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There is a hint of proselytizing within the houses Murcutt designs. They require the people in them to remain very aware of their wider environment. Murcutt's homes protect but don't alienate inhabitants from their surroundings. "There are psychological benefits in feeling sun in winter, shade in summer--knowing seasons and feeling real air," he says. In adjusting their shelter to the season or day or weather, people are coaxed into understanding and working with nature. It's a relationship crucial to preservation of all species. --By Belinda Luscombe