Date: June 10, 2016 | 9:00am – 2:30pm
Location: Borough of Manhattan Community College Gymnasium | 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007

The 2016 Student Design Charrette featured 100 students from New York City public schools. It marked the culmination of the students’ programs of study with the Salvadori Center at their schools.

Students designed, built, and tested the strength of structures made from spaghetti against the strength of an earthquake! During the event, fifth to eighth grade students were placed in small, mixed-age design teams, mentored by engineers and architects from some of the city’s leading firms. Each team used math and science concepts to design durable water towers, at least 32 inches high, made from a limited amount of fragile material (spaghetti). The efficiency – a a structure’s weight compared to the weight it supports – was measured and each were tested to failure on an earthquake simulator.

Photos from the 2016 Charrette:

Challenges from previous years include:

• A Study in Span: Constructing a Bridge Using Spaghetti
• Withstand the Wind: Constructing a Tower of Cards to Withstand Lateral Force
• Spaghetti Structures: Designing a Structure Using Fragile Materials
• Modular Urban Skyline Structures: Designing a Skyscraper from Shipping Containers
• Green City: Designing an Eco-Friendly Community
• People-Friendly Public Spaces: Redesigning Times Square