Architecture Dictums 2

"MAY THE ARCHITECT BE HIGH - MINDED; NOT ARROGANT,BUT FAITHFUL; JUST, AND EASY TO DEAL WITH, WITHOUT AVARICE; NOT LET HIS MIND BE OCCUPIED BY RECEIVING GIFTS, BUT LET HIM PRESERVE HIS GOOD NAME WITH DIGNITY."

"I PREFER DRAWING TO TALKING. DRAWING IS FASTER AND LEAVES LESS ROOM FOR LIES."

"IF YOU WANT AN EASY LIFE DON'T BE AN ARCHITECT."

"ARCHITECTURE IS A VERY DANGEROUS JOB. IF A WRITER MAKES A BAD BOOK, EH, PEOPLE DON'T READ IT. BUT IF YOU MAKE BAD ARCHITECTURE, YOU IMPOSE UGLINESS ON A PLACE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS."

"AS AN ARCHITECT YOU DESIGN FOR THE PRESENT, WITH AN AWARENESS OF THE PAST, FOR A FUTURE WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY UNKNOWN."

"DESIGN IS NOT MAKING BEAUTY, BEAUTY EMERGES FROM SELECTION, AFFINITIES, INTEGRATION, LOVE."

"TALK ABOUT BEAUTY AND YOU GET BORING ANSWERS, BUT TALK ABOUT UGLINESS AND THINGS GET INTERESTING."

"FORM DOES NOT NECESSARY NEED TO FOLLOW FUNCTION."

"THE ARCHITECT IS NOT ONLY THE DIRECTOR, BUT HE IS THE COMPOSER. AND, AS A COMPOSER, THE ARCHITECT BRINGS A SENSE OF CREATIVITY TO EACH BUILDING."

"THE MIND IS LIKE AN UMBRELLA. ITS MOST USEFUL WHEN OPEN."

"THE ARCHITECT'S ROLE IS TO FIGHT FOR A BETTER WORLD, WHERE HE CAN PRODUCE AN ARCHITECTURE THAT SERVES EVERYONE AND NOT JUST A GROUP OF PRIVILEGED PEOPLE."

"LIFE IS ARCHITECTURE AND ARCHITECTURE IS THE MIRROR OF LIFE."

"I DON'T BELIEVE ARCHITECTURE HAS TO SPEAK TOO MUCH. IT SHOULD REMAIN SILENT AND LET NATURE IN THE GUISE OF SUNLIGHT AND WIND."

"BEAUTY IS THE HARMONY OF PURPOSE AND FORM."

"THE PURPOSE OF ARCHITECTURE IS TO SHELTER AND ENHANCE MAN'S LIFE ON EARTH AND TO FULFILL HIS BELIEF IN THE NOBILITY OF HIS EXISTENCE."

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THE INFLUENCE OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY."

"I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE HIRE ARCHITECTS AND THEN TELL THEM WHAT TO DO."

"WHAT I TRY TO DO IS THE ART OF BUILDING, AND THE ART OF BUILDING IS THE ART OF CONSTRUCTION; IT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT FORMS AND SHAPES AND IMAGES."

"WHEN I AM WORKING ON A PROBLEM, I NEVER THINK ABOUT BEAUTY. BUT WHEN I HAVE FINISHED, IF THE SOLUTION IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, I KNOW IT IS WRONG."

"I BELIEVE IT'S A MISTAKE TO HAVE A STYLE."

"ARCHITECTS DONT INVENT ANYTHING, THEY TRANSFORM REALITY."

"IF PEOPLE KNEW HOW HARD I WORKED TO GET MY MASTERY, IT WOULDN'T SEEM WONDERFUL AT ALL."

"ARCHITECTURE CAN'T FORCE PEOPLE TO CONNECT, IT CAN ONLY PLAN THE CROSSING POINTS, REMOVE BARRIERS, AND MAKE THE MEETING PLACES USEFUL AND ATTRACTIVE."

"I THINK ARCHITECTURE, TO BE REALLY INTENSE AND FULFILLING, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LARGE."

"SIMPLICITY IS THE ULTIMATE SOPHISTICATION."

"ARCHITECTURE HAS JOINED THE WORLD OF FASHION, BUT FASHION IS PASSING AND ARCHITECTURE IS TIMELESS."

"ARCHITECTURE IS NOT SO MUCH A KNOWLEDGE OF FORM, BUT A FORM OF KNOWLEDGE."

