Legendary architect Frank Gehry has never been one to mince words. And the 81-year-old made no exception this past Tuesday night, when he engaged.

The CEO of the Pritzker Organization in a “public tete-a-tete” during the annual Cindy Pritzker Lecture on Urban Life and Issues at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library Center.

Chicago Tribune writer Blair Kamin was there to document the punchy interview. Among the more colorful quotes from GehryGranted.

He has a point about the politicization of the environmental debate as a whole. But is he correct about the costs.

And the lack of immediate benefit? Certainly it can require a bit more in up-front expenses to construct a LEED-certified building, particularly if you’re aiming for a higher level of certification. But these costs are relatively easy to control at the outset.

Also, some energy-saving features reduce or eliminate the need for other equipment, or reduce total capital costs by paying for themselves within a few months of operation. And the long-term savings from more efficient and lower energy use are usually enough to incentivize even the most jaded of builders — a status Gehry is approaching, and fast.