tedoré : Book: A Place in the Country

Stephen Crafti has an expert overview of the architectural scene in his native Australia.

His latest monograph looks exclusively at designs for contemporary country residences. The sleek appearances are often deceiving and even the recent surge of interest in Antipodean modernism disguises the rigours of life in the Bush - a harsh climate, water shortages and rampaging fauna, not to mention the high probabilities of potentially devastating bushfires.

These obstacles haven't diminished the aesthetic adventurousness on show, and although the spectre of Glenn Murcutt looms large over many of the designs on display, it only goes to demonstrate how fundamentally right his approach has been.