--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An architect has to build the building…" description: "\"An architect has to build the building from the inside out, not the outside in!\" — Luigi Colani" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/luigi-colani-27562_architect_an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-f_68185.jpg" --- # An architect has to build the building from the inside… ![“An architect has to build the building from the inside out, not the outside in!” quote by Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/luigi-colani-27562_architect_an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-f_68185.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/luigi-colani-27562_architect_an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-f_68185.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/luigi-colani-27562_architect_an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-f_68185.jpg) > “An architect has to build the building from the inside out, not the outside in!” [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design must start with internal functions and relationships before shaping external appearance. **In simple terms:** Start inside, then shape outward. Key Takeaway Form follows function internally. Themes design thinking architecture systems theory process orientation creative methodology Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type maxim advice When to use this quote - product development - software UI design - urban planning - interior renovation - organizational restructuring Key Concepts functionality structure user experience integration Practical Applications - architectural planning - system architecture Questions to Reflect On - What internal needs should drive the exterior design? - How does focusing on the core affect final aesthetics? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Architect Build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect-build-901394/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Build Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build-building-581931/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Building Inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-inside-901395/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) ## Related quotes > [ “The place Joanne is building inside \[herself\] has rooms for all of this. Not just rooms. Beautiful ones. For Karl and Jerry and Karen… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/the-place-joanne-is-building-inside-herself-has-rooms-for-all-of-this/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [As an architect, you do not have control of who will build the building and who will have the capability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/as-an-architect-you-do-not-have-control-of-who-will-build-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [There is no architect Can build as the Muse can; She is skilful to select Materials for her plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-no-architect-can-build-as-the-muse-can-she-is-skilful-to/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Metal buildings are the dream that Modern Architects had at the beginning of this century. 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"To build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-hate-it-when-people-let-me-down-when-things-are-temporary-i-think/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Architects, painters, and sculptors must recognize anew and learn to grasp the composite character of a building both as an entity and in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/architects-painters-and-sculptors-must-recognize-anew-and-learn-to/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [The two most important tools an architect has are the eraser in the drawing room and the sledge hammer on the construction site.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/the-two-most-important-tools-an-architect-has-are-the-eraser-in-the/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [As an architect, I learned to think and express myself on flat forms, on paper, and to imagine the contour of the lines of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianfranco-ferre/as-an-architect-i-learned-to-think-and-express-myself-on-flat-forms/) [Gianfranco Ferre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianfranco-ferre/) > [I have had built, from my designs, over 40,000 living units, and that's more than any other architect that I know of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-krisel/i-have-had-built-from-my-designs-over-40-000-living-units-and-that-s/) [William Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-krisel/) > [“Be the architect of your own design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomislav-brki/be-the-architect-of-your-own-design/) [Tomislav Brkić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomislav-brki/) > [Unfortunately, we are not painters and authors, where we can do something in isolation. We require a lot of money to create what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-favreau/unfortunately-we-are-not-painters-and-authors-where-we-can-do/) [Jon Favreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-favreau/) > [When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/when-you-design-a-building-you-start-from-a-general-philosophy-and/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [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/) > [“Build yourself first before building others, so that those you help build don't end up reminding you why you should have prioritized yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ojingiri-hannah/build-yourself-first-before-building-others-so-that-those-you-help/) [Ojingiri Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ojingiri-hannah/) ## More by Luigi Colani > [It took two years of me telling Canon engineers that a camera is a thing between the human hand and the human eye, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/it-took-two-years-of-me-telling-canon-engineers-that-a-camera-is-a/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [The thing is, 75 percent of design today is absolutely outdated. It all has to be redesigned with the materials and knowledge that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/the-thing-is-75-percent-of-design-today-is-absolutely-outdated-it-all/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [Everybody was inspired by the drawings and the wind tunnels and the race cars - but no one wanted to work with me because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/everybody-was-inspired-by-the-drawings-and-the-wind-tunnels-and-the/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [You see, if you are 30 years ahead of your time, you will always have difficulty speaking with the bosses in the industry. