[OSList] Charrette in Connecticut

Tue Jan 31 06:21:43 PST 2012

Barbara Bunker! So nice to see you here, my friend! And for whatever it is worth I had an architect friend who combined OS with Charrette to great effect. The group started with Open Space for a day which got the conversation started, laid out the issues of concern, and (self) identified the interested parties for each issue. The OS was then followed by a "design period" (about 4 weeks over all, I recall) in which the architects worked the issues over against the actual structural design -- in the company of the identified "interested parties." Doing this effectively created a Co-design teams in which user's and designers could really collaborate. The final act was the Charrette which morphed into a "project review" session for all parties. I am told that everybody really enjoyed the undertaking, but more to the point, once construction started design changes were minimal to non-existent. The importance of this last point (no design changes) is large in the building world. Design changes are where you make or lose money. If you can build a project according to the design it is much more likely that you will come in according to the budget, which is always a good thing.

Harrison    

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
Camden, Maine 20854

Phone 301-365-2093
(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com
www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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-----Original Message-----
From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Barbara B. Bunker
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 9:12 PM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Charrette in Connecticut

I heard about a charette process used to redesign the decaying downtown in an urban CT town.  The architects brought in sketches or photos of the main street downtown and asked a very diverse group of stakeholders to think about what they would do to meet their own needs as well as get rid of urban blight.  Seniors wanted their senior center connected more easily and safely to the downtown. 
Some people wanted 2nd floor apartments downtown.  New types of business were proposed.  The joggers wanted the fence that kept them from coming downtown for a coffee to have a gate so they could meet friends while exercising, etc, etc.  The architects/planners  then went back to their drawing boards and created new models that were responsive.  Some weeks later at another meeting the whole group reassembled to review and react to the new plans. It's my understanding that the final project was quite successful.  I see it as a structured engagement process for getting the people affected, involved in the change process.  B3

Barbara B. Bunker Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology Emerita
The University at Buffalo
117 Highland Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
716-881-2166

On Mon 01/30/12  5:21 PM , "Harrison Owen" hhowen at verizon.net sent:
> Eva – The big difference with OS and Charrette is that the architects 
> charge megabucks and think they are doing a real big special deal. We 
> just invite some folks to enjoy their open space, and then they forget 
> about us. We may or may not get paid.  L ho Harrison Owen
> 
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
> 
> Potomac, MD 20854
> 
> USA
> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
> 
> Camden, Maine 20854
> Phone 301-365-2093
> 
> (summer)  207-763-3261
> www.openspaceworld.com
> 
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
> 
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of 
> OSLIST Go to:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> [1]
> FROM: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] ON BEHALF OF Eva P 
> Svensson
> SENT: Monday, January 30, 2012 3:10 AM
> TO: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> SUBJECT: [OSList] Charrette?
> Hi you'll wise guys out there,
> 
> Have you heard of charrette? On wikipedia it says
> 
> "A _charrette_ is a method of organizing thoughts from experts and the 
> users into a structured medium that is unrestricted and conducive to 
> the creativity and the development of myriad scenarios.
> 
> The word _charrette_ may refer to any collaborative session in which a 
> group of  designers [2] drafts a solution to a design problem. While 
> the structure of a charrette varies, depending on the design problem 
> and the individuals in the group, charrettes often take place in 
> multiple sessions in which the group divides into sub-groups. Each 
> sub-group then presents its work to the full group as material for 
> futuredialogue [3]. Such charrettes serve as a way of quickly 
> generating a design solution while integrating the aptitudes and 
> interests of a diverse group of people. Compare this term with 
> workshop [4]."
> So what's the different from a good OST meeting I wonder??
> 
> Anyone knows?
> 
> Hugs from a winter like Sweden
> 
> :o)
> 
> Eva
> 
> Skickat från min iPad
> 
> Links:
> ------
> [1]
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designers
> [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialogue
> [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workshop
> 
> 

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