April 1, 2011

Drexel is beginning a major campus master planning initiative with the Boston-based firm Goody Clancy, a firm of 100 architects, preservationists, planners and urban designers, to create a plan to address all Drexel campuses and our relationships with our surrounding neighborhoods for the decades to come.  This year’s 2011 Interdisciplinary Charrette entitled “Paths Portals & Places: Re-Thinking the Drexel Campus,” organized by the department of Architecture & Interiors, is a tremendous opportunity for students from all Drexel Schools and Colleges to participate in the process. 

Beginning this Friday, April 1st, the Design Charrette will be a weekend of intense brainstorming and collaborative design, focusing on the challenges and the potential for our campus as defined by those students who participate. The Charrette will take place through April 4th in the Main Building, 4th floor studios. The Charrette brings together students from all across the Drexel community in a design process that’s intended to generate solutions for future directions of our campus.  Working in small teams, students will research, develop, document and present original design proposals. We are looking for Drexel students, in all majors and departments, to participate in the Charrette. If you are interested please email charrette@drexel.edu for registration information.

To kickoff the Charrette there will be a panel discussion with invited guests David Dixon from Goody Clancy and Jose Almanana from landscape architectural firm Andropogon on Friday, April 1st at 6 PM in Stein Auditorium, Nesbitt Hall (3215 Market St.). During the weekend, faculty members and representatives from Goody Clancy will engage student teams in planning exercises that will re-imagine selected parts of the campus. The kickoff lecture is free and open to the public. For more information visit: www.drexel.edu/westphal.