Distinguish wants from real needs
Peña, Problem Seeking — Ch 1 — Wants vs NeedsDescription
Wants must be distinguished from real needs. A wants-vs-needs situation occurs whenever the client defines the problem in terms of architectural solutions ("a wraparound porch") rather than functional requirements ("a covered outdoor sitting space facing the morning sun"). The architect's job is to surface the assumption behind the wanted solution and evaluate it against the real need.
Why this exists
Every meaningful tradeoff later in the project — what gets cut when the budget tightens, what gets defended when a site constraint pushes back — turns on whether the item is a need or a want. Without that rigorous separation, every cut feels like the user is losing something instead of choosing between something they can have and something they can't.
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
- Indoor Sunlight · Pattern 128
- Children's Realm · Pattern 137
- Sequence of Sitting Spaces · Pattern 142
Last reviewed 2026-05-14.