--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to improve the suburban office…" description: "\"I wanted to improve the suburban office building; to create a great urban space in a suburban environment with all that implies about interaction, coll..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/helmut-jahn-15839_building_i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office_1539774.png" --- # I wanted to improve the suburban office building; to… ![“I wanted to improve the suburban office building; to create a great urban space in a suburban environment with all that implies about interaction, collaboration and creativity.” quote by Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/helmut-jahn-15839_building_i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office_1539774.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/helmut-jahn-15839_building_i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office_1539774.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/helmut-jahn-15839_building_i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office_1539774.png) > “I wanted to improve the suburban office building; to create a great urban space in a suburban environment with all that implies about interaction, collaboration and creativity.” [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Designing suburban offices should foster urban‑like interaction, collaboration, and creativity within a suburban setting. **In simple terms:** Create collaborative, creative spaces in suburbs. Key Takeaway Design for interaction and creativity. Themes architecture urban design collaboration creativity Mood innovative professional Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - corporate campuses - co‑working spaces - neighborhood centers Key Concepts spatial planning environmental psychology community building Questions to Reflect On - How can suburban design encourage spontaneous collaboration? - What elements best stimulate creativity? A Different Perspective Suburban constraints may limit urban dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Collaboration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaboration/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interaction/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) ## Related quotes > [You know, I don't really understand a suburban environment. I want to be out in the woods, I want to be where it's wild,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-allen/you-know-i-don-t-really-understand-a-suburban-environment-i-want-to/) [Karen Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-allen/) > [Instead of making grand structures and beautiful buildings, we should focus on the environment and the urban space and how you encourage people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/instead-of-making-grand-structures-and-beautiful-buildings-we-should/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [ \[T\]here are, at bottom, basically two ways to order social affairs, Coercively, through the mechanisms of the state - what we can call political… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-crane/t-here-are-at-bottom-basically-two-ways-to-order-social-affairs/) [Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-crane/) > [There will be scenes in a movie where people are walking through the park, or through a forest, and you're seeing the flickering leaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-rae-perkins/there-will-be-scenes-in-a-movie-where-people-are-walking-through-the/) [Lynne Rae Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-rae-perkins/) > [Interplay and interaction are the integral parts of music - they're as important as the notes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/interplay-and-interaction-are-the-integral-parts-of-music-they-re-as/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) > [“This is one of the harshest after effects of the pandemic that I am witnessing some and experiencing some, a diminished ability to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellen-lubin/this-is-one-of-the-harshest-after-effects-of-the-pandemic-that-i-am/) [Shellen Lubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellen-lubin/) > [Every customer interaction is a marketing opportunity. If you go above and beyond on the customer service side, people are much more likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/every-customer-interaction-is-a-marketing-opportunity-if-you-go-above/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [People don't realize that molecules themselves are somewhat hypothetical, and that their interactions are more so, and that the biological reactions are even more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kary-mullis/people-don-t-realize-that-molecules-themselves-are-somewhat/) [Kary Mullis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kary-mullis/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [No theory about our bodies as mere objects of observation and calculation (as distinct from partners in communicative interaction, assumed to be free) can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/no-theory-about-our-bodies-as-mere-objects-of-observation-and/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [“We can at times see the technology as prescribing the form of interaction but social technology supports many patterns of human activity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-de-clercq/we-can-at-times-see-the-technology-as-prescribing-the-form-of/) [Isabel De Clercq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-de-clercq/) > [Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/most-enjoyable-activities-are-not-natural-they-demand-an-effort-that/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“There is no interaction without God with interaction with men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/there-is-no-interaction-without-god-with-interaction-with-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Having to talk to people was the one thing, but soliciting conversation was something else. If I acted squirmy or didn't make eye contact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/having-to-talk-to-people-was-the-one-thing-but-soliciting/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) ## More by Helmut Jahn > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [When I came to America in the '60s, it was the place to be. I wonder if I'd come here today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/when-i-came-to-america-in-the-60s-it-was-the-place-to-be-i-wonder-if/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Creativity has more to do with the elimination of the inessential than with inventing something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/creativity-has-more-to-do-with-the-elimination-of-the-inessential/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Success on one project does not necessarily mean success in the next project. You've got to be prepared in everything you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/success-on-one-project-does-not-necessarily-mean-success-in-the-next/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [I find if my body feels well and I exercise regularly, I think better, work better and feel better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/i-find-if-my-body-feels-well-and-i-exercise-regularly-i-think-better/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [A good engineer thinks in reverse and asks himself about the stylistic consequences of the components and systems he proposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/a-good-engineer-thinks-in-reverse-and-asks-himself-about-the/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [The American attitude towards efficiency and execution should always underlie architecture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/the-american-attitude-towards-efficiency-and-execution-should-always/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [A city building, you experience when you walk; a suburban building, you experience when you drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/a-city-building-you-experience-when-you-walk-a-suburban-building-you/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [We prefer synthetic rather than natural materials. Natural products are almost too valuable. Wood is much harder to produce than metal. And metal is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/we-prefer-synthetic-rather-than-natural-materials-natural-products/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Chinese buildings are like American buildings, with big footprints. People don't care about daylight or fresh air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/chinese-buildings-are-like-american-buildings-with-big-footprints/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [We want our buildings to work like a machine that will create a pleasurable environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/we-want-our-buildings-to-work-like-a-machine-that-will-create-a/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [I think the younger generation, the people poised to dominate the workforce, are more socially conscious. They are more demanding in terms of environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/i-think-the-younger-generation-the-people-poised-to-dominate-the/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Sometimes I have to accept a job I don't really want. Hardly anybody comes up to you with a commission; it's all competitions these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/sometimes-i-have-to-accept-a-job-i-don-t-really-want-hardly-anybody/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Working is actually a pleasure. It's just very time-consuming. It's a way of life. I find that I can work when I travel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/working-is-actually-a-pleasure-it-s-just-very-time-consuming-it-s-a/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [I used to buy nice clothes and drive a nice car when I couldn't afford it. But I spent all my money doing it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/i-used-to-buy-nice-clothes-and-drive-a-nice-car-when-i-couldn-t/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) [Explore all 41 Helmut Jahn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wanted to improve the suburban office building; to create a great urban space in a suburban environment with all that implies about interaction, collaboration and creativity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helmut Jahn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office-building-to-create-a-great/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Building" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office-building-to-create-a-great/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/helmut-jahn-15839_building_i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office_1539774.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/helmut-jahn-15839_building_i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office_1539774.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/helmut-jahn-15839_building_i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office_1539774.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to improve the suburban office building; to create a great urban space in a suburban environment…” — Helmut Jahn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Helmut Jahn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wanted to improve the suburban...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office-building-to-create-a-great/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/i-wanted-to-improve-the-suburban-office-building-to-create-a-great/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```