The building is constructed downhill of the retaining wall leaving a gap on the south bridged by timber ‘grids’ keeping cattle away from the walls, providing a mud threshold and extending the entry sequence experience. The gap on the north has large, flat-top rocks from the site creating thresholds to the north wing rooms. These are imagined as ‘little sisters’ of the Glasshouse Mountains in the distant view. The plan is configured as an enfilade of rooms open to the north for wind-protection, winter sun, and wide views. The farmhouse has two primary walls. The south-facing wall, first seen on arrival to the property, appears as a shallow gable on axis with the entry and the ridgeline of a small north-south spur. This predominantly ‘blind’, southern wall is constructed as stud work and clad in 200mm profiled metal sheets set vertically and overlaid with dark-stained timber battens at 300mm centers fixed horizontally. The battens continue across the timber framework of the tractor shed and bedroom veranda forming security screens.

The design has two primary intentions; to intensify the presence of landscape and to explore the expressive capacity of hardwood in terms of material properties, geometry, and metaphor. Hardwood has conventionally been incorporated within stud-framed systems to conceal the defective behavior of the frame including those well-known characteristics of hardwoods to shrink, harden, warp, twist, cup and crack as they dry after milling.  Sheeting over hardwood has always seemed to us an unfortunate loss of architectural opportunity in a material where high strength and durability does permit an external use and potential to contribute to building expression.

In Mooloomba House the simple strategy adopted, in order to tame excessive lateral movements, has been to vertically laminate thin, hardwood members of opposing grain formation and integrate a 1200mm by 2000mm wall panel of 18mm waterproof ply sheeting sandwiched between.  The frame simultaneously forms enlarged ‘cover battens’ over the joints in sheets. This technique also facilitates a prefabrication process.

The design was for a very small house. The original 1981 brief was for just one enclosed room to be built for $30,000. The program was later increased to three rooms. The low budget permitted reinterpretation of the domestic program. The design technique involved a process of abstraction applied to a conventional wish-list discussed with the client.

The design also includes interpretations of the site and landscape. In response to the heavily treed landscape of the extensive mountain site, it was possible to create – through the vertical layering of spatial zones within the small house – three places of different light and outlook qualities. The ground zone has low shrubs of cassia and wattle; the lower tree growth of young eucalyptus is less dense, rich in birdlife and with its own ecology; lower branches of the mature eucalyptus are transparent, allowing distant views.

In the period 1970 – 1972 the RIBA sponsored a two-stage architectural competition for a new museum to house a large art collection gifted to Glasgow in 1944 by Sir William Burrell.  In 1972, at the end of Stage Two, the assessors selected the winning scheme by Brit Andresen, Barry Gasso,n, and John Meunier, then teaching colleagues at Cambridge University School of Architecture.  From 1972 the scheme was further developed until 1976 when the project was indefinitely postponed due to a shortfall in funding.  By the time the project recommenced several years later the original competition team was dispersed and the building was completed by Barry Gasson Architects and opened in 1983.

The Burrell Collection, extraordinary for its size, range, and quality, includes tapestries, carpets, furniture and architectural fragments such as stone arches and timber paneling as well as collections of paintings, prints, ceramics, glass, bronzes, armor, and other artifacts.

The good ole liquor store a college mans best friend. After a long school week I love to drive over to Classen Blvd. and grab a couple of bottles of wine and liquor for the weekend. My weekends start on Thursdays by the way. Norman Discount has a very chill environment and the staff knows about their liquor. it is always fun to talk with them about different whiskeys and which one I should try next. I am a huge wine guy during the week though something to take the edge off each day. Heck, I am sipping on some wine right now. the key to success though is to sip not drink and that way you don’t get drunk and you can make it to class the next day. I enjoy going to this liquor store and going to miss this little place on Classen Blvd. Not to mention it is right next to Slim Chickens which is always a plus.

Sigma Chi home of the white cross, this is where I meet some of my closest friends today. It was a huge hangout for us as Freshman and distracted me from school if I am being honest. I learned a lot about myself and how to be a young man. I was a U-Sing Director two years ago and we made it to Holmberg for the first time in 9 years. No one thought we had a chance; but through my leadership we proved to  the University and Greek life that we belong at Holmberg Hall as well. I am junior now and not really involved anymore, but I have many great memories from this house and all of my brothers. I think everyone should join some kind of club or greek life while in college it can really make a diffrence.

The Biz located in Norman, OK home of the Oklahoma Sooners. This is where I like to get Bizzy pursuing my degree. First, the architecture is absolutely beautiful and so inviting. It’s a blessing to be able to study in such a luxurious building while also enjoying Starbucks. Second, I love this place because this is where degrees are earned by so many students, and it makes you feel better when you see other students stressed out like you are. I realize I am not the only going through the stuggle of being a college student. OU has now added learning labs and conference rooms which makes  The biz more of a fun learning enviroment and makes me enthusiastic about learning. The great reading room is also a great spot in The Biz to study, it is so calming. Overall this is one of my favorite places on campus, and I will miss the Bizz when I graduate one of these days.

This is Union High School College and Career Center, located in Tulsa, OK. Union High School is the reason I am in Oklahoma and went to college at OU. My father received a director position at Union about 7 years ago and it changed my life. Going to Union created many opportunities from gaining college credit to jobs with the Tulsa Drillers. High school was pretty chill I learned a decent amount about myself and fell in love with school here. I graduated with 1200 students in my class, so I kind of went to a small college in away. Union was the start of my legacy and I hope to continue the success.