Permanence, change and standards of excellence in design
This paper explores the relation between metaphysical commitments and the evaluation of design projects. The dialectical relation of permanence and change needs to be incorporated into current design more frequently. Any project which lacks a clear metaphysical status makes the challenge to address permanence and change more difficult. Metaphysical uncertainty also results in (a) evaluations that have no clear criteria of success and (b) a shift in the language of evaluation from objective criteria towards expressions of personal taste. The paper contains some examples and a case study of new courthouses in the USA.
evaluation case study philosophy of design architectural design conceptual design