The Brains Behind Billionaire Homes

These architects believe that a building shouldn't stand apart from nature; it should complement it.

The Art of Listening

A sure way to get to an architect's brain is through his or her ear. When coming up with the perfect, design, it's about learning to be quiet.

"If you are patient and you listen, all the pieces -- the setting, the environment, the client, the ground, the budget, the time -- will tell you how exactly they will fit together," says Discoe. "The design will become clear without having to force it."

An architect's inspiration comes from the almost surreal way in which the elements of design all come together, like trying on a couture suit. Buddhism, or nature, or the posture of the project, every brain has his or her own terminology to explain the inexplicable art of design.

"The posture is how the living and the site and the formality of the construction fit together in a magical appropriate way," says Lewis. "The cost of the house should be determined from the appropriate posture of the project."

"It's like walking into a classroom full of children. When you ask them a question, they all raise their hands and want to yell out the answer," Cutler says. "They all want to tell you their story. My job is to take that cacophony and turn it into music."