I love driving around east London - it's always full of surprises. Actually, I don't drive myself - I like to be driven.

I am equally proud of all of my architectural projects. It's always rewarding to see an ambitious design become reality.

People often ask me if I consider myself to be an architect, fashion designer, or artist. I'm an architect. The paintings I've done are very important to me, but they were part of a process of thinking and developing.

My work first engaged with the early russian avant-garde; the paintings of moholy-nagy, el lissitzky's 'prouns' and naum gabo's sculptures, but in particular with the work of kasimir malevitch - he was an early influence for me as a representative of the modern avant-garde intersection between art and design.

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

I am sure that as a woman I can do a very good skyscraper.

The idea for a building or an object can come up just as quick, but there is a big difference in process.