THE LOST ART OF PARTI

2022 Annual Architects Issue

Stories by Kathleen E. Syron

In architecture, a parti is a design concept or organizing principle for a building. It should show, usually in the form of a clear and simple diagram, what your building is all about. A parti is produced in the early stages of the design process, before the plan, section and elevation.

Carol Kurth, FAIA, ASID, of Carol Kurth Architecture + Interiors believes a parti diagram is “more than just a floor plan of adjacencies. It is how you explore the vision and the inspirational thought behind the design. It is how you transfer the ideas from your mind and imagination to paper.” Many architects find it limiting to go directly to the computer to sketch out ideas. The pencil-to-paper approach allows for a more fluid natural conceptualization of ideas, enhancing the creative process.

Carol recently designed an exciting project involving a teardown and new construction. She first met her clients when they asked for a consult on a previous home they owned. Their needs as a family were changing, and they were investigating the possibility of adapting their current home so they could stay in the area. After visiting the home and understanding the homeowners’ program, Carol suggested they research other properties, eventually leading them to a location in Greenwich, CT, to design their forever home.

The firm’s design process begins with extensive research about the clients, their lifestyle and the property. Developing a program that meets the client’s needs is part of the process. This is the moment the initial conceptual design ideas begin formulate—the parti. One request from this client was to create an area for their love of tango dancing. The ceiling height of their previous home limited their dance practice for lifts. For the new home, “Tango House,” Carol imagined a dance studio with a sweeping roofline symbolic of the uplifts done in ballroom dancing. Rather than have the tango room as a subterranean space, she envisioned a light-filled dance studio to take center stage of the home. The selection and interplay of materials, along with engineering and construction capabilities, bring the architectural design intention to life.

The architecture firm often uses parti diagrams at the outset of its projects. “The parti aspect and having a strong concept help you make intentional decisions,” says Carol. “It gives an organizing principle to a project.” Over time, the parti drawings become more detailed and site-specific until they seamlessly transition to the next stages of the process: the use of 2D and 3D software to communicate the detailed architectural designs.

Resources:

Architect

Carol Kurth

644 Old Post Road

Arcade Building

Bedford, NY 10506

914.234.2595 carolkurtharchitects.com

Builder Legacy Construction Northeast legacydevelopmentllc.com

Thermory USA thermoryusa.com

The Hudson Company thehudsonco.com