Australia’s Most Celebrated Architect Designed This Breathtaking Guesthouse 3 Hours from Sydney
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- Architect Glenn Murcutt designed secluded Strikes 3 Mudgee guesthouse
- Shutters, hatches, airflow, and fireplace maintain seasonal comfort naturally
- Ideal romantic weekend base for wine, beer, doughnuts, and countryside exploration
Known for its food and wine, my most recent trip to Mudgee uncovered some of the best beers in the country. But I didn’t spend all my time drinking sours and scoffing doughnuts out of the back of a vintage Land Rover at Old Wheels Grind. No, we needed somewhere to stay on our travels, and Mudgee Tourism kindly invited me to stay at Strikes Mudgee.
I would’ve been happy with a room at the local bed and breakfast, but within 5 minutes of my stay, I could tell Strikes was not your average slice of boutique accommodation in country New South Wales.
Located on one of the best wineries in all of Mudgee (10 minutes from town), Strikes consists of three eco-friendly, luxurious guesthouses. Strikes 1 and Strikes 2 are perfect for couples retreats, with views of the Lucerne flats, neighbouring vineyards, and the Eurunderee valley, while the third is a little bit special.
Designed by world-renowned Australian architect Glenn Murcutt AO, Strikes 3 is the most secluded of the three guesthouses and offers the same breathtaking views from a little further up the hill. Every panel of wood, welded piece of metal, and window is thoughtfully positioned to work with the landscape around it. Whether it’s the in-set day beds, full kitchen, or Louis Poulsen pendant lights, this is one of the best couples retreats near Sydney.
I arrived late at night, so I didn’t get the chance to grasp the full breadth of Strikes owner Justin Penney and Murcutt’s efforts here until the morning. However, when the sun rose in the morning and peeked through the large bedroom window overlooking the fields, Murcutt’s Australian vernacular architecture and the influence found in rural wood-and-corrugated-iron farm sheds saw light.
With more than 500 buildings under his belt, Strikes 3 is quintessential Murcutt. I don’t like the word “eco-friendly,” but that’s always intrinsic to his designs.
“I cannot pursue my architecture without considering the minimisation of energy consumption,” said Murcutt in an interview with De De Ce. “Simple and direct technologies, a respect for site, climate, place and culture. Together, these disciplines represent for me a fantastic platform for experimentation and expression. Of particular importance is the junction of the rational and the poetic, resulting hopefully in works that resonate and belong to where they reside.”
“You should be able to operate a building in a way like you operate a yacht. To open and shut windows to close this down, open something else up. Put a door in another direction to get the positive negative pressure systems working in the building. This is how you sail a yacht – to understand how you make things move naturally. You can do this with buildings in the very same way.”
“Making buildings that are like instruments is very important to me. The buildings respond to the light, to air movements, to prospect, to refuge, to comfort. They work like instruments that produce the sound and the colour of the composer. But, I am not the composer. I just make the instruments. The light, the sound and the air are already there. I just make buildings that allow people to sense them.”
This was my exact experience at the guesthouse. External shutters keep the heat in during the winter, while hatches built into the ledges open straight into the elements, releasing heat in the summer. Doors are large, heavy, and can be left open to move air from one end of the house to the other. Meanwhile, the lounge area and kitchen are separated by a large wood fireplace, which is the perfect place to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon with local cheese and wine.
My time at Strikes 3 was short, but sweet. It’s on my shortlist of best couples retreats in New South Wales, and if you’re a Murcutt fan, it should already be on your shortlist. Thanks again to Mudgee Tourism for providing two nights of accommodation to make this trip happen, and if you can learn more about Strikes Mudgee at the website, linked below.
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