Design Charrettes Program

 2025 Design Charrette applications are closed.

What is a Design Charrette?  A design charrette is an intensive, hands-on, pre-development workshop that brings people from different disciplines and backgrounds together to explore architectural and development options for a particular area or site.  Housing Colorado and the University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning began the Design Charrettes program in 2010 and are seeking project proposals for 2025. The Design Charrettes Program provides non-profit housing developers, housing authorities, and municipalities with pro bono pre-development services for an affordable housing project.

A team of professionals and graduate students that includes architects, urban planners, landscape architects, and municipal staff members, as well as finance, development, and construction professionals, will work with your organization to create affordable housing concepts for an identified program, budget, and site in your community. Previous participants in the Design Charrettes Program have been able to take this pre-design work successfully forward for funding and development.

What is the timeline for the Design Charrettes Program?

The Design Charrette will take place at a location determined in coordination with the site sponsor. Volunteer information will be available to download in Summer 2025 and the 3-day charrettes program will take prior to the Housing Colorado Conference in October in collaboration with CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning. Presentations of the completed charrettes will take place at the Housing Colorado Annual Conference.

2025 Charrettes Leadership & Volunteers:

Housing Colorado Charrettes Coordinator:
Andrew Chapin, Maiker Housing Partners

CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning:
Jennifer Steffel Johnson, Ph.D.
Associate Chair and Assistant Professor, CTT
Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Charrettes Team Leaders:
TBD

Volunteers:
TBD

Any questions? Email Brian at brian@housingcolorado.org for more information.

"The experience was truly like none other. The room was filled with enthusiasm, knowledge and collaboration for a wonderful cause." - 2019 Charrettes Volunteer

Affordable Urban Housing from CU Denver CAP VRC on Vimeo.