--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the Americans are behind you…" description: "\"When the Americans are behind you, they're behind you 100%, and this gives you real confidence as an architect. They expect you to lead a building proj..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/david-chipperfield-22218_american_when-the-americans-are-behind-you-they-r_1986265.png" --- # When the Americans are behind you, they're behind you… ![“When the Americans are behind you, they're behind you 100%, and this gives you real confidence as an architect. They expect you to lead a building project - to make the kind of big and costly decisions that, in Britain, have been handed over to project managers and cost-cutters.” quote by David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/david-chipperfield-22218_american_when-the-americans-are-behind-you-they-r_1986265.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/david-chipperfield-22218_american_when-the-americans-are-behind-you-they-r_1986265.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/david-chipperfield-22218_american_when-the-americans-are-behind-you-they-r_1986265.png) > “When the Americans are behind you, they're behind you 100%, and this gives you real confidence as an architect. They expect you to lead a building project - to make the kind of big and costly decisions that, in Britain, have been handed over to project managers and cost-cutters.” [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American backing gives architects confidence to make bold, costly decisions, unlike British reliance on managers. **In simple terms:** US support encourages daring design choices. Key Takeaway Leverage strong client trust for innovation. Themes architecture leadership confidence Mood confident analytical Type professional strategic When to use this quote - construction - urban planning - client negotiations - team building Key Concepts risk‑taking project ownership design ambition Questions to Reflect On - How to balance ambition with feasibility? - What role does client culture play? A Different Perspective Over‑confidence may ignore practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Project Manager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project-manager/) ## Related quotes > [Before starting a building project, it is wise to discuss your plans in full with the neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rinder/before-starting-a-building-project-it-is-wise-to-discuss-your-plans/) [Robert Rinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rinder/) > [“The job done least well by project managers is to utilize the technical genius who is not strong on management talent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-p-brooks-jr/the-job-done-least-well-by-project-managers-is-to-utilize-the/) [Frederick P. Brooks Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-p-brooks-jr/) > [Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was not engaged in subversive work; she was an apolitical project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nazanin-boniadi/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-was-not-engaged-in-subversive-work-she-was/) [Nazanin Boniadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nazanin-boniadi/) > [“Cards on a wall is a way of practicing transparency, valuing and respecting the input of each team member. 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Under the leader's direction, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lr-sayles/project-managers-function-as-bandleaders-who-pull-together-their/) LR Sayles > [“Sam Lessin, project manager at Facebook, suggests, “We as a species in the last few decades have gotten three new superpowers. . . . We can literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-detweiler/sam-lessin-project-manager-at-facebook-suggests-we-as-a-species-in/) [Craig Detweiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-detweiler/) > [My work is one of my passions, so I want to treat it with great importance, whatever the project or role. As any motorcycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-cormack/my-work-is-one-of-my-passions-so-i-want-to-treat-it-with-great/) [Danielle Cormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-cormack/) > [“A study of project and risk management in software projects in the public sector found that an informal partnership between the project’s business owner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-study-of-project-and-risk-management-in-software-projects-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“motherhood is not a job at all. It is a full-time, all-consuming, life-subsuming career with no pay, no stock options, no social security, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-j-buchanan/motherhood-is-not-a-job-at-all-it-is-a-full-time-all-consuming-life/) [Andrea J. Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-j-buchanan/) > [“Charles Du designed NASA’s first iPhone app, an award winner and a huge hit with more than 10 million downloads. But he also faced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-haaff/charles-du-designed-nasa-s-first-iphone-app-an-award-winner-and-a/) [Brian de Haaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-haaff/) > [“Though time management seems a problem as old as time itself, the science of scheduling began in the machine shops of the industrial revolution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-christian/though-time-management-seems-a-problem-as-old-as-time-itself-the/) [Brian Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-christian/) > [“Project managers operate in a global environment and work on projects characterized by cultural diversity. Team members often have diverse industry experience, know multiple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/project-managers-operate-in-a-global-environment-and-work-on-projects/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People suitable for designing the IA for a site could include: business analysts usability specialists writers graphic designers web developers project managers Their skills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-spencer/people-suitable-for-designing-the-ia-for-a-site-could-include/) Donna Spencer ## More by David Chipperfield > [I spent more than ten years working on the Neues Museum. It was a wonderful experience, an example of real collaboration between architects, conservationists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-spent-more-than-ten-years-working-on-the-neues-museum-it-was-a/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [Seeing architecture differently from the way you see the rest of life is a bit weird. I believe one should be consistent in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/seeing-architecture-differently-from-the-way-you-see-the-rest-of-life/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I like to be surrounded by books. My wife Evelyn has a Ph.D. in comparative literature, so we have a lot of her Spanish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-like-to-be-surrounded-by-books-my-wife-evelyn-has-a-ph-d-in/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [Architecture has curled up in a ball and it's about itself. It has found itself either as a freakshow, where you're not sure if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/architecture-has-curled-up-in-a-ball-and-it-s-about-itself-it-has/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I'm suspicious of the idea of architects acting like business executives, brand managers, or purveyors of luxury goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-m-suspicious-of-the-idea-of-architects-acting-like-business/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I do very little industrial design. I'm asked a lot, but I certainly don't see myself as an industrial designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-do-very-little-industrial-design-i-m-asked-a-lot-but-i-certainly/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [We see buildings in Britain mostly as freestanding objects. 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I don't care how a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/there-is-a-danger-when-every-building-has-to-look-spectacular-to-look/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I may not be the most interesting architect, but I'm still out there and have maintained some position of integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-may-not-be-the-most-interesting-architect-but-i-m-still-out-there/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [It's unfortunate that a certain type of stripped-down classicism became the in-house architectural language for 20th-century fascism. Can an architectural language recover from such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-certain-type-of-stripped-down-classicism/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [The quality of the Neues Museum's construction is extraordinary even by German standards, and people can smell that quality. The concept would not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/the-quality-of-the-neues-museum-s-construction-is-extraordinary-even/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [It is difficult to separate oneself from one's design moralities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/it-is-difficult-to-separate-oneself-from-one-s-design-moralities/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [The difference between good and bad architecture is the time you spend on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/the-difference-between-good-and-bad-architecture-is-the-time-you/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [Often, architects work too hard trying to make their buildings look different. 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The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the Americans are behind you, they're behind you 100%, and this gives you real confidence as an architect. 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