To build means to make architecture real on the borders of knowledge.
Frei OttoRead
My architectural drive was to design new types of buildings to help poor people, especially following natural disasters and catastrophes... I will use whatever time is left to me to keep doing what I have been doing, which is to help humanity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a commitment to using architectural skills to improve the lives of those affected by disasters.
Frei Otto emphasizes the importance of innovative architecture designed specifically for helping underprivileged communities, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters. His dedication to using his remaining time to contribute to humanitarian efforts highlights a deep sense of responsibility and purpose in his work, aiming to uplift those in need through thoughtful design and construction.
Themes
ArchitectureHumanitarianDesignDisastersBuildings
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community resilience, one could reference this quote to highlight the role of architecture in disaster recovery.
More from Frei Otto
All quotes →Why should we build very large spaces when they are not necessary? We can design halls spanning several kilometres and covering a whole city, but we have to ask, what does it really make? What does society really need?
Frei OttoRead
Buildings are 'humane' only when they promote peaceful human co-existence.
Frei OttoRead
Most architects think in drawings, or did think in drawings; today, they think on the computer monitor. I always tried to think three dimensionally. The interior eye of the brain should be not flat but three dimensional so that everything is an object in space. We are not living in a two-dimensional world.
Frei OttoRead
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The space within becomes the reality of the building.
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