The Design Tank is a tool that UHCDC developed in response to COVID-19 that gathers stakeholders, designers, and thinkers to produce research and design ideas in a concise one-week format held entirely on-line.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), a “think-tank” is “a meeting or conference of experts to provide advice and ideas.” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a “think-tank” is “a meeting or conference of experts to provide advice and ideas.”
The goal of a think tank is to broaden discourse.
In 2007, the OED added a new definition to its entry for the word “charrette,” which derives from architectural instruction in early nineteenth century France, at the Académie des Beaux-Arts. In contemporary parlance, a charrette is “a collaborative workshop focusing on a particular problem . . . ; a public meeting or conference devoted to discussion of a proposed community building project.”
The goal of a charrette is to focus consensus.
A “design tank” hybridizes the best properties of these two models. UHCDC developed this public-sector process to concentrate professional expertise on a specific spatial and formal problem, guided by diverse stakeholder input and pertinent data, with the express aim of generating conceptual frameworks and alternative design scenarios consistent with agreed-upon criteria and guiding principles.
The goal of a design tank is design discourse—supporting decision-makers, expanding vision, and deepening stakeholder sensitivity to the interdependency of composition, performance, perception, and value in the design and operation of built environments.
2022 Kakaʻako Policy Design Tank
To guide the future of the Kakaʻako district, a policy design tank gathered multi-disciplinary experts to make suggestions to amendments to the Mauka Area Rules that govern the Kakaʻako Special Design District.
2021 Mayors Institute Design Tank
We gathered designers from UHCDC, Detroit Collaborative Design Center, and Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design to envision post COVID public space scenarios for the County of Kaua’i Mayor’s Office and City & County of Honolulu Complete Streets and TOD Divisions.
2020 Varney Circle Design Tank
The future of a historic campus focal point was envisioned by four teams of UHM faculty and students to explore the potential of the Snyder Hall and Varney Circle area redevelopment.
What our partners are saying
“I know the future is bright with our UHM Architecture students at the helm! ... We are encouraged to think more creatively about how public space can be enhanced to bring meaning and connection to culture, history, and each other.”
— Mayor Derek Kawakami, Kauaʻi County
“The City and County of Honolulu and its community partners appreciate the ideas and inspiration generated through this effort to help our local businesses respond to the challenges and opportunities that have emerged from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Simple strategies such as public art, parklets, and the activation of outdoor space can bring about a host of benefits, including economic vitality, pubic safety, and community pride.”
— Renee Espiau, City & County of Honolulu Complete Streets Administrator