Newsletter of the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University
The beginning of the long semester brought Texas A&M architecture students together to focus on a single design problem in a department-wide daylong charrette.
In the semester warm-up event, students were instructed to design a community in a square, 24 x 24 meter space using shipping containers commonly used to transport freight around the world.
Containers are ideal for building material, said charrette planners, because of their standard measurements, resistance to harsh environments and ability to support heavy loads when stacked in columns.
Students received their instructions at 8:30 a.m. and worked in teams of two on their designs, creating 1:100 scale models. By the 3:30 p.m deadline, the models were on display throughout the second and third floors of building A of the Langford Architecture Center.
Glen Mills, head of the Department of Architecture, began the department-wide charrettes in 2008 to bring unity to the architecture program.
“We are so big as a department and our students are so separated from one another that they hardly ever have an opportunity to get together and discuss design among one another at different levels,” said Mills, adding that design is the core competency of the department, and the event helps intensify the conversation about design.
Winners were determined in seven categories, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year environmental design students, 1st and 2nd year Master of Architecture students, and career change students.
- Posted: Oct. 7, 2009 -