"I DON'T DIVIDE ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE AND GARDENING; TO ME THEY ARE ONE."

"EVENTUALLY EVERYTHING CONNECTS - PEOPLE, IDEAS, OBJECTS. THE QUALITY OF THE CONNECTIONS IS THE KEY TO QUALITY PER SE."

"THE ARCHITECTURE WE REMEMBER IS THAT WHICH NEVER CONSOLES OR COMFORT US."

"THE CRITERIA FOR ARCHITECTURE AFTER THE TSUNAMI IS HUMBLENESS."

"TO CREATE, ONE MUST FIRST QUESTION EVERYTHING."

"MY BUILDINGS WILL BE MY LEGACY. THEY WILL SPEAK FOR ME LONG AFTER I'M GONE."

"IF THE ARCHITECTURE IS ANY GOOD, A PERSON WHO LOOKS AND LISTEN WILL FEEL ITS GOOD EFFECTS WITHOUT NOTICING."

"I LIKE TO BE THE EDGE OF THE POSSIBLE."

"THERE'S A GENERIC QUALITY TO WHITE THAT WE LIKE."

"THERE IS HOPE IN HONEST ERROR; NONE IN THE ICY PERFECTIONS OF THE MERE STYLIST."

"LACK OF ORNAMENTATION IS A SIGN OF SPIRITUAL STRENGTH."

"MY FAVORITE PROJECT IS ALWAYS THE NEXT ONE."

"ONE CANNOT MAKE ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT STUDYING THE CONDITION OF LIFE IN THE CITY."

"AN ARCHITECT MUST REMEMBER THAT THE PEOPLE WORKING OR LIVING IN HIS BUILDING NEED SPACE - TO DREAM, TO BE QUIET, TO FIND BEAUTY SOMEWHERE."

"SOMETIMES I THINK CREATIVITY IS MAGIC; IT'S NOT A MATTER OF FINDING AN IDEA, BUT ALLOWING THE IDEA TO FIND YOU."

"WHEN I DESIGN A BUILDING, I WANTED IT TO LOOK AS IF IT COULD ONLY EXIST IN THIS LOCATION."

"THE SUN DOES NOT REALIZE HOW WONDERFUL IT IS UNTIL AFTER A ROOM IS MADE."

"THERE ARE 360 DEGREES, SO WHY STICK TO ONE."

"A MUSEUM IS A PLACE WHERE ONE SHOULD LOSE ONE'S HEAD."

"ARCHITECTURE DOESN'T COME FROM THEORY: YOU DON'T THINK YOUR WAY THROUGH A BUILDING."

"RECOGNIZING THE NEED IS THE PRIMARY CONDITION FOR DESIGN."

"THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD ARCHITECTURE IS THE TIME YOU SPENT ON IT.

"I WORK FROM THE INSIDE OUT."

"TRADITION IS A CHALLENGE TO INNOVATION."

"ARCHITECTURE IS HIGHLY AMBIGUOUS FIELD."

"FREEDOM IS FROM WITHIN."

"ARCHITECTURE IS AN EXPRESSION OF VALUES."

"WOULD THEY CALL ME A DIVA IF I WERE A GUY?"

"I THINK YOU NEVER STOP LEARNING."

"OUR ARCHITECTURE REFLECTS TRULY A MIRROR."

"WE SHAPE OUR BUILDINGS; THEREAFTER THEY SHAPE US."

"IF WE LEARN TO BUILD LOCAL MATERIALS, WE HAVE A FUTURE."

"ARCHITECTURE IS THEN AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTS, AND IT IS DESIRABLE TO INTRODUCE TASTE INTO AN ART WHICH SHOWS SO MUCH."

"A MODERN, HARMONIC AND LIVELY ARCHITECTURE IS THE VISIBLE SIGN OF AN AUTHENTIC DEMOCRACY."

"ARCHITECTURE IS ABOUT PEOPLE."

"98% OF WHAT'S GET BUILT TODAY IS SH*T."

"ESCAPE FROM THE ARCHITECTURE GHETTO IS ONE OF THE MAJOR DRIVERS AND HAS BEEN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING."

"DOING MORE WITH LESS."

"TO FLY, WE HAVE TO HAVE RESISTANCE."

"WHEN I'M WORKING ON A PROBLEM, I NEVER THINK ABOUT BEAUTY."

