I can't focus when there's too many things around. Whenever I used to go to the office, I used to always say, 'Tidy up.'

Of course I believe imaginative architecture can make a difference to people's lives, but I wish it was possible to divert some of the effort we put into ambitious museums and galleries into the basic architectural building blocks of society.

I have been interested in fashion since I was a kid. Then I lived in London, where it was more about costume and a personal statement of who you are than about fashion.

There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?

All the privileged can travel, see different worlds, not everyone can. I think it is important for people to have an interesting locale nearby.

Half of architecture students are women, and you see respected, established female architects all the time.

When I taught, all my best students were women.