The beauty of the landscape - where sand, water, reeds, birds, buildings, and people all somehow flowed together - has never left me.

I don't think that architecture is only about shelter, is only about a very simple enclosure. It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think.

You have to really believe not only in yourself; you have to believe that the world is actually worth your sacrifices.

There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?

Architecture is like writing. You have to edit it over and over so it looks effortless

You really have to have a goal. The goal posts might shift, but you should have a goal. Know what it is you want to find out.

I have always appreciated those who dare to experiment with materials and proportions.

Architecture is how the person places herself in the space. Fashion is about how you place the object on the person.

Yes, I'm a feminist, because I see all women as smart, gifted and tough.

I think about architecture all the time. That's the problem. But I've always been like that. I dream it sometimes.

I really believe in the idea of the future.

What am I to do on this earth? The choice rests with me: suffer or enjoy. Whither will suffering lead me? To nothingness

Not all the monsters have fangs.

The suicide bomber's imagination leads him to believe in a brilliant act of heroism, when in fact he is simply blowing himself up pointlessly and taking other people's lives.

There's no abiding success without commitment.

When I first read Lord of the Rings I wanted to see a film of it. But at that time the technology wasn't there, there was no such thing as CGI.

My blood is too thick for California: I have never been able to properly explain myself in this climate.

In an underdeveloped country don't drink the water. In a developed country don't breathe the air.

I often felt myself to be an outsider, which is great training for all writers.

Great ability without discretion comes almost invariably to a tragic end

So much time is currently spent in worrying about the future that the present is allowed to go to hell.