Concept Design Charrette: A meeting in which possibilities are discussed in regards to the design and structure of a particular building.
A phase of the design process that the Teen Task Force got to experience first hand in the offices of Noll & Tam. Coming together to brainstorm, we all sat around a rectangular wooden table. The architects soon began to introduce the exercise that we were to complete. We were given guidance as to what our boundaries were, what was acceptable, not acceptable, and certain measures that we were to take into consideration.
Following the excursion of guidance, being put into three groups were the least of our troubles. Our task: create a schematic of the YMCA Teen Task Force.
Schematic: a visual representation of the design and structure of a building.
Members of the Teen Task Force, complete with guidance and excitement were given all the physical supplies that would be needed to complete the task at hand. Included in this were: a poster board, pieces of what looked like scratch paper, but were actually pieces of paper that represented different things that would need to go in the teen center such as bathrooms, offices, elevators etc.
The supplies also included a complex 3D ruler with numbers engraved on each side which turned out to be a architectural ruler, and writing utensils in case we felt an urgent desire to write something on the poster board in which all of the scraps of papers had to be glued on within the timeframe: 45 minutes.
There sat members of the Teen Task Force in utter confusion. But with great hope to complete our first charrette for the YMCA Teen Center, we began our journey. Despite the confusion that hovered over us, we encouraged one another and shared thoughts in our efforts to complete the charrette before the time was up.
With great collaboration and creativity, the first schematics of the YMCA Teen Center were completed by none other than the Teen Task Force. Now, it was time to present each group's schematic to the rest of the groups and attendees of the meeting. The presentations were successful and the charrette expanded our visual ability to understand the possibilities of the design and structure of the YMCA Teen Center Building.
See the concept drawings that resulted from this process.
