ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS JOIN HARRISBURG ARCHITECTS FOR PROFESSIONAL CHARRETTE OF SOUTH ALLISON HILL Professionals and Harrisburg Urban Studio students to evaluate blighted neighborhoods "One of the goals of the Harrisburg Urban Studio is to enhance the city's distressed communities," Allen said. "The city's architectural professionals and the Urban Studio students will create innovative ways to improve South Allison Hill."   (Harrisburg, Pa.) - Timothy Allen, AIA, chairman of the Harrisburg Urban Studio architect advisory committee, announced today that the committee will hold a professional design charrette October 6-8, 2006 to evaluate distressed neighborhoods of Harrisburg's South Allison Hill area. The Harrisburg Urban Studio is an architecture education program established by Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed. Allen, an Allison Hill resident, estimates that more than 60 students and 10-15 architects and design professionals will participate in this highly unique architecture education experience. Pennsylvania State University and HACC will have students participate in the charrette. "A charrette of this magnitude is comparable to student charrettes now underway to help revitalize the City of New Orleans," Robert Philbin, a founder of the Urban Studio, said. "With PSU School of Architecture participation, we will have some of the world's brightest architecture students working right here in Harrisburg." A charrette is an urban planning session where architects and students meet with local residents, municipal officials and urban planners to collaborate on design solutions to urban problems. According to Allen, charrettes provide a unique opportunity for architects to accumulate various ideas for use in the planning process, and the Urban Studio architecture advisory committee will use this charrette to provide innovative planning ideas for one of the city's most distressed areas. "One of the goals of the Harrisburg Urban Studio is to enhance the city's distressed communities," Allen said. "The city's architectural professionals and the Urban Studio students will create innovative ways to improve South Allison Hill." The Harrisburg Urban Studio is inspired by Auburn University's famous Rural Studio, a program providing architectural students with a practical learning experience while enhancing the environment of disadvantaged communities. Mayor Reed initiated the Urban Studio in March of 2004. Pennsylvania's leading architecture colleges send students to study, design and build in the Harrisburg Urban Studio. A number of architects, engineers, contractors and construction products firms are actively supporting the project. For more information visit www.nichenews.com/urbanstudio or contact Nathan Pigott, Hershey Philbin Associates, at npigott@hersheyphilbin.com or 717.975.2148. ###

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