Jamaican-born architect Gordon Gill, one of the world’s most respected performance-based architects — his work, which ranges from the world’s largest buildings to sustainable communities — is driven by his philosophy that there is a purposeful relationship between formal design and performance, and that there is a language of performance, which is the basis of his practice: Form Follows Performance.

Where were you born?

I was born in Kingston but grew up in the hills of St Ann.

Who are your parents?

My parents are Douglas and Patricia Gill.

Which schools did you attend in Ja?

I attended Reynolds Preparatory School and was taught by Ms Monica Lawrence from age four to nine.

She was, and will always remain, a great inspiration to me.

I then attended DeCarteret College in Mandeville until I was 11.

What piqued your interest in architecture?

I always drew plans of houses and places, not really understanding what I was doing.

We would visit numerous homes for vacation when I was young and they left an indelible impression on me; as much as the buildings, the landscapes, too, were also beautiful.

Some of my favourite memories of gardens are from Jamaica when I was a child.

I was encouraged by my parents, who allowed me to build cities in their backyard in St Ann – even buying me bags of cement which I would then pour as concrete to make roads and buildings with running water and planted trees.

I never knew any architects and didn’t understand what I was doing until I moved to Toronto when I was 11 and eventually found my way to the field of architecture.

Once I was able to take classes, I was hooked forever.

As an established architect with an illustrious career, what are the projects that truly excite you and why?

I am most excited by the unknown – A challenge of some kind – especially if it has never been done before.

I enjoy solving problems that are seemingly unattainable.

I also enjoy getting to know people and helping them solve their problems. Collaborative working environments that open my eyes are the best.

What would you say are the challenges of an architect like yourself?

Balancing time with your own expectations is always a challenge because you can always close your eyes and see the potential in every project.Getting there is the exciting part. There’s nothing worse than not getting there – that’s not an option. It’s like looking at a child and seeing the amazing potential – you always want them to get there.

Were you able to wipe the slate clean and start your career over again, is there any major work/s that you’d try your hand at again and why?

No! I learn from everything I do every day and you don’t get to do it over.

You have to achieve your very best every day and live with the results. If you’re not achieving your best every day, then your day isn’t over.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve not done any major work in the Caribbean. Are there plans afoot?

I have not, and thank you for bringing that up.

There are no plans afoot, but I would love to and look forward to the right opportunities to do so one day.

Many in the Caribbean, like Julie Sullivan Jones who lectures at UTech’s Caribbean School of Architecture (CSA), are in awe of your work, referencing your “very large-scale sustainable, intelligent, cutting-edge, drop-dead-gorgeous architectural work… and your ability to practice what many of us just talk about”. Is that the reality – practicing – of an architect in a first-world setting versus those in developing countries?

I have been extremely fortunate in my life. I think all practitioners have the opportunity to be influential regardless of scale or location.

I think in the Caribbean especially, there is need for leadership in areas of technology, infrastructure, energy, health, etc and there should be platforms for growth through architecture.

As architects and designers we sit at the intersection of people’s lives and the cities they live in. We have a great responsibility and opportunity to improve that. Educators are especially influential as they occupy that objective place in design that can help inform the next generation of problem-solvers.

We simply have to do what we say.

There is, too, the challenge of keeping our students of architecture focused on designing architecture that is unique to the Caribbean. What would your suggestions be?

I think that understanding the principles behind the architecture of the Caribbean is key: Not just what it is, but why it is. What are the aspects of that environment that are unique and how should we capture the assets and solve the problems? That then needs to be transformed, not copied, to today’s needs and technological opportunities. You couldn’t find a more ideal environment to create beautiful design. It’s inherent in the place and the potential seems endless.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I find inspiration everywhere, in everyone and everything.

Where do you go to unwind?

I go away with my family.

Share with us a few of those places.

We’ve been to a number of places including Spain, Greece, even China with my son, but we keep coming back to Jamaica.

Were you able to sit in a room of architects, living or dead, who would they be and why?

Louis Kahn, because I think he captured an aura of beauty in his work that remains unmatched.

What’s on the drawing board for 2015?

We are very busy in our firm these days and are thankful for all our opportunities. We look forward to a range of projects from super-tall structures to some very interesting residential projects and some new cultural projects which we will all start in the New Year.

Finally, what’s your philosophy?

For our work, it is seeking the balanced integration of nature and technology through an informed design process. I refer to it as ‘Form Follows Performance’ as it speaks to the formal and tangible aspects of design as they are influenced by the almost invisible aspects of our environment.

Personally, my philosophy is simple:

* Do well, always, not for yourself but for what it can mean for others.

* Help, and if you can, teach people to achieve what they themselves deemed impossible to achieve and they’ll never forget it.