Architecture Quote by David Adjaye
![“What I resist is techniques. I find techniques very problematic. So when critics talk about my work in those terms, I find that they miss the condition. I am comfortable with the notion of pattern and ornament as a system of organization, [but] for me it acts as a textile. So it's not about…” quote by David Adjaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a0f/david-adjaye-31851_architecture_what-i-resist-is-techniques-i-find-techn_804486.jpg)
“What I resist is techniques. I find techniques very problematic. So when critics talk about my work in those terms, I find that they miss the condition. I am comfortable with the notion of pattern and ornament as a system of organization, [but] for me it acts as a textile. So it's not about pattern, but the notion of architecture through the lens of textile, rather than architecture through the lens of brick and mortar.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast with ArchDaily, 2021
He argues that design should be seen as a textile system of organization rather than rigid construction, emphasizing fluidity over fixed patterns.
In simple terms: Design is like a flexible fabric, not a solid wall.
Key Takeaway
Embrace fluid, pattern-based organization.
Themes
design
architecture
fluidity
systems
ornament
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
theoretical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- architectural design
- urban planning
- interior design
- art installations
- educational workshops
Key Concepts
textile metaphor
systems thinking
pattern theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How can textile thinking improve building performance?
- What challenges arise when replacing brick with pattern?
A Different Perspective
May be too abstract for practical construction without clear guidelines.
![“There's always a pattern in order to make a thing, but the starting point must be something I've never seen before. It's not two-dimensional, but it's like a sample. I work with patterns like a sculptor. I try to get [the team] not to work on a body, [but] to work on a free space, on a table. The…” quote by Rei Kawakubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ded/rei-kawakubo-4644_body_there-s-always-a-pattern-in-order-to-mak_910306.jpg)
![“The houses [my first project in London] were reactions to the condition of the city and my frustrations with the norms that were being played out. In a way they were slightly subconscious but reactions to that condition and a way to posit new possibilities within certain pervasive norms.” quote by David Adjaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f91/david-adjaye-31851_being-played_the-houses-my-first-project-in-london-we_1036091.jpg)
![“The thing about architecture is that it's an art [you] simply learn more by doing more. It's one of those things that is really not an art about thinking, but doing. So in a way, what it has done is greatly intensify the way that I build.” quote by David Adjaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/62a/david-adjaye-31851_architecture_the-thing-about-architecture-is-that-it_1730140.jpg)
![“In a way, going to Africa allowed me to see possibilities that sometimes seem impossible in certain conditions. It also allowed me to see opportunities for material strategies. I hate it when people think I went and got something [from Africa] and brought it here. It's more about how it affects…” quote by David Adjaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a6/david-adjaye-31851_certain_in-a-way-going-to-africa-allowed-me-to-s_2324863.jpg)
