Take from the French term prendre parti meaning “to make a decision” or “to take sides,” parti has come to mean the big organizing idea, basic concept, or primary thought behind an architectural design. It can be presented in a straightforward written statement or, more often, in the form of a two-dimensional diagram or sketch or as a three-dimensional model. A parti is a result of constraints and decisions as they relate to site, form, structure and circulation, and it is meant to capture the fundamental nature of the project overall.