The matrix of options: deciding by comparing, not guessing. This is the principle that organizes the early design phase in MÉTODO. Instead of presenting one design solution and asking the client to accept or reject it, we present two or three genuinely different spatial strategies — each grounded in the same site observation and climate analysis — and invite a decision between real alternatives.
This is not about hedging. It is about the quality of the decision.
Why single-option design produces worse decisions
When an architect presents one design, the client evaluates it against an imagined alternative that neither party can see. The client wonders: is this the best solution, or the first one the architect thought of? The architect wonders: is the client's hesitation about the design or about the process? Both parties are making decisions based on invisible comparisons.
The options matrix makes the comparison visible. Two or three spatial strategies, drawn to the same level of development, with the same rigor of climate and programmatic analysis. The client chooses between real things, not between a drawing and an idea.
Climate observation as the starting condition
Before the matrix is drawn, the site must be read. This is not a poetic statement — it is a technical requirement. The climate observation phase produces:
- Sun path diagram: The azimuth and elevation of the sun at dawn, noon, and dusk for the summer solstice, winter solstice, and equinox. This tells you where shadows fall, where solar gain is a problem, and where cross-ventilation comes from.
- Wind rose: The predominant wind direction by season and by time of day. In many Mexican highland locations, there is a daytime valley breeze and a nighttime mountain breeze moving in opposite directions.
- Rainfall pattern: Monthly precipitation totals, with particular attention to peak intensity events during the rainy season. This drives drainage design.
- Temperature range: Daily and seasonal variation. The difference between midday peak and nighttime minimum determines how much thermal mass is useful.
These observations are not design constraints in the sense of obstacles. They are the design problem. A house in Morelos that does not solve the afternoon heat problem is a failed house regardless of how beautiful its section is.
What differentiates the options in the matrix
The options differ in how they respond to the climate and program, not in whether they respond. Typical differentiation axes:
- Section strategy: One option may use a split-level section to separate sleeping from living zones vertically; another may use a single-level plan with differentiated ceiling heights.
- Patio configuration: One option organizes the program around an enclosed courtyard; another uses a series of open terraces; a third uses a covered loggia between the building and the landscape.
- Orientation to the slope: On a hillside site, one option may place the private zone downhill and the public zone uphill (taking advantage of the view); another may invert this for privacy reasons.
- Structural expression: One option may expose the concrete frame as the primary spatial element; another may use stone masonry walls as both structure and interior finish.
Each option satisfies the climate requirements and the program. The choice between them is about spatial preference, lifestyle, and the kind of experience the client wants to live.
How the matrix is presented
In MÉTODO, the options matrix is a document, not a presentation. It is delivered four to five days before the review call so the client can study it without time pressure. The document includes:
- A brief written description of the spatial strategy for each option
- The key section drawing showing how the option responds to sun angle and cross-ventilation
- A simplified plan showing the spatial organization
- A summary of trade-offs: what each option does better and what it compromises
On the review call, we walk through the reasoning for each option. The client asks questions. We discuss the trade-offs. The client makes a decision.
The decision is documented in the project log, signed by both parties, and the project moves forward. Options not selected are closed.
The matrix in renovation projects
In renovation and remodel projects, the options matrix addresses a different but equally important question: how much of the existing building should be preserved versus transformed? The options might range from a conservative restoration that preserves the existing spatial structure to a more radical reconfiguration that improves the spatial logic at the cost of higher construction disruption.
The climate observation feeds into this analysis differently than in new construction: the existing building's orientation, its existing shading elements, and its current thermal performance are all data points. An option that improves the existing building's climate performance is more valuable than one that maintains it.
Próximos pasos
The options matrix works because it takes the ambiguity out of early design decisions. It replaces "do you like this?" with "which of these strategies serves your life better?"
Conoce el método de MÉTODO to see how we integrate climate observation, the options matrix, and the section drawing into a design process that produces clear decisions and builds with purpose.