Form follows profit is the aesthetic principle of our times.
Richard RogersRead
My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we - architects - can effect the quality of life of the people.
Interpretation
This quote expresses the deep connection between architecture and the improvement of people's lives through design.
Richard Rogers highlights the vital role architects play in enhancing the quality of life through thoughtful design. As he grows older, his appreciation for architecture deepens, reflecting a belief that their work significantly impacts the well-being of individuals and communities.
In practice
During a presentation on sustainable design, one might use this quote to illustrate the impact of architecture on community wellness.
Form follows profit is the aesthetic principle of our times.
I love cities, I spend most of my life talking about cities. And the design of cities does have an effect on your life. You're lucky if you can see trees out of your window and you have a square nearby, or a bar, a cornershop, a surgery. Then you're living well.
A greater focus on design in all new homes would make the best use of land, create homes and public spaces, and reinforce the structures of urban life.
The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved.
When I started out, nearly every architect I knew was working in public practice; that's where the radical thinking was done. But, there's always a danger of looking back as our fathers did and saying, 'Things were better then.'
Architecture is about public space held by buildings.
If you look at the Earth without architecture, its sometimes a little bit unpleasant. So there is this basic human need to do shelter in the broadest sense of the word, whether its a movie theater or a simple log cabin in the mountains. This is the core of architecture: To provide a space for human beings.
We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.
A building should appear to grow easily from its site and be shaped to harmonize with its surroundings if Nature is manifest there.
The difference between a builder and an architect is that an architect also cares about desire, about dreams.
I realize that having a style would be very beneficial for my practice from a marketing standpoint, but I can't do it. I believe my responsibilities as an architect are to design the most appropriate building for the place. Each place has a distinct culture and function, which for me requires an appropriate answer.
Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power. Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their power and money by making monumental architecture. I love to make monuments, too, but I thought perhaps we can use our experience and knowledge more for the general public, even for those who have lost their houses in natural disasters.
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