Every SHA project begins with an idea – a driving concept that informs all aspects of design, from the big moves to the smallest joints. Holl describes architectural design as a continual “process of dialogue between idea and phenomena.” The idea is the seed: an initial insight responding to a site’s essence, program, and potential. SHA cultivates this idea through watercolor sketches, models, and theory, ensuring that it remains clear and strong. By rigorously holding onto the parti (conceptual essence) amid countless decisions, SHA produces architecture with intellectual coherence.