Meaning

This statement places architecture in a significant position among human activities, not just as construction or visual design but as one of the primary ways people organize and make sense of their lives. The word "ordering" is key: it points to the idea that buildings and spaces create structure, rhythm, and meaning for the people who move through them, shaping how daily life is experienced even when that influence goes unnoticed.

Context

Richard Meier is an American architect whose career has been defined by an interest in light, geometry, and the relationship between built form and human perception. A remark like this one fits naturally within the kind of reflective statements architects make when asked to justify or explain the importance of their discipline. It positions architecture not as decoration or mere utility but as something that participates in the deeper organization of how human beings inhabit the world and relate to one another.

About the author

Richard Meier is an American architect who became internationally known for buildings characterized by white surfaces, clean geometric forms, and a sophisticated use of natural light. He received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, one of the field's highest honors, in 1984. His completed projects include cultural institutions, private residences, and civic buildings across multiple countries. Throughout his career he has also written and spoken about architecture's broader role in society, consistently treating the profession as a discipline with serious intellectual and humanistic dimensions.