An Interview with Glenn Murcutt - Living Steel

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An Interview with Glenn Murcutt

Glenn talks about the competition, the concepts, sustainability

This [competition] is actually very special. The quality of the work is of a higher standard than we've experienced previously, the diversity in the work is greater, the commitment to the work is greater and I think that is a consequence of the way in which Living Steel have conducted the competition this time.

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Read the Jury Comments

Meet the Jury

View the catalogue of entries

How successfully do you think the architects addressed sustainability?

In architecture there is not a lot that is sustainable as such in material terms. But there is a strategy of planning - so orientation is sustainable, thermal performance has a level of sustainability, human effort, to some extent, could be considered as partly sustainable. Although humans, too many, are simply not sustainable. There are a number of competitors who have addressed sustainability in what I regard as the most appropriate way. That is by looking at thermal mass and the like. However, I think there is a reliance now on technological solutions. I find technological solutions are in effect a question and a problem, because they are not sustainable. Most of them have a short life or a life of ten or fifteen years and then they have to be replaced. They are not, in my view, truly sustainable. The [best] solutions showed an understanding of earth responsiveness, thermal walls, using ground conditions. Simple [solutions] that you don't have to replace every ten or fifteen years. We have to learn to live more economically using less resources to achieve sustainable architecture.

Do you think this Living Steel competition will make an impact?

We have a couple of schemes here that will make an impact. They are an approach that I think speaks something about what we should be doing. The fact that Living Steel has introduced this, and not looked at steel as the critical element to create sustainability but to be an element within the idea of sustainability, is extremely important. The idea of just using materials that eventually go back into the earth is very, very sustainable. I like that - to me it is very important.

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