What's the Big Idea? In Architecture, It's the Parti Pris

Learn about the concept of this guiding principle in design to make sure you and your architect share the same vision

Bud Dietrich, AIAMarch 6, 2013

Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin. Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there. Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having been featured on television (CBS News Sunday Morning, HGTV, CLTV, etc.), in magazines (Better Homes & Gardens, Trends, Womans Day, etc.) and in books (Taunton Press). So don't hesitate to contact me if you're looking to transform your house into your home.

The term "parti pris," usually shortened to "parti," literally translates as "departure point," but in architect lingo it most often refers to the project design's big idea. It signifies an architect's overall guiding idea for a design. As such, a parti typically has less to do with technical, financial and utilitarian issues and more to do with view, massing, scale, transparency, opaqueness and other architectural issues. While not every design starts with a parti pris, it's typically better when it does. The overall guiding idea, or departure point, can strengthen the final outcome, as the design won't become confused.

An architect will typically tell you up front what the parti is for the design. If not, make sure to ask. It's one way of making sure that you and your architect are on the same page as you work together to create the home of your dreams.

By the way, the term, which is French, likely originated in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, the 19th-century French architecture school.

yamamar design

The parti pris, or big idea, could be about the house becoming transparent and framing views. A horizontally composed linear band draws the eye inward in this one, while a vertical totem arrests that movement. The architectural idea is to control sight lines and highlight the spectacular view.

Scott Allen Architecture

Perhaps the big idea is to have the house "disappear" from the entry side (this photo), seemingly hiding in a park-like setting so that it can be a celebration of light and transparency from the water's-edge side (previous photo).

Kristina Wolf Design

Perhaps the big idea is to resurrect an old firehouse, breathing new life and a different use into the structure. A desire to retain remnants of the original use would certainly qualify as a departure point for the overall design.

Elliott + Elliott Architecture

Perhaps the big idea is to create a set of small houses, each with its own function yet grouped together to form a family village. Such a parti yields a very different home than one in which all of the functions are gathered under one roof.

Torsten Imottesjo

Perhaps the big idea is to be small and anything but conventional.

Demerly Architects

Perhaps the big idea is to respect a part of the context while striving to achieve something altogether modern. While the form here is of a traditional gabled roof house as a child would draw it, the overall effect is one of modernity.

Perhaps the big idea is in how the floor plan is composed. So an L-shaped plan that creates distinct public and private legs that open to the same patio provides the departure point for the design.

Tell us: What big idea would you love to work with for your own house?

More: 8 Things Successful Architects and Designers Do

Comments (8)

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izerreg

I love the house with the glass box above grade (and in the middle of a well manicured lawn. It hints at the expanse of glass seen in the second photo facing the water and dock of the home "below" what a HUGE WOW!!!

PRO

Bravehart Interiors

Good synopsis, Bud. The big idea must ring true and have authenticity.
However, in our view, the site conditions can dictate a story of equal consideration to the client lifestyle; past/present/future.

These are the two main governing factors, in the our firm's view, which can help illuminate the big idea.

We have encountered two projects recently where we have surprised even ourselves/ Design team and client team, and broken with 'the rules' of convention for the site/lot:

One project is a house facing a great lake, on a narrow lot. Normally, we would meet the client desire for a modern, open, 'sky-hugging' house design by focusing on the lake facing view (south). We would design a curtain wall face and a house with a backyard for a pool or secondary lounging space, as well as the roof top deck overlooking the lake.

However, in the case of this particular project site, the western light coming across all of the back yards facing the street, as well as from the yards on the next street perpendicular to the site, is absolutely stunning. Winter, Summer, Spring and Fall. We have watched the sky over a period of a year to understand this....

Therefore, we are considering an "L" shaped house for this lot; facing south and facing west, when all other builders in the town are just building the standard rectangular house with backyard.

The second project is in Toronto, a major city. The client site is a bungalow on a long, narrow lot with a 15' deep back yard immediately behind the long house and two substantially sized yards at west and east ends of the bungalow.

The client wants a yard for their children. So we are contacting the city zoning office to see if we can re-orient the site from a wide, narrow lot being accessed from the wide side - into a long, narrow lot - accessed from the narrow end!

Hard to describe, but a shocker to us all as the original thought by the client was to add a second level to the bungalow and be done with it. However, the more the client talked about privacy issues, with neighbours lot graded above his narrow back yard, and a neighbour deck looking into his current dining room, the more we all realized the existing site was oriented all wrong for a happy suburban experience including backyard playset and BBQing in privacy!!!!

So sometimes, the departure point can come as a complete surprise, even to those of us who have undertaken hundreds of projects over time!

Patty Bransford

I have lived in England and have seen this. And I agree. I would love to have a home such as this!