Choosing By Advantages and Rhetoric in Building Design: Relationship and Potential Synergies

Rhetoric is a natural part of the design process and has caught the interest of researchers in the last 50 years. Indeed, effective rhetoric has been studied and used since the time of the ancient Greeks to persuade and to influence all manner of things. However, little research has been done on rhetoric in design and engineering, specifically during the decision-making portion of the design process. This paper provides examples of how a decision-making method such as Choosing By Advantages (CBA) uses rhetoric during the decision process and explores how the three components of rhetoric (logos, pathos, and ethos) may apply to the decisionmaking process. The authors argue that understanding rhetoric may provide designers with new means for persuasion, and ultimately, help them make better decisions.