A major exhibition of 'blow up' drawings and models of the built works of Glenn Murcutt, with stunning photographs by Anthony Browell, will run at the prestigious Museum of Sydney, a short walk from Sydney Opera House, from 13 June - 5 October 2009. The exhibition was presented by TOTO at the Gallery Ma in Tokyo from June to August 2008 and was curated by Prof. Tom Heneghan and academic colleagues from all of Sydney's three schools of architecture. It has been reproduced for display worldwide by the Architecture Foundation Australia. The exhibition is accompanied by two new books on Murcutt published by TOTO, a volume of photographs and a volume of drawings. Glenn Murcutt will be interviewed at a public event at Sydney Opera House on the last day of the exhibition - World Architecture Day. The Sydney exhibition has been sponsored by the NSW Architects Registration Board. It is planned for the exhibition to be toured to Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand and to overseas venues. See www.ozetecture.org Contact info@ozetecture.org

09 Glenn Murcutt Master Class

Glenn Murcutt and the other 'Masters' - Brit Andresen, Peter Stutchbury and Richard Leplastrier - talk with Aboriginal elder Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison at the start of the 08 Glenn Murcutt International Master Class.

There are still a few places for the 09 Glenn Murcutt Master Class to be held in Australia 12-26 July 2009. So far participants have registered for the 09 class from Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam, USA (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts) and, of course, some Australians. The program is for practising architects, academics, postgraduates and senior architecture students. The 09 program will include visits to significant Glenn Murcutt buildings and to the major Glenn Murcutt exhibition that will be running at the Museum of Sydney (first shown at the TOTO Gallery Ma in Tokyo in 2008). Since it commenced in 2001, the Master Class has been attended by participants from 46 nations. Information and online application for at - www.ozetecture.org

See a 4 minute video from the 08 Murcutt International Architecture Master Class at Glenn Murcutt's 'Master Work', the Boyd Education Centre. "Riversdale". south of Sydney on You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkvtyUVW3jc

Murcutt International Family Grows

Jose Talavera 2005 Chula Sanchez 2003 and Candid Rogers 2007 alumni from different years of the Glenn Murcutt Master Class meet in Mercado Sta Catalina in Barcelona in January 2009. Apart from the 'life changing' experience of attending the two week residential Glenn Murcutt International Architecture Master Class in Australia, participants join a huge international family and are meeting up with participants from different years in different places around the world. For information - www.ozetecture.org

Glenn Murcutt AIA Gold Medal

Glenn Murcutt teaching at the annual Glenn Murcutt International Architecture Master Class (Photo Michael Nicholson)

Glenn Murcutt has been awarded the 2009 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. 2005 Gold Medallist Tadao Ando writes of Murcutt - Recently our architectural field has experienced an ecological boom. However, without relation to such a trend of time, Glenn Murcutt has always been focusing on the geographical and regional conditions, from the very beginning of his career.

AIA Announcement -
http://www.aia.org/press2_template.cfm?pagename=release_a120408_gold
Video Clip of Murcutt Master Class -
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=TkvtyUVW3jc
Information of the annual Murcutt Master Class -
http://www.ozetecture.org

08 NZ Master Class Success

Richard Leplastrier and Ian Athfield with participants on 08 New Zealand Master Class

Richard Leplastrier (with the big hat), RAIA Gold Medallist and winner of the 2004 Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award in Finland - also won by Renzo Piano,Kengo Kuma and Peter Zumthor - with Ian Athfield (with the black cap), NZIA Past President and NZIA Gold Medallist, discuss the project site, surrounding landscape and ecosystems in the Abel Tasman National Park on the north west of the south island of New Zealand during the 2008 New Zealand Master Class in September attended by 24 architects from all over the world. Applications are open for the 2009 Glenn Murcutt Master Class in Australia in July 2009 and it is planned to hold another NZ Master Class in September 2009. See www.ozetecture.org

09 Student Summer School Bookings Open

'Total Immersion' - participants eat sleep walk talk ARCHITECTURE.

PSST!!! Pittwater Summer School 'Total Immersion'. Bookings are now being taken for the fifth amazing Architecture Student Summer School to be held again at Pittwater YHA north of Sydney 15-21 February 2009 (last week of the University break). Only 30 places available and applications are rolling in. Prerequisite successful completion of at least two years in architecture school. Preference to early applicants and we may limit it to 3 max from each architecture school in order to ensure a good mix. Tutors include Peter Stutchbury and Richard Leplastrier. Apply NOW. Details and application form on - www.ozetecture.org