Jørn Utzon Logbook Vol. I:
The Courtyard Houses

Editorial board: Jørn Utzon (editor in chief) assistant editors
Richard Weston, professor at School of Architecture, Cardiff, University of Wales and the editor.
Released: 2004
Features: 180 pages, full color, hardcover
Format: 30 x 26 cm
Language: English or Danish edition
ISBN: 87-91567-01-7 (English)
ISBN: 87-91567-00-9 (Danish)

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“Both books put their projects in context, positioning them in the wider oeuvre and throwing light on Utzon’s design philosophy. They are easier to chew than the full Weston, even if Utzon’s career resists separation into bit-size pieces. Cumulatively, all these books will help to build the reputation of an architect who seems to have much to offer as a correction to our image-driven architechtural culture.”

Alan Powers is an architechtural historian. The architects journal. 21 april 2005

 The book provides valuable study material for all who are involved in house building.

Review for Norsk Byggekunst, Helge Hjertholm

 “By looking at how people lived, I quickly discovered that all the small gardens were filled with tool sheds and hobby sheds, and old cars stood there and pleasure craft etc. And so I designed a town plan and a house type that accepted that within their own area people could do as they pleased in their leisure time without upsetting their neighbours and without having any special easements; such a house and such a town plan that respected this or assumed the individual right to enjoy private life; but at the same time the resulting part of the town was then to have a common character as seen from outside so that it became a small community.”

Jørn Utzon

 “The Kingo Houses and the Fredensborg Housing are both revolutionary works that manifest new compositional arrangements for residential architecture.”

Minoru Takeyama, A+U

 “Kingo Houses and Fredensborg are two examples of how to move from individual housing to what Le Corbusier called “l’unité d’Habitation”. All this, furthermore, without forcing it into a pre-designed package, giving form to that old Enlightenment dream in which society and nature come together to be the same thing.”

Rafael Moneo, Louisiana Revy