The Process

Step Five

The Charrette

Are you ready for the Charrette? Historically the term "Charrette" comes from the French term for the cart used to carry the condemned to the guillotine. It is thought to have started in France among design students who had to work all night to finish their work before turning it in to their professors. Today the term is still used primarily among architects and artists for an intense time period when they focus on creating a design.

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Charrette Warm-Up

For this warm-up activity, your design team will need to assume different roles. The leader/visionary will keep track of the time and make sure everyone is working together. The sculptors/artists/constructors will build the sculpture. The presenter will present the project to the class. You'll need a stack of newspapers, rubber bands, masking tape and string for this charrette warm-up activity. Breaking apart in teams, each team will have 5 minutes to construct the tallest abstract or representational sculpture possible from the materials on hand.

Reflect on the process. How did you work together as a team? Was everyone participating in the process? What problems did you run into? How did you resolve conflicts? How could the process work better next time?

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Brainstorming

It's time to come up with an idea for your public sculpture. Like the brainstorming activity in Step Four, the first thing to do in our Charrette is come up with as many ideas as possible for the space. Give yourself at least 15 minutes for this activity.

The transcriber is responsible for writing down all the ideas. Don't think about a budget. Do think about different materials and ways to construct things. Think about some of the materials you came up with when you were brainstorming in Step Four. Think about ideas from Step Four that are important to students and your school. Back to top

Refine the ideas

How many ideas did you come up with? Now is the time to narrow it down to two or three of your favorite ideas. The goal now is to make sure the ideas fit the criteria your facilitator has set for the project. Are you working with a budget? Maybe you can´t create a bronze sculpture for your playground or library entrance but you might be able to do something out of styrofoam or recycled materials. Is your location outdoors? Do the materials need to be able to withstand the elements? Maybe one idea has great materials, but another idea has better subject matter. Can you combine the two? Your team should take about 15 minutes to boil your ideas down to two or three core ideas. Don't worry about the details. Your transcriber should summarize your ideas.

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Feedback

The presenter on each team should take the opportunity to present their ideas to the other teams. Other teams have the chance to make suggestions of ways the ideas can be improved upon. Is there one idea that is stronger than the other? Is there something the team needs to consider to realize the project? What questions or concerns does the group have? Remembering the criteria of a good proposal, how might these ideas address those elements?

1) WHY create this artwork? What is the purpose of the artwork?

2) WHERE does it fit in the location? What size is it?

3) WHAT will it be made of? How will it be constructed?

4) HOW much will it cost to build?

5) WHO will be creating the project and what roles will they play?

6) HOW does the artwork address the elements and principles of art?

7) WHAT maintenance will it need?

8) HOW long will it last?

The transcriber is responsible for taking notes on the feedback from the other teams.

In the next step your team will create a proposal that addresses all these elements.

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