"DESIGNS ARE PURELY ARBITRARY NATURE CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO LAST LONG."

"IF A BUILDING BECOMES ARCHITECTURE, THEN IT IS ART."

"ARCHITECTURE IS MUCH MORE THAN A PROFESSION; IT'S A DISCIPLINE."

"ARCHITECTURE ISN'T JUST ABOUT CREATING NEW BUILDINGS, SOMETIMES ITS ABOUT RETURNING WHAT'S ALREADY THERE."

"TRADITION IS A CHALLENGE TO INNOVATION."

"A HARMONIOUS DESIGN REQUIRES THAT NOTHING BE ADDED OR TAKEN AWAY."

"THE MOTHER ART IS ARCHITECTURE. WITHOUT AN ARCHITECTURE OF OUR OWN WE HAVE NO SOUL OF OUR OWN CIVILIZATION."

"THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY IS THAT THE ESSENTIAL LINES OF A CONSTRUCTION BE DETERMINED BY A PERFECT APPROPRIATENESS TO ITS USE."

"SPACE IS THE BREATH OF ART."

"THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN CLIENT AND ARCHITECT IS ABOUT AS INTIMATE AS ANY CONVERSATION YOU CAN HAVE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING A HOUSE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DREAMS."

"ARCHITECTURE IS AN EXPRESSION OF VALUES."

"YOU CANNOT SIMPLY PUT SOMETHING NEW INTO A PLACE, YOU HAVE TO ABSORB WHAT YOU SEE AROUND YOU, WHAT EXISTS ON THE LAND, AND THEN USE THAT KNOWLEDGE ALONG WITH CONTEMPORARY THINKING TO INTERPRET WHAT YOU SEE."

"ARCHITECTURE IS NOT BASED ON CONCRETE AND STEEL AND THE ELEMENTS OF THE SOIL. IT'S BASED ON WONDER."

"ARCHITECTURE AROUSES SENTIMENTS IN MAN. THE ARCHITECT'S TASK THEREFORE, IS TO MAKE THOSE SENTIMENTS MORE PRECISE."

"WHEN WE BUILD, LET US THINK THAT WE BUILD FOREVER."

"ALWAYS DESIGN A THING BY CONSIDERING IT IN ITS NEXT LARGER CONTEXT - A CHAIR IN A ROOM, A ROOM IN A HOUSE, A HOUSE IN AN ENVIRONMENT, AN ENVIRONMENT IN A CITY PLAN."

"TO ME THE DRAWN LANGUAGE IS A VERY REVEALING LANGUAGE: ONE CAN SEE IN A FEW LINES WHETHER A MAN IS REALLY AN ARCHITECT."

"THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN ARCHITECTURE IS THE MANIPULATION OF SPACE. IT IS THIS ESSENCE WHICH SEPARATES IT FROM ALL OTHER ARTS."

"ARCHITECTURE IS A DANGEROUS MIXTURE OF POWER AND IMPOTENCE."

"ARCHITECTURE IS AN ART WHEN ONE CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY CREATES AESTHETIC EMOTION IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND WHEN THIS ENVIRONMENT PRODUCES WELL BEING."

"TRADITION IS A CHALLENGE TO INNOVATION."

"AN ARCHITECT'S MOST USEFUL TOOLS ARE AN ERASER AT THE DRAFTING BOARD, AND A WRECKING BAR AT THE SITE."

"BE THE BEST, NOT NECESSARILY THE ORIGINAL."

"FUNCTIONALISM IS CORRECT ONLY IF ENLARGED TO COVER EVEN THE PSYCHOPHYSICAL. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO HUMANIZE ARCHITECTURE."

"I KNOW THE PRICE OF SUCCESS; DEDICATION, HARD WORK AND AN UNREMITTING DEVOTION TO THE THINGS YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN."

"THE ARCHITECT WHO COMBINES IN HIS BEING THE POWER OF VISION, OF IMAGINATION, OF INTELLECT, OF SYMPATHY WITH HUMAN NEED AND THE POWER TO INTERPRET THEM IN A LANGUAGE VERNACULAR AND TIME - IS HE WHO SHALL CREATE POEMS IN STONES."

"ALL FINE ARCHITECTURAL VALUES ARE HUMAN VALUES, ELSE NOT VALUABLE."

