Cultural environmental filter

Culturally, both the traditional aboriginal heritage, and western architecture come together in the Marika-Alderton House. The development of this house is highly experimental, that is it is “one of only a handful of houses ever commissioned by an aboriginal client” (Cooper et al,2002), it required research into cultural customs and throughout the three years of planning, Glenn Murcutt lived with the clients family. Murcutt designed it around traditional indigenous housing, “rounded bark-roofed raised shelters”(Cooper et al, 2002), that is it provides protection from sun, insects and wet. Through and understanding of cultural background, the house was designed for the unique lifestyle of the clients. Though the house does not possess the ability to be moved as is common to the nomadic nature of the occupants, it is a free standing, and open ended structure that does not greatly implement the land in contrast to most western architecture. It relies on natural cooling and air flow as well as natural light during the day.

The western culture is demonstrated through practical design of Glenn Murcutt, the materials and partial funding from a shipping company (Craven, 2010). The house is designed from prefabricated materials such as; steel, corrugated iron and “non rainforest” Australian hard woods (Cooper et al, 2002); tallow and ply wood.