UNLV Charette Follow-Through: Desert Condition Example

Unlike other programs that only learn about architecture and design within a single climate zone, Ryerson and UNLV were able to leverage the charette as a platform to learn about the regional differences in construction practice, sustainable design strategies, and biomimetic approaches. 

It should be emphasized that all the work presented from the charette was done in large groups of seven students with relatively little familiarity with the design challenge.  Aside from the logistics and organizational behaviour issues that precipitate entropy and prolonged design decision making, the extremely limited time constraints created an interesting challenge for the students.  Fortunately the students were able to develop a good starting point for their designs during the charette.  The subsequent resolution executed by individual students at Ryerson kept the same rigor as they were only given 40 hours to reassess their design responses to the critical feedback from the charette at UNLV.

Once again, this is a sample of the material from the initial charette concept except in an arid condition:

Samples of Razmig's Design:

Samples of Marcella's Design:

Samples of Jessica's Design:

UNLV Charette Follow-Through

Though the 6 hour charette between UNLV and Ryerson was a success for many of the faculty and critics in attendance, the final component of the project for the Ryerson students was to take the work proposed at the end of the exercise and use it as a "beta test" for yet another iteration of the design challenge. This allowed students to examine a biomimetic design idea and refine it on an individual basis.

For example, while the charette may have elicited a project such as this:

The charette design only served as a beginning point in the iterative biomimetic design process.  Below are three iterations prepared by individual Ryerson students in less than two days as a response to the charette proposal outlined above.  Take note that the biomimetic concepts and sustainable strategies have been retained yet the formal, tactical, and aesthetic dimensions vary as each student has adopted a different stance on the initial concept design.

Samples of Tricia's Redesign:

Samples of Sam's Redesign:

Samples of Mitch's Redesign:

UNLV Charrette

One of the main reasons the studio went to Las Vegas was to participate in a design charette with graduate architecture students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Within 6 hours mixed teams of students from Toronto and Las Vegas integrated biomimetic principles in the design of small research stations in two different climatic zones.

It began bright and early at UNLV...

Then the students were briefed and organized into their teams...

Then groups began collaborating and exchanging information about their respective biomimetic research work and their vernacular building strategies...

And then there was a "break" for lunch...

The charette ended with a notable review panel of guests from Lucchesi Galati, UNLV, and UW.

There of course was an opportunity for a group photo in UNLV's beautiful architecture library.

The day concluded rather fittingly with a dinner buffet on Fremont where the winning team was effectively given a free dinner.