FEBRUARY 15-17, 2008

E-mail if your team would still like to participate.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Thank you all for your submissions to the charrette. The level of participation and the quality of the entries has been phenomenal, and we are looking forward to presenting your projects to the jury.

The progressive Chinese urban design and architecture magazine, Urban China, has expressed an interest in publishing the competition. We will be submitting all projects to them as well as the selected projects following the jury review process. We will keep you informed via china-lab.org of the development of the exhibit and further publication.

DOWNLOAD CHARRETTE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

DOWNLOAD BACKGROUND BRIEF

DOWNLOAD FLYER

JURY

Jeffrey Inaba, Columbia University GSAPP and C-Lab/Volume Magazine

Qingyun Ma, Dean, USC School of Architecture and Principal, MADA s.p.a.m.

Doreen Heng Liu, Principal, NODE Architecture, Guangzhou

Eric Chang, Associate, OMA Beijing

CALL TO ACTION

Mega-block housing developments, at a rate of over 10 new superblocks completed each day, are taking over the fabric of Chinese cities. China's dominant mandate for the built environment—that all new housing developments must be self-contained gated communities—embodies potential benefits for integrating commerce and services, maintaining density, and localizing infrastructure and governance, but induces consequences for transit connectivity, resource consumption, civic participation, and adaptive growth. Moreover, the image of generic housing blocks repeating across the landscape raises serious questions about the role of architecture and aesthetics in the production of the city. As China expands its exports from manufactured goods to the export of culture and construction paradigms, shifts in policy and design of the Mega-Block today may have massive long-term impacts on global development.

How can designers and planners partner with developers to create housing blocks that are both energy-conscious and profitable? What are the alternatives to Mega-Block development? How can we re-imagine the Mega-Block development by intensifying its efficiency while increasing connectivity to the larger urban network?

Join the Global Charrette Weekend, with participating teams from Columbia University, USC, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other institutions, in this collaborative investigation of the urban typologies of China and beyond. Submissions will be judged for inclusion in an online exhibition and forthcoming publication of the China Lab @ GSAPP.

TIMELINE

[Early February] Send an e-mail of intent to participate to , listing your institution, contact name and e-mail, team size (3 to 5 students recommended), and name of faculty adviser. Teams are encouraged to include students from multiple disciplines (architecture, urban planning, real estate, environmental studies, engineering, cultural studies, policy), and to request a faculty adviser. Download background information from china-lab.org.

[15 / Friday] Charrette Kick-off Day: Download the submission requirements from china-lab.org, and organize team meetings with faculty advisers.

[16 / Saturday] Charrette sessions: Teams are encouraged to schedule meeting times, and may continue to consult with faculty advisers. The China Lab @ GSAPP is hosting the Exporting China symposium from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., in conjunction with the charrette.

[17 / Sunday] Submissions are accepted via e-mail () until midnight in the team's local time zone.

[Early March] Jury selects winners and online exhibition is launched.

[May] Charrette entries will be included in a forthcoming China Lab publication on urban typologies in China.

Please contact the China Lab at if your team would like to make alternate arrangements for participation.

Sponsored in part by the Arts Initiative at Columbia University. This funding is made possible through a generous gift from The Gatsby Charitable Foundation.