Richard Leplastier's seminal Palm House (1773-75). Richard is one of the principal tutor 'masters' on the Architecture Foundation Australia Master Classes and Summer Schools and has just returned from teaching on a Master Class in Morocco organised by the University of Portsmouth UK and the Utzøn Centre in Denmark, where he joined Juhani Palasmaa and Jan Utzøn. The illustration above is taken from the new book '70 80 90 Iconic Australian Houses' by Karen McCartney with photographs by Michael Wee, which also includes iconic houses by our 'masters' Glenn Murcutt and Brit Andresen.
"The Palm House remains the most important bit of thinking in residential architecture in Australia. Anyone who has seen it is deeply moved by it, not the occasional person, everyone. And it's part of Rick's mystique: a lot of things are not seen or spoken."
Richard Leplastier was recipient of the 2004 'Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award' in Finland, also won by Renzo Piano, Peter Zumthor and Kengo Kuma.
Details of Architecture Foundation Australia programs can be fond at -
www.ozetecture.org