"BUILDING ART IS A SYNTHESIS OF LIKE IN MATERIALIZED FORM. WE SHOULD TRY TO BRING IN UNDER THE SAME HAT NOT A SPLINTERED WAY OF THINKING, BUT ALL IN HARMONY TOGETHER."

"WHEN I AM ASKED WHAT I BELIEVE IN, I SAY THAT I BELIEVE IN ARCHITECTURE. ARCHITECTURE IS THE MOTHER OF THE ARTS. I LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT ARCHITECTURE CONNECTS THE PRESENT WITH THE PAST AND THE TANGIBLE WITH THE INTANGIBLE."

"ARCHITECTURE IS THE TRIUMPH OF HUMAN IMAGINATION OVER MATERIALS, METHODS, AND MEN, TO PUT MAN INTO POSSESSION OF HIS OWN EARTH."

"OUR ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE NEW ARCHITECTURE WAS THE COMPOSITE BUT INSEPARABLE WORK IN AN ART, IN WHICH THE OLD DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN MONUMENTAL AND DECORATIVE ELEMENTS WILL HAVE DISAPPEARED FOREVER."

"ARCHITECTURE IS THE MASTERLY, CORRECT AND MAGNIFICENT PLAY OF MASSES BROUGHT TOGETHER IN LIGHT. OUR EYES ARE MADE TO SEE FORMS IN LIGHT; LIGHT AND SHADE REVEAL THESE FORMS."

"THE MORE MATERIALITY THERE IS, THE LESS HUMANITY THERE IS."

"THE THING ALWAYS HAPPENS THAT YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN; AND THE BELIEF IN A THING MAKES IT HAPPEN."

"CHAIRS ARE ARCHITECTURE, SOFAS ARE BOURGEOIS."

"IF A BUILDING BECOME ARCHITECTURE, THEN IT IS ART."

"MY CLIENT IS NOT IN A HURRY."

"I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE MAKE NATURAL ASSOCIATION WITH FORMS, COLOR AND THE COMPOSITION OF ELEMENTS WHILE DECORATION AND DETAILING HELP COMMUNICATE WITH BUILDINGS PURPOSE."

"BEAUTY IS BASED ON THE PERFECT MASTERY OF ALL SCIENTIFIC, TECHNOLOGICAL, AND FORMAL PREREQUISITES OF THE TASK."

"ARCHITECTURE MUST RESPOND TO LOCAL CONDITIONS."

"CREATING ARCHITECTURE THAT IS BOTH MODERN AND UNDENIABLY FILIPINO."

"THE STRUCTURE MUST BE WELL ORIENTED."

"I DESIGN FILIPINO."

"A TRULY GREAT WORK OF ARCHITECTURE MUST EXPRESS HARMONY, SIMPLICITY, ORGANIC BEAUTY, NATURAL INTEGRITY, AND BEAUTY."

"BUILDING SHOULD BE PLANNED WITH AUSTERITY IN MIND AND ITS STABILITY FOREVER AS THE AIM OF TRUE ARCHITECTURE, THAT BUILDINGS MUST BE PROGRESSIVE, SIMPLE IN DESIGN BUT DIGNIFIED, TRUE TO A PURPOSE WITHOUT RESORTING TO AN APPLIED SET OF AESTHETICS AND SHOULD ETERNALLY RECREATE TRUTH."

"A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURE."

"THREE FACTORS MAKE ARCHITECTURE TRULY FILIPINO, FILIPINO VALUES, PHILIPPINE CLIMATE AND THE USE OF INDIGENOUS MATERIALS."

"ARCHITECTURE MUST BE TRUE TO ITSELF, ITS LAND, AND ITS PEOPLE."

"I'VE SAID GOODBYE TO THE OVERWORKED NOTION THAT ARCHITECTURE HAS TO SAVED THE WORLD."

"BUILDINGS CAN HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SILENCE."

"A GREAT BUILDING MUST BEGIN WITH THE UNMEASURABLE, MUST GO THROUGH MEASURABLE MEANS WHEN IT IS BEING DESIGNED AND IN THE END MUST BE UNMEASURABLE."

"THOSE WHO LOOK FOR THE LAWS OF NATURE AS A SUPPORT FOR THEIR NEW WORKS COLLABORATE WITH THE CREATOR."

"ARCHITECTURE IS BASICALLY A CONTAINER OF SOMETHING. I HOPE THEY WILL ENJOY NOT SO MUCH THE TEACUP, BUT THE TEA."

