Examine function, form, economy, and time together at every step
Peña, Problem Seeking — Ch 2 — The Four Basic ConsiderationsDescription
Programming proceeds through four considerations examined simultaneously: FUNCTION (people, activities, relationships), FORM (site, environment, quality), ECONOMY (budget, operating cost, lifecycle), TIME (schedule, change, growth). They are categories for collecting information, classifications for organizing it, and criteria for evaluating the design against the program later.
Why this exists
One consideration in isolation produces unbalanced programs — function-only thinking misses budget reality; form-only thinking misses how the family actually lives. Peña's matrix (five steps × four considerations) is the checklist that keeps every step balanced.
Categories
Source
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Common Areas at the Heart · Pattern 129
- Intimacy Gradient · Pattern 127
- Long Thin House · Pattern 109
- Main Entrance · Pattern 110
- Half-Hidden Garden · Pattern 111
Last reviewed 2026-05-14.