What is a
charette design?
A Charette is an intense effort to solve any
architectural problem within a limited time. From a creative standpoint, a
Charette can be divided into three portions:
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1. Listen.
Listen to what the financial backers,
realtors, owners, and other specialists have to suggest. Work together
with them to come to an understanding about the project, what their
goals and limitations are, and how these might fit with your ideas.
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2. Envision.
Imagine together all of these various
considerations to come up with a realistic and creative proposal which
will be interesting while at the same time financially,
environmentally, and otherwise feasible.
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3. Draw FAST!
The ability to work
with creative team who can bring ideas to a tangible design sketch
quickly, allows for instant communication ... a picture is worth a
thousand words!
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How Can A Charette Facilitate the
Building Process?
There are two main advantages to working in the context
of a charette. The first is that a charette operates in a highly
collaborative atmosphere. Instead of an architect taking ideas and plans
and going away to develop them on his or her own, a charette allows for
the participation of everyone involved with the project, resulting in a
highly charged and creative atmosphere. The inclusion of many points of
view results in well-rounded and realistic proposals, with everyone
satisfied that they were able to contribute. Secondly, Charettes are fast,
and relatively inexpensive. In the initial stages of a project, the
venture is necessarily highly speculative. It is important to keep costs
at bay, while also moving forward quickly to take advantage of changing
situations and often prohibitory deadlines. Charettes offer the
opportunity to work safely and effectively within both of these
boundaries.
Examples of 5 different Projects
History of Charette Design
 The
term "Charette" initially appeared in the early part of the late 1800's.
Architecture students in Paris who needed to rush their drawings to the
Ecole Des Beaux-Arts placed them on a cart which was called a charette.
Later the word broadened its meaning and came to describe any intense,
short-term student design project. Today the word is used by the
architectural community at large to describe any intense, on-the-spot
design effort.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) now commonly provides design
charettes to qualified communities around the country, by bringing
together design experts for an intense 3 day effort, called RUDAT
(Regional Urban Design Assistance Team). This is most often done for
community planning, and used by professionals for specific projects,
especially those in remote locations.
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