One college at UF used the creativity of its students last week to save between $1,000 and $2,500 in 10 hours.
Rather than hiring professionals, groups affiliated with UF's College of Design, Construction & Planning asked students to participate in an intensive design session aimed at improving the Architecture Building's work spaces. Forty-three students worked from noon to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, during the "Pride in Place Charrette".
They came from a variety of specializations, including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and urban and regional planning. Students worked in groups of up to three people to design an outdoor seating area, studio work station or an area to hang banners advertising for the college. Each design was limited to a budget of $10,000.
"The value of a charrette is that you get a lot of very different ideas very quickly," said UF Professor Tina Gurucharri, interim chair in the department of landscape architecture.
The top two designs, to be chosen by some faculty and students from the college, will be announced today. The first-place design will be awarded $750, while second place will receive $250. One winning project will be put to use.
Student involvement in the manufacturing and installation of the project will depend on the design selected, said Peggy Carr, the college's associate dean for undergraduate students and academic affairs. Some students said the experience went beyond just having monetary value.
Dorota Tomaszewska, a UF interior design junior, said the charrette was a great experience because it allowed her and a fellow interior design major to work and share ideas with a landscape architecture major.
"And also it wasn't for a grade," Tomaszewska said. "It wasn't something we were forced to do. We were all there willing to do that."
