Construction Technology II Term Project Report

Magney House ​

Leslie Epps, Qi Ting Yu, Johnoy Gordon, Joseph Maricevic Construction Technology 2 Arch 35501 Professor Murray Team Project Report

Location​:​ Moruya, Bingie Point, New South Wales, Australia Building Type​:​ Single Family Beach House Structure:​ Steel frame Architect:​ Glenn Murcutt Engineer​:​ Glenn Murcutt Years Built:​ 1982 - 1984 Style:​Modern Climate:​ ​Temperate

Dimensions & Areas​: Overall dimensions: 136ft x 30ft x 15-18ft Area: ~2,600 sq ft Single story residence

Design Concept: A house built with techniques well-known by local country builders and with off-the-shelf materials. Murcutt's lightweight building follow a rectangular plan, long and lean with the use of corrugated steel, steel pipes, brick, glass and timber.

The architect’s clients, the Magney family, owned the piece for numerous years, using it as their own camping area for vacation. Their desires were as follows: 1. A “lightweight shelter” similar to a tent -- informal and open to the environment.

2. A structure that fit within its natural habitat.

3. A simple, practical floor plan with two independent areas: one for the parents and the other for the children or visiting guests.

The Magney House is a single pavilion divided by a central court and can operate as two self contained suites, one for the parents, the other for guests or family. Living areas open onto the shared court and a connection is implied between these adjacent spaces.

Materials: The chosen materials for the Magney House correlate to the site conditions. Located on the coast of South wales, Murcutt’s building used a variety of materials to execute the light frame structure such as; metal sheathing, wood, glass, stone, brick and concrete.For the house’s foundation, insulated slab on grade was applied. Hot dip galvanized steel tube frames of pipe columns support the structure with steel purlins supporting the roof span.

The combination of these materials create a multi-level system.

Structural System(s)​: The primary structure of this building is made out of steel, with the​ ​south wall being an RVB wall and the north wall being steel louvres and glass. Metal is the dominant building material for this house.The roof frame is formed by metal purlins laid east to west. The structure rests on a concrete foundation and is leveled with the ground.

Details

Details for RVB Wall: The use of Reverse Brick Veneer on the south wall has to do with how the building is oriented. The RBV wall prevents the hard winter winds coming from the south to penetrate the building. While in the summer it takes the sun in the day and slowly releases the heat in the night.

Mechanical Systems​: Magney House utilizes a passive heating and cooling system. The roof scape dipes down to one point, allowing rain water to drain to either end of the house to water catches. This flows into a tank underground to be reused.

Facade Systems​: The south facade is a RVB wall (reversed veneer brick). This offers insulation from the northern winds. The south facade is assembled with venetian blinds (louvres) that operate mechanically with sliding glass doors to no only offer light and shade however, cool sea breeze from the ocean near the site.

Circulation System(s)​: The house follows an longitudinal plan and the main axes of travel is along a hallway towards the north side of the building. There is a patio space in the middle of the plan with access to the south portion of the building.

Windows and sliding doors on the south facade aid in circulating air through the entire building. No elevators and stairs present.

Fire and Life Safety​: There is no known exact fire and life safety systems. The structure is made out of metal, which allows the architect to design in an intricate way. There are three means of egress out of the structure, one door on either end as well as a patio door in the center of the north wall.

Accommodations​: The building rests on a concrete foundation at ground level and is only one story, which allows this home to be ADA compliant.

Sustainability​: This building, when built, rarely used artificial energy. The location aided in producing energy with the provided passive cooling system while the use of materials and the RVB wall facilitated a passive heating system. There is most likely, as no plans were found during research, a​ ​water collection tank lies underneath the house. Being well isolated and close to the ocean contributes to the overall sustainability of the design. Glenn Murcutt develops a relation to the topography of the site when he designed the roof.

Asssembly Sketches

Project Analysis Drawings:

Primary Sources​: “Glenn Murcutt: Rakennuksia ja suunnitelmia, Australia, ​Buildings and projects​, Australia, 1989.”

Case Studies: Broken Hill, Silver City Museum “Because of the climatic conditions it seemed reasonable to make a building that not only represented an oasis but also capitalized on minimum energy systems” (pg. 53) New Museum and Tourist Information Office, South Kempsey Park, Kempsey “I'm interested in edges, how architecture meets the sky and the landscape” (pg. 57) Magney Moruya House, Bingie Point, New South Wales, Australia “They wanted a house which made it possible to know when the sun rose, when the nor'easter came in and the hot summer western wind blew, when the storms gathered and the rain fell” (pg. 61) “I felt that it had to simple in form with a gentle roof which would respond to the topography. I also wanted the roof to feel that it was in flight and very light [...]” (pg. 62) Lyn Eastaway and Sydney Ball House, Genorie, Australia “Because the site was read to be in a pretty delicate balance, it was of the utmost importance that the manmade unit did very little to disturb the existing aged environment” (pg. 63) ​Neville Frederichs Farmhouse, Jamburoo, New South Wales, Australia “My client was very aware of the necessity to detail properly and appropriately [or the climatic conditions, which involves some prolonged and very heavy rainfall and mists” (pg. 66) Nicholas Farmhouse, Mount Irvine, Australia “The house touches the ground delicately, altering the landscape as little as possible” (pg. 67)

Bibliography: https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/magney-house_o https://www.thoughtco.com/magney-house-by-glenn-murcutt-178002 https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/product-in-focus/magney-house-by-glen-murcutt-an-enduring-testament

Model Photos