What are the Benefits of Participating in Architectural Contests?
Architecture design competitions are a way to use the design proposal as the main factor for winning selection. If the architect’s submission follow the competition jury guidelines and presents a strong design concept, it can bring the first prize winning or at least recognition. When adequate financing availability meets interesting designs, competitions may result in progressive architectural solutions achievements for inhabitants and plus a characteristics-built legacy.
Design competitions, construction bids, and architectural tenders help to increase the awareness of space and future development, bring interest of the public and at the end, promote proposed design, especially when it is innovative and contribute to be a game changer for the surroundings and local culture of a space.
Depending on the type of competition, it may affect the results. For example, when it is an open contest, it may increase the number of participants from a particular country or worldwide. When it considers taking part in competition with limited selection it might help to invest more resources and involve the best teams to collaborate.
Why to Take Part in an International Architecture Competition?
The International Competition offers opportunity for engaging communities and creating new designs globally. Primarily it is a way for designers to create and share innovative projects which influence architectural movements around the world, aimed at creating the new paradigms of thought.
Architectural competition / Lloydpier in Rotterdam, Netherlands / Design: Groosman Architecten / Urban street view renderings: RNDR
What are the Types of Architectural Competitions?
First distinction in architectural competition types refer to its inclusivity according to the participation. There are open competitions (international, national or regional), or limited selections of non-open architectural competitions (called restricted selected and not open).
In the second category, architect competitions are focused on the purpose. Here are the following types: competitions for the idea, which generate forward thinking ideas, or projects depending upon the intent to build the plan.
Here we distinguish among the types:
1. Open design and ideas announcement – Anyone who meets the fundamental requirements of this tournament is eligible to enter, as the name implies. A good example here is international competitions, like Museum at Jinjuseong Fortress in Korea or Dubai Mosque in the Middle East
2. Project or ideas based announcement – This kind of contest may be based on an actual design or an idea-based solution submission, while it is possible that it will occasionally involve both.
The goal is to select the best design option that will be ordered. Other times, the competition is just used as an exercise to produce new ideas that could be useful in the forthcoming time.
This is more appropriate for students as there is less likelihood that these projects will be implemented.
3. With invitation – The organizer of this contest invites a select group of professionals and young architects, as recommended by the panel of judges or as previously decided.
Depending on the rules established by the organizers, invited firms may submit their work in collaboration with other firms with various expertise.
4. Competitive interviews – The jury in this kind of new competition entry asks to put forward your work. Here pitching skills and the ability to beach design’s top qualities during the presentation are very important.
In the event of a team effort, be sure to choose members who have the presenting abilities are up to par, understanding of the proposal and solid communication skills.
5. Single– or two-stage tenders – The contest may be conducted in one or two phases, depending on the scope and complexity of the challenge or task. The aim is to win building opportunity.
Single-stage contests should provide enough information to represent and impart the importance of various aspects of design structure expression. The panelists evaluate the design after which they choose a winning submission according prerequisites. These contests are best suited for smaller projects of buildings and spaces.
On the other hand, two-stage contests are designed for more complicated projects, like a new educational center, national historic site, local NGO, improving outdated facilities, or urban planning ideas. In the first phase the candidates are asked to submit an initial proposal that outlines their basic concepts. While in the second phase the concept should become the design proposal.
1st prize architectural competition / Fietsznfabriek Haarlem, Netherlands / Design and architecture winners team: Paul de Ruiter Architecten x LAP Landscape & Urban Design / Architectural 3D image: RNDR
What are the Websites for Architecture Contests?
The best websites for architectural and building contests are listed below. On each website each competition is fully described, along with its eligibility restrictions, entry procedures, and prizes. Additionally, you may learn about the judging panel and proud winners. You can filter contests on listed websites by location, submission deadline, and contest category.
Let’s take a look at the architectural contest websites which are the most common source of education and information for architects, real estate developers, and other companies.
Competitions Archi
On this website you can search for ongoing international contests. Here you can be explore many prestigious contests, such as the Guggenheim Helsinki Museum collections in Finland or current Jinju National Museum collections located within the Jinjuseong fortress in Korea, which is designated as a national historic site.
ArchDaily
With millions of visits each month, ArchDaily is among the most well-known architectural websites in the world. The website features a multitude of architectural information, including news, projects, and competitions. The website’s contests area is updated often and offers a broad variety of possibilities from across the globe.
World Architecture Festival
An annual celebration of the greatest in global architecture is the World Architecture Festival. A variety of contests are featured at the festival, with prizes such as the Small Project of the Year Award, the Future Project of the Year Award, and the Architecture Drawing Prize.
Dezeen
An architectural and design website called Dezeen offers a variety of international contests for young architects and designers. The website sponsors a variety of contests, such as the Dezeen Awards, which honor the finest in architectonics, small-scale architecture, interior and design prizes.
https://www.dezeen.com/
Bustler
Bustler is a well-liked website where contests for architects and designers are held. New architecture contests and possibilities are continually added to the website, ranging from international student competitions to expert design challenges. Additionally, Bustler provides details about conferences, shows, and other architecture-related events.
https://bustler.net/competitions
Designboom
A variety of contests are featured annually on the worldwide architectural and design website Designboom. Opportunities are provided for designers, artists, architects, and undergraduates to submit anything in broad range of fields including furniture design, lighting, small-scale architecture, and urban planning.
https://www.designboom.com/
Competitionline
A platform for architecture with a German background. Competitionline conducts a variety of international contests and prizes they got. The website offers chances for architects, young architects, professionals and students to participate in fields including urban planning and interior design.
https://www.competitionline.com/de
RIBA Competitions
The Royal Institute of British Architects’ official website is RIBA Competitions. The website runs a variety of architectonic contests throughout the year, including school student and expert design challenges.
https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/competitions-landing-page
Why Participate in Architecture Competition?
First of all, participating in an architecture contest is a unique opportunity to launch more projects when winning first prizes. On top of that, it can be a way to expand your national and international reputation as an architectural company or real estate developer. While taking part in architecture contest, tender or construction bid might benefit building opportunities. These are very practical and businesswise goals for taking part.
More importantly, the architecture and design contest is a way of showing participants creativity and to network with other leading designers, architects and industry community. This means utilizing your imagination to develop forward-thinking ideas under the challenge of a particular time pressure, while brainstorming and creating all competition documents, plans, sections and brochure or poster presentation.
Overall these aim to show, not only interesting architectural form with combination of approaching development functions, expanding safety facilities and providing visitors convenience, but also launch a wider vision connected to the designed space and city context.
See the Big Picture
That is why taking part in architects contests is a master level of your architect’s and designer’s skills on communication, designing level and bringing meaningful values to spatial life.
Architectural competitions are more than just nice tender brochures and posters, they are about the meaningful creation, understanding the current culture and past tradition, while giving the possibility to create innovative and ethical values to forthcoming generations and creating the desired world for them and us.
Pending competition / Iconic Mosque in Dubai, UEA / Design collaboration: Sterling Presser Architects + Engineers x EMAAR / Competition renderings: RNDR
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