Nicholas Murcutt

The Australians are coming! Maybe we are in the dark, but we sense a distinctly growing presence coming from Down Under. What strikes us is that the Australians design sensibility is close to a perfect blending of our American DIY love of natural materials (see modulardwellings.com) and a European elegance. Whereas the Euros use too much plastic (they don't have any trees left), and we are often more practical than beautiful, Nicholas Murcutt is walking the middle road...

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Son of Glenn Murcutt, Nicholas is still 30 something and has designed this extremely simple and elegant country house in the Australian Outback called The Box House for only $50,000 (article by Elaine Louie).

Now working with Rachel Neeson, their firm Neeson Murcutt Architects has a rather frustrating website only showing off one pic (please tell us where the rest are!): www.neesonmurcutt.com.

See also this article about the Box House by Anne Susskind.

(ReEdited from 2004-06-11 - MGR)

Comments (6)

This is probably way off-topic... but I LOVES me some of that wall-mounted credenza/sideboard in the Box House pic. It's a tiny pic... but from what I can tell, it has that elusive long and lean profile that I've been hunting high and low for. I want one now!

Also, Nicholas is only "30 something?" That must be some hard living in the Outback!!

posted by hejiranyc on August 29th 2007 at 7:22am
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I'd spend some Outback time with him.

posted by patrick (the other one) on August 29th 2007 at 10:18am
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doing the math from the NYT article, he's about 43. whatever...

posted by ckck on August 29th 2007 at 3:29pm
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Yay! An Australian post! As somebody relatively new to Australia I have been blown away by some of the Australian designers and architects, particularly in Sydney. I love the clean open floor plans and use of natural materials of which the last picture is a great example. The great weather we have here allows for a blurred line between outdoor and indoor space. Thanks for posting this. Hopefully there will be more Aussie posts to come!

posted by stoat on August 29th 2007 at 4:06pm
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AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE! OI OI OI!

As a born an bread 8th generation Aussie I already knew we had a good thing going. lol.

I hold true to my roots saying I love AT but we need an apartment therapy Sydney or Brisbane or style capital here in Oz, Melbourne.

By the way those side windows are really cute!

posted by venus_thames on August 29th 2007 at 4:38pm
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I love this! The windows, doors, plank walk way- everything.

posted by lorijo on August 29th 2007 at 7:04pm
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