PARTI INTRO PG.50 NOTECARDS PG.51 CONCLUSION PG.71 PRO EXAMPLES PG.

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Parti
[pahr-tee]
-noun 1. the visualization of the basic scheme or concept of an architectural design through diagrams or models.

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WILLOUGHBYS INTRODUCTION to parti

A parti is a simple diagram or little drawing, usually a plan and section, sometimes a small undetailed model (a maquette), that formalizes the strategy youve decided to execute visually and experientially. Its the basic gesture you make to express your concept. A parti is a summary of your approach to the design of a building and siteit represents the projects essence. Developing a parti continues an important beginning step in any methodical approach to design. To quote Louis Kahn, When the work is completed the beginning must be felt. At the end of the projects development, the design should have proceeded from, and not deviated from, the initial assumptions or concept expressed in the parti. I believe design is an intentional activity. We have something in mind, before and during the time when pencil meets paper and drawings are made. Intention is all we have as designers to offer coherence to the multitude of decisions that need to be made in the design of a building. A parti is an initial, intentional, and predictive decision that from which, all subsequent decisions can be measured against. For instance, how does this or that new decision reinforce, or detract from the initial parti? Its a point of reference that makes a building intentionala coherent set of responses that develop from an initial concept. (adapted from my 1999 paper On Parti)

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ACK!?! THESE GUYS AGAIN? I SWEAR IF I SEE ONE MORE EMPTY NOTECARD . . .

DAMMIT.

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STUDENTS CONCLUSION to parti cards

THE FRESHMANS GUIDE TO ARCHITECTURE

The word parti seems to stem from the French words Prendre and Partir which mean to ponder or think and to depart, respectively. This is essentially what you are doing. You are visually expressing a well thought out decision you have made on the course you want your buildings design to take. A parti can be shown as a simple diagram, drawing, or model that expresses the basics and concept in your design. It is one of the most important parts of the beginning of the design process. It is your building block and goes on to be your guideline. These guidelines are essentially the reason you are designing this project in this way and can help guide you in the correct path and not leave behind your initial idea. You do not want to stray from the parti, because then you stray away from all initial meaning and purpose. You want to be able to put the parti next to the outcome and be able to tell that that is where it originated from. If you do stray away and you get lost or something doesnt work then you have nothing to fall back on, but by sticking with this rst idea and expanding it there is no downfall and the idea can only become better and more rich.

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THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM IN BILBAO CONSISTS OF RADICALLY SCULPTED, ORGANIC CONTOURS AND WAS INTENDED TO RESEMBLE A SHIP. FRANK GEHRY HAS BEEN QUOTED OFTEN, SAYING THAT THE RANDOMNESS OF THE CURVES ARE DESIGNED TO CAPTURE LIGHT.

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A SLENDER EIGHTEEN STORY TOWER PUNCTURES THE SKYLINE. THE SAN FRANSISCO FEDERAL BUILDING BY THOM MAYNE FROM MORPHOSIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW PARTI SETS THE TONE FOR THE PROJECT TO FOLLOW. THE REDEFINITION OF CIRCULATION AND VERTICAL MOVEMENT PATHS PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANCE ENCOUNTERS, A CRITICAL MASS IN CIRCULATION, AND PLACES FOR EMPLOYEES TO GATHER ACROSS THE TYPICAL CONFINES OF CUBICLES, DEPARTMENTS, OR FLOOR PLATES.

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IN THE CHURCH OF THE LIGHT, TADAO ANDO WANTED TO MAKE A CONTRAST BETWEEN LIGHT AND SOLID. IN THE CHAPEL, LIGHT ENTERS FROM BEHIND THE ALTAR FROM A CROSS CUT IN THE CONCRETE WALL THAT EXTENDS VERTICALLY FROM FLOOR TO CEILING AND HORIZONTALLY

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FROM WALL TO WALL, ALIGNING PERFECTLY WITH THE JOINTS IN THE CONCRETE. AT THIS INTERSECTION OF LIGHT AND SOLID THE OCCUPANT IS MEANT TO BECOME AWARE OF THE DEEP DIVISION BETWEEN THE SPIRITUAL AND THE SECULAR WITHIN HIM OR HERSELF.
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THIS BUILDING IS PETER EISENMANS HOUSE II. WHILE IT WE DONT RECOMMEND BUILDING OR DESIGNING ANYTHING LIKE THIS, IT MAKES A DAMN GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW A PARTI CAN INFLUENCE THE REST OF THE BUILDING. EVEN IN A NEGATIVE WAY. HERE, INSTEAD OF BASING THE DESIGN ON FUNCTION, WITH FORM TO FOLLOW THE HOUSES EXPLORE SPECIFIC STRUCTURAL PRINCIPLES, WITH FUNCTIONS TO FIT IN AS BEST THEY CAN. THE GEOMETRY OF THE HOUSE AND LARGE EXPANSES OF GLASS PERMIT UNOBSTRUCTED VIEWS OF THE EVER CHANGING VERMONT LANDSCAPE.
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THE DESIGN FOR THE HERNING MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART BY STEVEN HOLL AIMS AT BUILDING THE SITE. THE LANDSCAPE OF GRASS MOUNDS AND REFLECTING POOLS ALIGNS WITH A GEOMETRY OF CURVED ROOF SECTIONS OF THE NEW BUILDING THAT HOUSES PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY EXHIBITION GALLERIES, A 150-SEAT AUDITORIUM, MUSIC REHEARSAL ROOMS, A RESTAURANT, A MEDIA LIBRARY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES ALL ON ONE LEVEL. THE NEW SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE CONCEALS ALL THE PARKING AND SERVICE AREAS. IT IS APPARENT THAT EVEN IN HIS FIRST VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PROJECT HE HIGHLIGHTS TWO RECTANGULAR AREAS WHICH LATER BECOME IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE PROGRAM.

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