casting couch [kas-ting kouch], noun: the process by which an architect or firm is propositioned to do something unpleasant by an elite client with either the hopes of future commissions or to avoid risk of being discarded.

This term and definition were initially submitted anonymously to the "Architecture encyclopedia?" forum discussion on January 15, 2014. As of yet, there are no other uses of the term in its architectural sense documented online. However, the term is widely used in reference to the entertainment industry, as "a couch in an entertainment executive's office on which aspiring actresses are reputed to perform sexual acts in exchange for desired roles; broadly :  the practice of abusing one's power to obtain sexual partners." (Merriam Webster)

The anonymous forum poster exemplifies "casting-couch architecture" as Diller Scofidio + Renfro agreeing to demolish the neighboring Folk Art Museum, to accommodate designs for MoMA's expanding galleries. Other generalist examples might include high-profile projects for powerful political entities with known unethical dealings.

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