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Cameron Sinclair Biography

Author

Cameron Sinclair, born on November 16, 1973, is an influential activist in the field of architecture and design. He is known for his contributions to the social impact of sustainable architecture and design.

People Feels Has Beens Made Whole Next Lost Millions Five Design Sitting Towns Details Screens Make Sense Cute Hotel Homeless Downtown Sweating Swept Away

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“It angers me when sustainability gets used as a buzz word. For 90 percent of the world, sustainability is a matter of survival.”

World Matter Used Survival Percent Sustainability Buzz

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“When your focus is social change and not financial change why wouldn't you want to share that openly? Innovation only succeeds when it's shared.”

Want Social Focus Share Succeed Innovation Financial Social Change

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Treat the world like a failed state, then you can understand the players needed to fix it.”

World States Player Needed Treats

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“I build community. However, I do it wearing a number of hats.”

Community Numbers Hats

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“A career is a job you love, right? That's what a career should be. If you're in a job that you hate, you should quit. That's the way I look at it. I'm in a job that I love so I'm going to make it my career.”

Ifs Way Should Looks Jobs Hate Careers Quitting Hate You

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Ego gets you inches but it doesn't get you impact.”

Ego Impact Inches

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“When you as a designer design something that burdens a community with maintenance and old world technology, basically failed developed world technology then you will crush that community way beyond bad design; you'll destroy the economics of that community and often the community socially is broken.”

World Way Community Technology Design Broken Economics Burden Designer Crush Maintenance Old World

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“After two decades of reconstruction work, I want to work on projects that lay at the intersection of cultural diplomacy and national identity - ones that empower local communities to define progress, not have it sanctioned by others.”

Want Two Community Progress Identity Projects Lays Decades Locals Empowering Diplomacy Reconstruction Intersections Local Community National Identity

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Success will only happen with Afghans leading the charge, and it is far, far more important for Kabul to create and support a purpose-driven school of architecture than to invite a high profile designer to build.”

Important Happens School Purpose Support Driven Architecture Designer Invites Profile High Profile Kabul

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“We often discuss housing refugees, but not how you help return refugees back to their home countries. As a result, in a post-disaster or post-conflict situation, we end up with intractable refugee camps that end up staying for decades.”

Ends Country Helping Home Results Situation Return Conflict Decades Disaster Posts Staying Camps Refugee Housing Home Country Refugee Camps

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Families want their child to get an education; families want safe access to healthcare; families want a roof over their head. When we silo issues, we end up with solutions that are in conflict with each other.”

Want Children Ends Issues Safe Conflict Solutions Access Healthcare Roof

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“For me, I think the most exciting thing in architecture is the re-emergence of the locally-focused architect.”

Thinking Exciting Focused Architecture Architect Emergence Exciting Things

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Some of the best work that's happening right now is from architects who have remained in their home countries and who have focused on a local or national identity and the idea of critical regionalism.”

Ideas Country Home Identity Right Now Happenings Critical Focused Locals Architect Best Work National Identity Home Country Regionalism

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Through training, practice, and a deep sense of optimism, architects see opportunities where others only see a void. This has been the driving principle behind Architecture for Humanity since our founding.”

Has Beens Humanity Opportunity Behinds Principles Practice Training Optimism Architecture Driving Architect Void Founding

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Forget your environmental footprint. Think about your ethical footprint. What good is it to build a zero-carbon, energy efficient complex, when the labor producing this architectural gem is unethical at best?”

Thinking Inspiration Motivation Energy Forget Labor Complexes Environmental Zero Ethical Efficient Carbon Footprint Forget You Gems Unethical

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“When your focus is social change and not financial change why wouldn't you want to share that openly? Innovation only succeeds when it's shared. If you're a pioneer and you come up with something that can change the world and you turn round and say 'I'm not going to share this idea with anyone' then you only impact the few and not the many.”

Ifs World Want Ideas Turns Social Focus Share Succeed Innovation Impact Rounds Financial Come Up Changing The World Social Change Pioneers

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“When you build a beautiful building, people love it. And the most sustainable building in the world is the one that’s loved.”

People World Beautiful Building

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“If you focus on design, you can call yourself a designer. If you focus on the implementation of your design, you can call yourself an architect.”

Ifs Focus Design Designer Architect Implementation

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“When sustainability is viewed as being a matter of survival for your business, I believe you can create massive change.”

Believe Matter I Believe Survival Massive Sustainability Believe You Can Massive Change

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“A true architect is not an artist but an optimistic realist. They take a diverse number of stakeholders, extract needs, concerns, and dreams, then create a beautiful yet tangible solution that is loved by the users and the community at large. We create vessels in which life happens.”

Needs Dream Happens Beautiful Artist Community Numbers Solutions Concern Optimistic Architect Users Diverse Vessel Tangible Realist Life Happens Stakeholder

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“An architect is not an artist but an optimistic realist.”

Artist Optimistic Architect Tangible Realist Life Happens Stakeholder

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“Design is about creating spaces for people to enjoy and of course, creating moments where you elevate the spirit, but 'design for good' is figuring out a program that not only creates better spaces, but creates jobs, creates new industry and really kind of raises the conversation about how we rebuild.”

People Kind Moments Jobs Spirit Courses Enjoy Space Design Industry Conversation Creating Program Raises

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“The Internet has created an incredible democratization of the architecture industry.”

Industry Internet Incredibles Architecture Democratization

Author:Cameron Sinclair

“The fact that the president (Michelle Bachelet) was out giving minute-to-minute reports a few hours after the quake in the middle of the night gives you an indication of their disaster response.”

Giving Facts Night President Hours Middle Minutes Response Disaster Reports Indication Middle Of The Night Quake

Author:Cameron Sinclair

About the Author

Born: November 16, 1973
Known for: Author
Quotes: 25

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