Mark Hurcum
Managing Director - Mark Hurcum Design Practice

Mark Hurcum Design Practice is a medium sized firm based in North Sydney. They have an excellent reputation for producing superb one-off residential projects from the Eastern suburbs to the Northern Beaches. They are also involved in commercial and retail projects. Mark Hurcum Design Practice has a great team of staff, excellent working conditions and is hopeful of continued growth in 2009!

Why Architecture?
I was always interested in making and creating things from a very young age. The combination of building, engineering and art led me to architecture.

What was your first job?
My first job was operating a docking saw in a timber mill.
My first design job was designing and building set for music videos and advertising.
My first real architecture job was with Rice Daubney Architects.

Who or what inspires you?
The opportunity to build a beautiful environment inspires and if I had to name an inspirational architect it would be Frank Lloyd Wright. The sheer diversity of his building types and his ability to design to the detail is inspirational.
Also I am inspired by a number of business people who achieve success maintaining their integrity.

Favourite place on Earth?
Any beach on the East Coast of Australia.

Top 3 buildings worldwide?
1/ Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s - Glasgow School of Art
2/ Frank Lloyd Wright’s - Falling Water
3/ Santiago Calatrava’s - Milwaukee Art Museum

Best project you ever worked on?
My next project. Actually the first project that this office produced was great. It was a factory conversion in Surry Hills and it achieved all that Architecture should achieve. The Client is still happy with it to this day.

Project you wish you’d worked on?
This could mean two things - a project that would have been good because it had a good outcome or a project that I wished I worked on because it isn’t a good outcome and I would have liked to have contributed to it to achieve a better outcome. So in Case One it would be something like Aurora Place and in Case Two it would be something like East Circular Quay.

Biggest change in Architecture over your career?
Technology (Computers and CAD) - this is easily the biggest change that has occurred during my career, along with a growing interest in the quality of design in Australia.   

A sentence to sum up your view of ESD?
ESD has always been part of my architecture and always should be an integral part of architecture.

Best advice you have ever received?
“Architecture is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. If you can’t cope with that don’t be an architect”.

Advice you would give to young Architects?
You need to be passionate about Architecture.
It is better to be passionate about building buildings than about actually being an Architect.

How do you unwind?
Anywhere in or on the water.

In your opinion, has the “great Australian building” been designed yet?
In my opinion there will never be the great Australian building. Each era has produced great buildings. If we decide one is the greatest then we will all be copying and architecture will stagnate. Architecture is an evolving Art.

What do you love about your job?
I love making a positive contribution to the built environment and I love seeing people experience the spaces and places created, often in ways I didn’t expect.

How are you looking forward to the next twelve months, give the current financial situation?
Here is a quote that I read the other day that sums things up quite nicely.
“If you did all the good things during the good times then you will be as prepared as you can be for the bad times”.
Right now I am seeing potential opportunity for my Company and Clients.