Charrette

For other uses, see Charrette (disambiguation).

A charrette (American pronunciation: /ʃɑːˈrɛt/; French: [ʃaʁɛt]), often Anglicized to charette or charet and sometimes called a design charrette, is an intense period of design or planning activity.

The word charrette may refer to any collaborative process by which a group of designers draft a solution to a design problem, and in a broader sense can be applied to the development of public policy through dialogue between decision-makers and stakeholders.[1][2]

In a design setting, whilst the structure of a charrette depends on the problem and 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 further dialogue. Such charrettes serve as a way of quickly generating a design solution while integrating the aptitudes and interests of a diverse group of people.[3] The general idea of a charrette is to create an innovative atmosphere in which a diverse group of stakeholders can collaborate to "generate visions for the future".[4]

The term was introduced to many in the Northeast US by a popular art and architecture supply store chain Charrette (1969-2009).[5]

  1. ^ Ruddick, W.L. II (1971). Charrette Processes: A Tool in Urban Planning. York, PA: G. Shumway. ISBN 9780873870429.
  2. ^ Fierke-Gmazel, Harmony (March 8, 2022). "The inherent value of a charrette: A discussion with Bill Riddick". Michigan State University. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  3. ^ "Govan Partick Charrette". www.govanpartick.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  4. ^ Roggema, Rob (2014). "The Design Charrette". In Roggema, Rob (ed.). The Design Charrette: Ways to Envision Sustainable Futures. Springer Netherlands. pp. 15–34. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7031-7_2. ISBN 9789400770300.
  5. ^ "Inside Charrette: Corporate Overview". Archived from the original on 2005-11-25.