Architecture graduate student named one of nation's top 15 students, awarded exclusive internship charrette
Karmarkar Bharati, of Mumbai, India, an architecture graduate student in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies' School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech, was named one of the top 15 architecture students in the nation by Design Workshop, Inc., in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has been awarded a summer internship charrette.
Bharati is the only architecture student selected for this project. The fourteen other participants are students of landscape architecture, business and environmental studies, business administration and planning.
The students will partner with the Salt Lake Downtown Alliance, an affiliate of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, to formulate strategies for the revitalization of a 40-block section of downtown Salt Lake City. The charrette, which runs from May 31 through June 10 at the firm's Salt Lake City office, will culminate in presentations to local business stakeholders, government officials and the public. Each participant will then serve a 10-week internship in one of Design Workshop's seven U.S. offices.
Salt Lake City lies at the center of an explosive growth region. It features proximity of urban environs with national forests and open lands and one of the nation's most ambitious city-centered mass transit programs, including commuter rail and light-rail service. The downtown is also the target of both a rail-yard redevelopment proposal and a $500 million retail-driven redevelopment. Numerous studies have already been done on revitalization of downtown and these will serve as the basis for the interns' efforts, as they help synthesize plans to help stakeholders create a holistic vision.
Founded in 1969, Design Workshop practices sustainable design and planning on sites ranging from urban infill, parks and open-space projects to Brownfield redevelopment and resorts. The firm, which has seven offices in the United States, has received more than 90 awards for design and planning, including a 2003 Charter Award from the Congress for New Urbanism for its rail-yard conversion in downtown Denver, CO. Since 1985, Design Workshop's internship program has attracted gifted scholars of landscape architecture, architecture, urban design and planning from all over the world.
The College of Architecture and Urban Studies is one of the largest of its type in the nation. The college is composed of two schools and the departments of landscape architecture, building construction, and art and art history. The School of Architecture + Design includes programs in architecture, industrial design and interior design. The School of Public and International Affairs includes programs in urban affairs and planning, public administration and policy, and government and international affairs. The college enrolls more than 2,000 students offering 22 degrees taught by 160 faculty members.
