"Well, there's a certain building designed for Barangaroo which has got all these curvy bits that definitely represents the sort of thing we're talking about," Seidler said.

Seidler may not approve of all modern architecture but, rather than just complain, she has donated more than $1 million to the University of NSW to establish the Seidler Chair in the Practice of Architecture.

Glenn Murcutt, whose buildings include Bowali Visitor Information Centre in Kakadu National Park and the award-winning Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Art Centre at Riversdale, will be the first practicing architect to take up the position.

Seidler's million-dollar-plus donation to UNSW will also fund a PhD scholarship and the Seidler International Studio, a two-week design program taught overseas for undergraduate students.

Seidler said she had decided to give more than $1 million to the university because "I care very much about education".

She said the prospect of higher university fees was concerning: "I think that's most unfortunate if they have to pay a lot of money for a degree. I'm certainly against all that."

The Seidler Chair would give students exposure to successful practitioners, she said. "Architecture is not just an academic pursuit."

Seidler said she hoped other people followed her philanthropic lead: "If you have money you want to give away, best to do it while you're still alive."

Seidler's husband Harry was the first visiting professor appointed to UNSW's architecture school more than three decades ago.

She said many architecture courses did not provide sufficient training in aesthetics and design.

Architectural education today, in my opinion, is very much influenced by computer design," she said. "When you see all these moving, swaying buildings, to me they don't always have a rational approach."

Murcutt, who already teaches as a professor at the UNSW Faculty of Built Environment, agreed.

"Penelope was right in saying the computer has allowed people to be silly," he said. "And I'm not a bit interested in novelty. Nor am I interested in spectacular for its own sake.

"I think that every young architect seems to me to be guided into wanting to be famous overnight without understanding the ground rules of architecture."

Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment, Professor Alec Tzannes, said Seidler's donation would give students more opportunities to learn from the best practising architects.

"Glenn has an exceptional design intellect that is reflected in his buildings and his capacity to inspire students with his unique perspective on architecture," he said.

However, Professor Tzannes did not embrace Seidler and Murcutt's dim view of the influence of computer technology.

"I know this is a commonly held view, however, it's not an either/or proposition in my view," he said. "We train our students to be fluent in using both advanced computer technology and hand drawing and model making skills."

Seidler said building design had to be based on rationality and take account of the environment. She also railed against the notion of building obsolescence.

"Some developers think they give a building 30, 40 years and re-develop," she said. "I'm against that. I think buildings should be built for the long term and that's why I think it's important to focus on rational design."

Reflecting on the simple contract to design Australia Square, Seidler said architecture was more commercial these days, with fierce competition around price.

But an architecturally-designed house was now out of reach for many people.

"When my husband started the practice he had a lot of ordinary people coming in wanting houses," she said.

Seidler also lamented the quality of residential housing.

"Now if you buy a project house it's hideous," she said. "And they're not very well built either. They're cheap materials, they'll fall to bits after a while. So it's unfortunate that design was better then than it is now."