"COLOR IN CERTAIN PLACES HAS THE GREAT VALUE OF MAKING THE OUTLINES AND STRUCTURAL PLANES SEEM MORE ENERGETIC."

"NOTHING REQUIRES THE ARCHITECT'S CARE MORE THAN THE DUE PROPORTIONS OF BUILDINGS."

"TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL ARCHITECTURE IS NOT PARODY HISTORY BUT TO ARTICULATE IT."

"I MAY NOT BE THE MOST INTERESTING ARCHITECT, BUT I'M STILL OUT THERE AND HAVE MAINTAINED SOME POSITION OF INTEGRITY."

"EACH MATERIAL HAS ITS OWN SHADOW. THE SHADOW OF STONE IS NOT THE SAME AS THAT OF A BRITTLE AUTUMN LEAF. THE SHADOW PENETRATES THE MATERIALS AND RADIATES ITS MESSAGE."

"YOU CANNOT SIMPLY PUT SOMETHING NEW INTO A PLACE. YOU HAVE TO ABSURB WHAT YOU SEE AROUND YOU. WHAT EXISTS ON THE LAND, AND THEN USE THAT KNOWLEDGE TO INTERPRET WHAT YOU SEE."

"THE LIFE OF AN ARCHITECT IS ONE OF FIGHT: FIGHT AGAINST THE UGLINESS."

"THERE ARE MANY ARCHITECTS WHO AREN'T REALLY AWARE OF THEIR OWN PATTERNS, JUST LIKE MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THEIR PATTERNS IN PRIVATE. WE FIND THAT A REALLY EXCITING THEME BECAUSE ARCHITECTURE AND PSYCHOLOGY SUDDENLY BECOME VERY CLOSE."

"ONE OF THE GREAT BEAUTIES OF ARCHITECTURE IS THAT EACH TIME, IT IS LIKE STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN."

"I TELL MY STUDENTS: YOU MUST PUT INTO YOUR WORK FIRST EFFORT, SECOND LOVE, AND THIRD SUFFERING."

"WHEN AN ARCHITECT IS ASKED WHAT HIS BEST BUILDING IS, HE USUALLY ANSWERS, 'THE NEXT ONE'."

"ARCHITECTURE IN THE PAST HAVE TENDED TO CONCENTRATE THEIR ATTENTION ON THE BUILDING AS A STATIC OBJECT. I BELIEVE DYNAMICS ARE MORE IMPORTANT: THE DYNAMICS OF PEOPLE, THEIR INTERACTION WITH SPACES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION."

"ARCHITECTURE IS NOT AN INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS, IT'S A RATIONAL PROCEDURE TO DO SENSIBLE AND HOPEFULLY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, THAT'S ALL."

"FORM IS THE MYSTERY THAT DEFIES DESCRIPTION, BUT BRINGS PEOPLE PLEASURE."

"ARCHITECTURE AROUSES SENTIMENTS IN MAN."

"WE SHOULD CONCENTRATE OUR WORK NOT ONLY TO A SEPARATED HOUSING PROBLEM BUT HOUSING INVOLVED IN OUR DAILY WORK AND ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS."

"WHEN YOU LOOK AT JAPANESE TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT JAPANESE CULTURE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE."

"THE WORK OF ART SHOWS PEOPLE NEW DIRECTIONS AND THINKS OF THE FUTURE. THE HOUSE THINKS OF THE PRESENT."

"MAYBE WE CAN SHOW GOVERNMENT HOW TO OPERATE BETTER AS A RESULT OF BETTER ARCHITECTURE."

"NOBLE LIFE DEMANDS A NOBLE ARCHITECTURE FOR NOBLE USES OF NOBLE MEN."

"CONSIDER THE MOMENTOUS EVENT IN ARCHITECTURE WHEN THE WALL PARTED AND THE COLUMN BECAME."

"THE SPEED OF CHANGE MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT WILL BECOME OF ARCHITECTURE."

"ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, FROM THE ARCHITECT TO THE BUILDER, HAVE AN ATTACHMENT TO THE ARCHITECTURE, ALTHOUGH IT’S DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY THE ATTACHMENT."

"I LIKE TO PLAY WITH ARCHITECTURE! IT’S MY FAVOURITE GAME."

"THERE IS POWERFUL NEED FOR SYMBOLISM, AND THAT MEANS THE ARCHITECTURE MUST HAVE SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO THE HUMAN HEART."