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Beaumarches
Joined: 02 Apr 2008
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:38 am Post subject: help to translate a specific architectural term into English |
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HELP NEEDED FOR TRANSLATION OF THE DANISH ARCHITECTURAL TERM 'GRIP' INTO ENGLISH
Hi - I am trying to help a friend translate a fairly techincal artichle from Danish into English and have hit a problem in relation to one term used by architechts in their work, and would be grateful if soembody can help me. The Danish word is GRIP and refers, not to a litteral 'handle', but to the description of an architecht's concept for a building, a 'design key' overview that the architecht has established, and from which 'he' then can deduce how to go into detail and draw specific aspects of a project without loosing coherence. If there had been no 'GRIP' he could not formulate the detail of the project as the ' GRIP' provide a legend for spacial cohesion - the detail does not appear fragmented, but works in the wider context to co-create and sustain the overall design expression. The Danish architectural GRIP has a similar sense to the figurative /metaphoric meanings of ' to have/get a grip on a situation' or, 'to have a handle on smthg.' in everyday British English, but it is definately a specific professional term, not a soft expression.
I hope this makes sense and that there is somebody who can help me as my dictionary only translates the non profesional version of grip. Thank you, Beaumarches |
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lekizz
millennium club
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 1053
Location: UK
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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How about 'parti', which I understand as the spatial and organisational idea of an architectural project. Though the Dictionary.com definition seems slightly more general - "the basic scheme or concept of an architectural design".
"scheme", I suppose, could be interpreted as spatial organisation. I understand "concept" as very simply 'an idea', which is not necessarily to do with organisation and arrangement. |
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Beaumarches
Joined: 02 Apr 2008
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Thank you very much - having very quickly cross-referenced 'parti' on google you seem to have hit the nail on the head, and it interesting that it appears to have a French /latin connection (parti - to start of /the point of departure) which makes sense for the architectural use/context according to your clarification- also thank you for clarifying scheme and concept, Beamarches |
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teamjdc
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 267
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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I don't believe parti is the equivalent.
A parti is the result of the grip, which I believe best translates most simply to "concept". |
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Beaumarches
Joined: 02 Apr 2008
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:29 am Post subject: |
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Hi - I am getting confused - admittedly I am not an Architecht but come from a Design management/change mangement background. We would talk about a concept as the overiding idea for something and then have a design/project key that gives guidelines for how individual parts/instances are to be tackeled. I understood the Danish 'grip' to relate to the latter -
Please se below the text content where I need a correct translation for grip. In this text I understand 'the essence idea' to mean the 'core concept', the overrideing 'supra' idea, and the grip to mean soemthing else - a 'guide' for a specific approch to dealing with elements and their form formulated to provide coherence in relation to the 'concept ' and design implementation.
Quote:
The different functions were not a requirement from the briefing committe, or predictable from the ‘essence-idea’ of the architecht. They are the result of the work with t h e f o r m a l g r i p s and ways to work with the massive of the brick-façade in relation to the organization of the plan. Three or four ways of, or rules for, cutting into the deep façade occur, and they are composed with affinity to the final organisation of the different rooms.
Please excuse what may seem 'obvious' ignorance on my part and thank you for your comments, Beaumarches |
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okiniili
Joined: 01 Apr 2008
Posts: 8
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teamjdc
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 267
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:46 am Post subject: |
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Well, that example changes everything.
It's subtle, but when "grip", becomes "formal grips", the possible translation is completely different.
I don't know. Maybe more specific usage in sentences.
Have you tried asking a Danish architect? |
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lekizz
millennium club
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 1053
Location: UK
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:23 am Post subject: |
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Certainly in my university education in the UK the word 'parti' seems to fit more appropriately. I expect in the commercial world of day-to-day architecture the 'concept' and 'parti' can be very similar. Or maybe the words in English and American are different 
Concept is an idea, pure and simple - for example "glass shard", "box of treasures", "a tree" etc.
Parti would be "floors reducing in area around a 8m x 8m service core", or "small rooms radiating off a tringular alter space" or "floors cantilevered to tree canopy height off a concrete spine" etc. |
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teamjdc
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 267
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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But I still view "parti" as the result.
There's "concept" and "high concept". I guess what I mean is working concept... if that makes any sense. Whatever it is that leads to style.
How about "vision"?
I have a feeling that this is one of those idiomatic things that won't translate to one single word to cover all usage. |
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Beaumarches
Joined: 02 Apr 2008
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:55 am Post subject: |
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Hi and thank you to everybody who kindly helped out on this one.
Over the weekend the link has been passed between a couple of Danish Architechts and their English friends and the consensu favour 'Parti'.
However, to somebody like me from outside the profession it has become clear that individual working practices, as well as when/where somebody had their formal training, play a significant role in how the term 'in a day to day' sense is used- and presumably therfore how architechts per se carry out their profession. In my field, though constantly evolving, I believe the 'trade terminology' to be more standardised - Also in an international context.
Again many thanks, it has been a facinating sidetrack for somebody like me to follow, Beaumarches |
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