Mike, I think you've hit the nail on the head! You're right, the essence of excellent design begins with a strong parti diagram. A quick web search on the word 'parti' yielded a few results; the following definition was found on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parti :
A
Parti or
Parti pris [1] / from the French
Prendre parti meaning " to make a decision ",
[2] often referred to as
the big idea,
[3] is the chief organizing thought or decision behind an architect's
design presented in the form of a basic diagram and / or a simple statement.
[4
The sources for the above definintion were listed as follows:
- ^ James Stevens Curl. "parti." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Oxford University Press. 2000. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-parti.html
- ^ Roth, Leland M. (1992). Understanding Architecture. HarperCollins. p. 527. ISBN 0-06-430158-3
- ^ Gargus, Jacqueline. Ideas of Order: A Formal Approach to Architecture. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994.
- ^ Ching, Francis D. K. (1995). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. p. 53. ISBN 0-442-02462-2.
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I think it's easy to forget this important aspect (e.g. the big idea) of design amid a world of repeat prototypes and demand for faster turnaround times. Still, these conditions are no excuse for poor design.
For another example of excellence in design, here is a link to Santiago Calatrava's website (click on the Rome video); interestingly, I think he's hiring in his Zurich and NYC offices, per his website:
http://www.calatrava.com/#/Biography/All?mode=englishAnd, closer to home, an example of excellence in residential design: RWA Architects, Inc., a firm located in Cincinnati, Ohio led by principals John Isch, AIA, LEED AP and Michael Mauch, AIA and LEED AP:
http://www.rwaarchitects.com/en/index.php?page=portfolioI found the above firm last fall while perusing AIA KnowledgeNet. There are many talented firms and we need to continue to raise awareness of them.
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Tara Imani AIA
Principal
Tara Imani Designs, LLC
Houston TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-11-2011 17:16
From: Mike Mense
Subject: Examples of Excellent Design
Response to Tara Imani on the Fentress Video, yes, this is wonderful and I hope everyone will take the time to watch it. I am very uncomfortable with the marketing aspects of it, but, sigh, I guess that's the world we live in. I suppose, Michelangelo, in his way, was just as bad.
There are many, many wonderful discussions that could follow from this video. I will just pick off one here. Architect as discoverer of parti.
Maybe that really is the kernel. In a certain sense, my concept of legitimate individuation is the same thing and I have been able to apply that concept at many different scales, none so grand as the Denver Airport, but down to cabinet handles in the other direction. I think it works. I think it is a sign of human design related in some way to Ruskin's ideas. In my mind, it is an example of the architect winking at you through the building, reminding you, comforting you, that a human being created this space, this monument. So, lets say for the purpose of discussion that no matter the scale of your work, if you don't have a legitimate parti, you aren't doing architecture. And, then, I suppose the extent to which your parti is understood, and not overbearing, well, maybe that's a measure of excellence in architectural design.
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Mike Mense FAIA