On Tuesday of this week, I had the privilege of spending some time working in the charrette helping to crunch some residential construction numbers for The Humphreys' new "Carlton Landing" development in Eufaula. It's nothing short of impressive and unlike anything in existence in Oklahoma.

Renowned urbanist architect Andres Duany spent some time showing me their workflow and the product that had come from their week-long, intense design session. It was fascinating to walk the room with him, observing his dialog with his team, as he asked questions, made suggestions, and assigned tasks.

The level of detail was amazing, as I watched one designer spend nearly 1/2 hour pondering the best profile for crown moulding of a given structure. Andres wanted to know the specifics on construction practices here, from the best foundation methods, to how covered porches and patios were constructed, and with what materials.

I'm big on having a creative, relaxed environment to work in when it comes to design, and I liked how the numerous stations were laid out where engineers and designers each worked together in their specialized tasks, with computer screens projected on the wall for everyone to observe progress.

Grant shared more specifics with me on their planned approach to construction and phasing of the community (it's a master-planned development, but at this scale, the term "community" seems more appropriate, as it will be nothing short of a small town when complete).

I'll be following progress on this at many levels, no doubt.

A slideshow with images from the Carlton Landing charrette (that someone else compiled and posted):