Outsiders say that architects spend too much energy giving each other prizes, but when Glenn Murcutt won the Pritzker Architecture Prize this year, you could almost hear the cheers. They came from architects throughout the world who admire his work, hail the timeliness of its selection at this cultural moment, and applaud the the man himself.

In one sense, Murcutt represents the architect as strong individualist—a countertrend these days. In fact, to hear him speak, it is clear that he is a fighter for principles as much as designer. While all of our responsible professional conversations tout collaboration, groupthink, and complexity, Murcutt practices architecture alone, out in the boonies, from a single small room. Although he and his wife, the architect Wendy Lewin, have worked together successfully on architectural projects, and Murcutt has joined forces with other talented firms, it is his singular, prophetic voice from Down Under that demands attention.