I build community. However, I do it wearing a number of hats.

The Internet has created an incredible democratization of the architecture industry.

Success will only happen with Afghans leading the charge, and it is far, far more important for Kabul to create and support a purpose-driven school of architecture than to invite a high profile designer to build.

If you focus on design, you can call yourself a designer. If you focus on the implementation of your design, you can call yourself an architect.

After two decades of reconstruction work, I want to work on projects that lay at the intersection of cultural diplomacy and national identity - ones that empower local communities to define progress, not have it sanctioned by others.

For me, I think the most exciting thing in architecture is the re-emergence of the locally-focused architect.

Forget your environmental footprint. Think about your ethical footprint. What good is it to build a zero-carbon, energy efficient complex, when the labor producing this architectural gem is unethical at best?