Q & A
with Kyle Barker, AIA – Barker Architects
How did you first become involved with the Plan NH Charrette Program, and what drew you to volunteer in the beginning?
For the first PlanNH Charrette in Belmont, a notice was sent out through the State Office of Licensing to all architects and interns in NH. Since I was enrolled as an intern and wanted to know more about charrettes, I thought it was a great opportunity to meet other interns and architects and to learn. I met the charrette organizer, Jeff Taylor at this charrette and became friends with him. His enthusiasm and dedication (plus his insistent phone calls) brought me back many times.
What keeps you coming back to participate in charrettes year after year?
I very much enjoyed my first charrette and felt I made some contribution. With each additional charrette I felt more confident and began to exert more effort with even greater return for both the charrette and my own career.
Is there a particular charrette moment or project that stands out as especially meaningful to you?
Yes. The Candia charrette did not produce a sustainable result for the community, but it taught me a very valuable lesson and that was: “How design and planning can positively affect the health and happiness of the community’s citizens”. There had been a study preceding the charrette that identified areas of Social Capital. After the charrette I researched the concept of Social Capital and discovered just how important this is. I began to incorporate this concept into the professional work that I do, and it has become the foundation of many of the beliefs I have regarding planning and design.
How have you seen the charrette program evolve during your time as a volunteer?
No and Yes. The basic process has not materially changed. We are still providing the same exceptional services and recommendations. What has changed are some subtle differences in how that is delivered such as; we now spend more time in listening sessions and use newer production techniques (as an old dinosaur I mostly still hand-sketch instead of using a computer). The program has always been high energy and I don’t see that changing.
What impact do you believe the charrettes have had on New Hampshire communities?
I would say that it is two-fold; A) We give communities beneficial advice that hopefully (not always, but usually) helps to guide them in solving the problems that they have. B) Our talent and commitment shows the value of our professions and helps us to be prominent leaders to the communities we serve.
In what ways has volunteering with Plan NH influenced your own professional or personal growth?
As I said in question #3, the concepts I have learned at charrettes have fundamentally altered my professional philosophies and made me a more socially responsible architect. There is nothing more rewarding as an architect to know that my work improves the lives of those that it touches.
What do you enjoy most about collaborating with multidisciplinary teams during a charrette weekend?
It seems obvious that collaboration between trades results in higher output and better quality. Somewhat more importantly however, it gives the entire team a more broad perspective on the design problem and solutions. Listening has become an underlying theme of charrettes and that is not just with the communities but within our own group.
As Plan NH celebrates 30 years of charrettes, what message or reflection would you like to share about the program’s legacy?
Every charrette has a story and lesson to be learned, however those stories and lessons do not need to be isolated to that one community. Many New Hampshire cities and towns face the same pressures and problems. I hope that the Plan NH Charrettes become a template for every community in NH such that even the ones that have not yet benefited from our program, can also receive some of the dividends of our successes.
Plan NH is grateful for Kyle's participation on the following Charrette Teams:
- Belmont 1996
- Franklin 1997
- Greenfield 1997
- Bradford 1998
- Pittsfield 1999
- Newport 1999
- Gilmanton 2000
- Milan 2001
- Weare 2001
10. Goffstown 2002
11. Candia 2003
12. New Hampton 2003
13. Barnstead 2006
14. Peterborough 2005
15. Sunapee 2007
16. Newton 2009
17. Moultonborough 2012
18. Milford 2013
19. Franklin 2015
20. Allenstown 2016
21. Wilton 2017
22. Littleton 2019
23. Brentwood 2023
24. Campton 2023
25. Sunapee 2024
