The charrette is a method of planning, which we have adopted and developed to support our traditional planning practice. The term is derived from the French term for “little cart” and refers to the final intense work effort expended by architects to meet a project deadline. At the École de Beaux Arts in Paris during the nineteenth century, proctors circulated with little carts to collect final drawings and students would jump on the “charrette” to put finishing touches on their presentations minutes before the deadline.

The charrette provides a forum for ideas and offers the unique advantage of giving immediate feedback to the designers while giving mutual authorship to the plan by all those who participate. The charrettes that we orchestrate are not unlike the intense creative bursts described above. During this intensive session, many goals are accomplished: 1) all those influential to the project develop a vested interest in the design and support its vision; 2) the group of design disciplines work in a complementary fashion to produce a set of finished documents that address all aspects of design; 3) this collective effort organizes the input of all the players at one meeting, thereby eliminating prolonged discussions that typically delay conventional planning projects; and 4) this collaboration provides a more cost-effective product. A primary feature of the charrette is that it is specifically organized to encourage the participation of everyone who is interested in the making of a development, whether they represent the interests of the client, the regulators or the general public.

The pre-charrette process begins with client education, program assessment and charrette planning. We work in advance with the client to explain traditional town planning concepts and their possible political impacts. Project data, preliminary development programs and building/zoning regulations are collected and reviewed with the client and then together we generate a strategy for political approval, including in the process all the regulatory agencies, approving officials and citizens of the community.

The charrette itself commences on or near the project site where architects, planners, engineers, environmental consultants, CAD operators, the client, local public officials and interested citizens assemble for about a week. A team of design experts and consultants set up a working office, complete with drafting equipment, supplies, computers and copy machines.

We deliver an introductory lecture on town planning on the first evening of the charrette. The following morning, the team goes on a field trip to local towns and identifies vernacular building types in the area. The team is thoroughly briefed by the various consultants on the site data and project design parameters. Formal and informal meetings are held with various approving agencies and interest groups.

During the charrette, separate mini-projects are undertaken, both in small groups and in larger caucuses.

Often there are simultaneous meetings with periodic briefings or presentations. During the charrette, a series of comprehensive technical documents are produced including rendered plans and perspectives that can be used for marketing, as well as technical documents such as urban and architectural Codes.

At the end of the charrette week, the team presents their combined efforts to the public and reviews all of the documents during the preceding week.

Download our charrette process brochure here.