Step 3: Uncover and test programmatic concepts
Peña, Problem Seeking — Ch 3 §Step 3 — Uncover and Test ConceptsDescription
Programmatic concepts are abstract organizing ideas (centralization vs. decentralization, integration vs. compartmentalization, priority, flow, hierarchy) — distinct from DESIGN concepts (the physical form a programmatic concept takes). The architect uses evocative words ("site," "quality," "people," "priority") to surface the client's concepts; the client decides; the architect translates into physical solutions later in design.
Why this exists
Most clients can't separate "I want" from "because." Pulling programmatic concepts forward ("do you want activities INTEGRATED or COMPARTMENTED?") gets the client thinking about reasons, which gives the architect freedom to find better physical responses than the client's initial picture.
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
- Half-Hidden Garden · Pattern 111
- Indoor Sunlight · Pattern 128
- Entrance Room · Pattern 130
Last reviewed 2026-05-14.