The Charrette Process, Explained

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Having a custom home designed may be one of the most personal things an individual ever does, and the connection between architect and client has a profound effect on the design outcome, as does the architect’s understanding of the site.

Collaborative all-day on-site meeting during a Charrette where the Berglund team sketches floor plans options live with a client.

At Berglund Architects, the design of every home begins with an in-depth meeting of the minds during a process called a charrette, which is a series of collaborative work sessions with the client and the design team over about three days at the client’s building site. The architect team brings tables, chairs, stakes to mark potential house corners, and pen and paper and sets up a literal field office on site.  

If the weather cooperates, the design team and the clients camp out all-day on-site to facilitate a thorough understanding of the possibilities of the site, including existing topography, landscaping and desired views and sun orientation, as well as challenges to be mitigated, such as close adjacent neighbors or roads. During this extensive time spent on the site, the team focuses a lot on the potential for indoor-outdoor living which is so important to most of Berglund’s clients and one of the signature elements of their designs.  

Integration of pool, patio and architecture achieved through a thorough understanding of site conditions and opportunities gained during the onsite charrette process

The design process is inspired by the physical site, the sense of place and, most importantly, the client’s vision, budget and dreams. The team sketches different house options to get immediate feedback from the client and makes live revisions to the design, and also reviews exterior and interior design imagery to discuss potential materials and design concepts.  

This immersive one-on-one time with each client gives Berglund a chance to build a deep personal connection with them which is critical to being able to understand their lifestyle, how they want to feel in their home and how they see themselves entertaining or living day-to-day when it is just immediate family.    

Large lift-and-slide doors and floor-to-ceiling windows used for strong indoor/outdoor living connections are a signature element of Berglund Architects’ homes.

This personal connection is so important since Berglund provides interior design on nearly all of its projects. It enables the team to design inspiring, uplifting spaces that positively effect clients’ lives.

A major focal point of Berglund Architects’ homes and design process is the creation of outdoor rooms that flow off the major interior spaces of the home.

Without spending so much time on the site and developing such strong connections with clients through the charrette process and ongoing design meetings, Berglund would not be able to create the type of homes that they design. They see the reward of spending the time to get to know a client and their dreams.

Berglund Architects, an Edwards, Colorado-based firm of 17 professionals that specializes in custom residential architectural and interior design throughout the US and Internationally, is led by Hans Berglund, Adam Gilmer and Stephanie Lord-Johnson .  View their profile or contact them at 970.926.4301.

Content for this article provided by Berglund Architects.