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Traditionally a man had one vocation and was expected to work at that for the rest of his life, this was emphasized in the guild-system. Brunelleschi was a true Renaissance Man and he was polymath and master of several disciplines. It is generally recognized that the Florentine was a master engineer and an accomplished mathematician. He designed several new types of hoist and construction methods, without which he could never have left such a remarkable legacy of buildings. The Florentine designed lifts and cranes that were centuries ahead of their time.<ref>Millon, p. 119</ref>.

Brunelleschi was also a military engineer and was an early advocate of town planning. He even designed and patented a new type of riverboat. Brunelleschi’s many accomplishments meant that he was in many ways, an early embodiment of the humanist ideal. He demonstrated that an individual could have accomplished many things. His example inspired many others to master several arts and disciplines, including Michelangelo and Leonardo.