March 10, 2025

Every two years, the Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism at the Drexel’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design hosts a weekend-long student design charrette and corresponding lecture. This charrette brings together approximately 100 students from a variety of disciplines. We partner with leading thinkers on the built environment, with whom we collaboratively structure a compelling weekend of interdisciplinary exploration around a mutually determined area of focus. 

This year's event partner is Vishaan Chakrabarti, the Founder and Creative Director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU). Chakrabarti's work spans many disciplines and project types with a common theme of urbanity, equity, livability, and creative problem solving at the city scale. Prior to founding PAU, Mr. Chakrabarti was the Director of the Manhattan Office for the New York Department of City Planning. While serving under Mayor Bloomberg, Chakrabarti collaborated on many public projects including the push to save The Highline, the reimagining of a more resilient East River Waterfront after Hurricane Sandy, and rebuilding of the World Trade Center site after the events of 9/11. Chakrabarti also served as President of the Moynihan Station Venture at the Related Companies, forging key relationships between public and private development.

Design Challenge

With the construction of the cap over Interstate 95 at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia stands to gain a new neighborhood along the Delaware Waterfront. What will it look like? How will it connect to the city? Who will live there? The question of affordability in cities, the overabundance of “luxury” developments, and the lack of housing diversity becomes the setting for this year’s charrette. Can we imagine a new neighborhood that is truly for all walks of life? The site is bounded by the Delaware River to the east, Spruce Street to the south, Front Street to the west and Market Street to the north.

The design challenge will take place May 1-4, 2025, engaging cross-disciplinary student teams to rethink housing typologies and urban design to incorporate to modes of living to the central waterfront. The weekend culminates in a public reception and presentation by the teams on Sunday, May 4 at 2pm in the URBN Center.

Programing Timeline

• Thurs. May 1 - 6:00pm - 7:30pm - Arfaa Lecture, Mitchell Auditorium, Bossone Research Center
• Fri. May 2 - 1:00pm - 9:00pm - Day 1 of the Charrette, URBN Center
• Sat. May 3 - 9:00am - 9:00pm - Day 2 of the Charrette, URBN Center
• Sun. May 4 - 9:00am - 5:00pm - Day 3 of the Charrette, URBN Center

Students interested in participating in the 2025 Design Charrette may sign up here; participation is open to all Drexel students.

Register to participate in 2025 Design Charrette 

-

This charrette is sponsored, in part, by the Rankin Scholars-in-Residence Series. The Rankin Scholars-in-Residence Series, named in honor of former Dean Marjorie Rankin and established through the continuing donations of her friends and colleagues, seeks to bring noted individuals to campus who excel in the multidisciplinary education championed by the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. The goal of the Series is to inspire students, stimulate research, invigorate professional networks, and aid in the continuing development of the Drexel community.