That's what you have to find in architecture. You have to find your signature. When you find it, you're the only expert on it. People can say they like it or don't like it. They can argue about it, but it's yours.

It's not elitist to acknowledge that everyone has a unique signature and everyone is different.

When you agree to collaborate, you agree to jump off a cliff holding hands with everyone, hoping the resourcefulness of each will insure that you all land on your feet.

I don't want to do architecture that's dry and dull.

Some cultures tried to stop people from expressing themselves. In Mao's China, for example, the Communists tried to stop individual expression. For them the payoff was a society of equality. The problem of course is that it didn't work.

My father probably - he had flashes of creativity - he used to do store windows for fruit stores that he worked in and stuff.

The thing is, I hate the celebrity architect thing. I just do my work.