Glenn Murcutt (1936- ), Australian architect, who has played a key role in the reinvention of Australian architecture, producing buildings that are clearly modern and part of an international tradition, yet which reflect the vernacular style of Australia. Murcutt's stress on the environmental and social responsibility of the architect is unwavering and has influenced a younger generation.

Murcutt was born in London, of Australian parents, and trained in Sydney. He went into private practice in 1969 and quickly broke away from the established 'Sydney School', which was rooted in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Murcutt's predominant early influence was Mies van der Rohe, but he steadily adapted the austere Miesian model to the demands of the gruelling Australian climate. At the same time, Murcutt studied the traditional dwellings of the Australian Aborigines, admiring the way in which they 'touched the ground lightly'. The Marie Short House in Kempsey, New South Wales (1975, extended 1980) is a seminal work, making use of corrugated iron and timber in the manner of Australian farm buildings. Later houses, including the Fredericks House at Jamberoo, New South Wales (1982) and the Meagher House at Bowral (1992), have developed this decidedly modern vernacular.

Eschewing commercial and urban commissions, Murcutt has concentrated on private houses and community buildings. The transparent integrity and honesty of his work compels admiration. In 2002 he won the highly regarded international award, the Pritzker Prize for Architecture.