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/you-see-if-you-are-30-years-ahead-of-your-time-you-will-always-have/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [I learned to ask myself questions like: Why is something made the way it is? Why does a motorcar look like it does? Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/i-learned-to-ask-myself-questions-like-why-is-something-made-the-way/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [If I had been president, I would have come out and declared: "Nothing there, ever! This place stays as it is. We make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/if-i-had-been-president-i-would-have-come-out-and-declared-nothing/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [It isn't easy for me to have contact with the industry, because it is so outdated. Look at General Motors, look at -Mercedes, look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/it-isn-t-easy-for-me-to-have-contact-with-the-industry-because-it-is/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [America is very conservative. It is not a very modern country. If you look at the population, they are very serious, very nice, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/america-is-very-conservative-it-is-not-a-very-modern-country-if-you/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [I consider myself a 3-D philosopher. I am not a designer at all. I studied aerodynamics, I studied philosophy, I studied sculpture. High technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/i-consider-myself-a-3-d-philosopher-i-am-not-a-designer-at-all-i/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [The earth is round, all the heavenly bodies are round; they all move on round or elliptical orbits. This same image of circular globe-shaped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/the-earth-is-round-all-the-heavenly-bodies-are-round-they-all-move-on/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [Everybody in Germany was for the -German cause. But then, after the war ended, when I heard the first Glenn Miller sound on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/everybody-in-germany-was-for-the-german-cause-but-then-after-the-war/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [China came from a communist dictatorship of the ugliest kind to become a country which today has a smiling population. Things are getting better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/china-came-from-a-communist-dictatorship-of-the-ugliest-kind-to/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [Look at nature - look at birds, look at fish. Things that look good, work good. People don't get the message of ergonomics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/look-at-nature-look-at-birds-look-at-fish-things-that-look-good-work/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [1973 was the first gasoline crisis in the world. That year, I designed the first aerodynamic truck, eating 40 percent less fuel. I put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/1973-was-the-first-gasoline-crisis-in-the-world-that-year-i-designed/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) > [Well, sex is life. You know, if you don't do it anymore, you can take a spoon and go into the woods and dig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/well-sex-is-life-you-know-if-you-don-t-do-it-anymore-you-can-take-a/) [Luigi Colani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) [Explore all 20 Luigi Colani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/) ## More Architect quotes > [When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. Architecture is the mother of the arts. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/when-i-am-asked-what-i-believe-in-i-say-that-i-believe-in/) [Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/) > [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/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-getting-things-done-we-need-fewer-architects-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [Yes, Garnett Grey was an Architect. Were a psychoanalyst to approach him from behind, tap his shoulder, and say 'Humanity,' Garrett'd spin and respond,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/yes-garnett-grey-was-an-architect-were-a-psychoanalyst-to-approach/) [Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/) > [The challenge of today's generation of architects is the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ross-barney/the-challenge-of-today-s-generation-of-architects-is-the-environment/) [Carol Ross Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ross-barney/) > [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Architects in the past have tended to concentrate their attention on the building as a static object. I believe dynamics are more important: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/architects-in-the-past-have-tended-to-concentrate-their-attention-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [No matter what an architect may be at home, he becomes a monumentalist when he comes to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/no-matter-what-an-architect-may-be-at-home-he-becomes-a-monumentalist/) [Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/) > [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/) [Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/) [Browse all 836 Architect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An architect has to build the building from the inside out, not the outside in!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Luigi Colani" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-from-the-inside-out-not-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Architect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-from-the-inside-out-not-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/luigi-colani-27562_architect_an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-f_68185.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/luigi-colani-27562_architect_an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-f_68185.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/luigi-colani-27562_architect_an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-f_68185.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An architect has to build the building from the inside out, not the outside in!” — Luigi Colani", "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": "Luigi Colani", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-colani/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "An architect has to build the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-from-the-inside-out-not-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-colani/an-architect-has-to-build-the-building-from-the-inside-out-not-the/#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 } } ] } ```