Spain is best described as vibrant. It is one of the leading centers of innovation not only in Europe but in the world.

In this house, ... the bathroom is almost like a spa. It's more like a bathing space, it's more sensual, it's more attractive, it's more of a room. And it's only very minimally screened from the public areas by a kind of floating sheet of frosted glass. The bedroom -- if the curtains are open, it's actually quite evident from the other living spaces.

Most of them are free standing houses, ... although there are some more typically European row houses. There are some apartments and lofts, but for the most part it's the house.

In the last 20 years, the country has undertaken the most extensive building and rebuilding of its civil infrastructure since the Romans.

The thing that I've enjoyed the most about this position is being able to use the museum as a means of introducing lesser-known architects.

In the 19th century, ... the private house was perfected. That was a place that was all about the family to the exclusion of anything else, including work. All that has changed. Twenty million Americans work at home now. Half the households in America are without children. That's a huge number. Twenty-five percent of the households are people living alone.

The opportunity not to make a contribution to an institution with a 75-year-old history but to make a contribution to a building from scratch is very exciting for me.

That's a recipe for a Venice, ... on life support.