Parti Pris
The guiding concept or big idea behind a design, often expressed as a simple diagram or statement. In architecture, it's the core move everything else follows.
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Origin
The term derives from 15th-century French, where parti pris meant "decision taken." It entered architectural discourse at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris during the 18th and 19th centuries, where students had to sketch a rapid organizing concept — an esquisse — under timed examination conditions. The Beaux-Arts method later spread to American architecture schools, carrying the term into modern design pedagogy.
Updated February 22, 2026