USC School of Architecture Announces Winner of First Student Charette Competition

First Place winners Cindy Man and Emilio Pulido [image via Bustler]

The University of Southern California’s School of Architecture announced the winners of their First Annual Student Charette Competition, hosted by the program’s Architectural Guild. This group is the primary support system of the USC School of Architecture, and serves as a unique link between the students, faculty, and the professional community.

The competition challenged fourth and fifth year USC School of Architecture students to conceive and create a Rail Studio, or a mobile design studio, without the use of technology. When the thirty-two students arrived, they were surprised with the theme, and in teams of two, the students were given seven hours to complete the project.

First Place went to 5th year students Cindy Man and Emilio Pulido, who segmented each rail car with different interior layouts that would house various programs and be utilized as an expandable embracing community. Their train’s design has the ability to expand, conform, and plant itself in any community across the country by splitting in half and have the ability to fully rotate. The program design had the ability to be detached from the train allowing the studios to be rooted in the city as a permanent fixture.

Finalists were chosen by a panel of judges including Ronald Altoon, founding principal of Altoon + Porter Architects, Ernest Cirangle, Sr. VP and Design Principal of HOK, Los Angeles, and Paul Danna, Principal of AECOM. The students were asked to present their designs before these judges and an audience. The first place winner received $5,000, second place received $3,000, and third place received $2,000.

[via Bustler]