--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you design a building, you start…" description: "\"When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only the theoretical archite..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/renzo-piano-15794_architect_when-you-design-a-building-you-start-fro_61056.jpg" --- # When you design a building, you start from a general… ![“When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only the theoretical architect believes that you can make the concept and then sometime, somebody will come to build it.” quote by Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/renzo-piano-15794_architect_when-you-design-a-building-you-start-fro_61056.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/renzo-piano-15794_architect_when-you-design-a-building-you-start-fro_61056.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/renzo-piano-15794_architect_when-you-design-a-building-you-start-fro_61056.jpg) > “When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only the theoretical architect believes that you can make the concept and then sometime, somebody will come to build it.” [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design proceeds from overarching philosophy to concrete details, but the reverse—starting with a concept and expecting it to materialize without iterative refinement—is unrealistic. **In simple terms:** Iterative design bridges vision and execution. Key Takeaway Concepts must be grounded in detail. Themes design process philosophy vs. detail architectural practice iteration realism Mood thoughtful analytical Type observational didactic When to use this quote - initial concept development - detailed drafting - construction planning - client presentations - design reviews Key Concepts philosophy detail iteration pragmatism Practical Applications - architectural design - project management Questions to Reflect On - How does early philosophy shape later details? - What risks arise from ignoring iterative refinement? A Different Perspective Some designers successfully begin with a strong concept and let details emerge organically, though this is rare. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Architect Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect-believes-831518/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes/) [Build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Concept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concept/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-building-492951/) [Detail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detail/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general/) [General Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-philosophy-480188/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-come-831519/) [Somebody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somebody/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Theoretical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theoretical/) [Theoretical Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theoretical-architect-831517/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I don't like the idea that the first preparation when you start to design your building has to put your label. 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Science can never reveal it, philosophy can never come to it - only a poetic approach, a very passive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/god-is-a-synergetic-experience-science-can-never-reveal-it-philosophy/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The minister and the priest teach that the organization is greater. No great philosophy has ever come from an organization, but from an individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-twitchell/the-minister-and-the-priest-teach-that-the-organization-is-greater-no/) [Paul Twitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-twitchell/) > [“Hello again! As you see, this short course in philosophy will come in handy-sized portions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/hello-again-as-you-see-this-short-course-in-philosophy-will-come-in/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [It is easier taking the beaten path than making our way over bogs and precipices. The great difficulty in philosophy is to come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/it-is-easier-taking-the-beaten-path-than-making-our-way-over-bogs-and/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## More by Renzo Piano > [I came to architecture from building. Because my father was a builder, everybody was - and is - a builder in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/i-came-to-architecture-from-building-because-my-father-was-a-builder/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [In a way I spend my entire life stealing from everything - from the past, from cities I love, from where I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/in-a-way-i-spend-my-entire-life-stealing-from-everything-from-the/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [There is something about giving everything to your profession. In Italian, an obsession is not necessarily negative. 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It's much better when you have some obligation, some discipline, some rules. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/if-you-have-total-freedom-then-you-are-in-trouble-it-s-much-better/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [You can put down a bad book; you can avoid listening to bad music; but you cannot miss the ugly tower block opposite your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/you-can-put-down-a-bad-book-you-can-avoid-listening-to-bad-music-but/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [Architects have to dream, we have to search for our Atlantises, to be explorers, adventurers, and yet to build responsibly and well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/architects-have-to-dream-we-have-to-search-for-our-atlantises-to-be/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [There is something about giving everything to your profession. In Italian, an obsession is not necessarily negative. 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