ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITIONS

Introduction:
Architectural competitions are an important avenue to encourage talent to come on the front. The main purpose of holding an architectural competition is to give the promoter of competition, the choice of the best available design selected on the basis of jury's expert knowledge while giving the participants a fair deal. The scope and dimension of architectural competition may be explained as the efforts of two or more registered and eligible architects acting independently to offer the most favorable solution aesthetically, socially, culturally, functionally and economically for a given architectural problem. The Indian Institute of Architects as well as the Council of Architecture has formulated guidelines for the conduct of such competitions. Basically there are two types of competition. These are: Project Competitions Ideas Competitions Project Competitions: These competitions are related to specific sites and specific types of buildings. The purpose of promoter is to get a design of high creativity within the available constraints of space, cost and time. The ultimate objective is to award the project to the winner of the competition. Ideas Competitions: This type of competition is not necessarily project specific. These are promoted to generate innovative ideas of design

of buildings and town planning. The winner of such competition is not expected to execute his design.

Methods of Organization of Competitions:

There are two methods of organizing competitions. 1. Single Stage competition 2. Two Stage competition Single Stage Competition: This type of competition considers submission of entries only once. The competition brief and instructions to participants are fairly well-defined and calls for a design presentation in fairly detailed drawings consisting of plans, elevations, and sections, etc to a suitable scale and sufficient to explain the scheme as set out in the competition conditions. The jury assesses the designs only once and selects the prize winning entries. The author of the best design is awarded the project. This type of competition is recommended for small and simple projects. The identity of winners is not known till the jury makes its selection. Two Stage Competitions: For a large and complex project, a two stage competition is recommended. In the first stage all the participants are expected to present their schemes in broad terms giving an idea about their concept. The drawings for this stage are drawn to a smaller scale. Detailed plans, elevations, sections, etc. are not called for at this stage. The identity of participants is not known to the jury at this stage.

The jury selects between five and ten entries which have the desired merit. Once the selection is made for the first stage the identity of selected architects is known only to the Professional Adviser. These selected Architects are then given further time to work out their respective schemes in greater detail. The jury then selects the best entry on the basis of such detailed entries. Each Architect who is selected for the second stage is paid a specified amount as honorarium. The author of the best entry is awarded the project.

Classification of competitions:
The architectural competitions are either: 1. Open Competitions 2. Limited Competitions 3. Special Competitions 4. Regional special category competition Open Competitions: Competition in which architects are invited to participate through an announcement by advertisements in suitable media and through circulars which may be issued by the promoters. Open competition for projects estimated at less than Rs. 10, 00,000 may be restricted to architects who have their main or branch office in the state of the project site. Students are not permitted to take part in such competitions. Normally three prizes are given in each competition. The winner is given the responsibility of design and execution of the project.

Limited Competitions: The promoters short-list a few architects on the advice of jury members or on certain pre-determined criteria for such a competition. Such short-listed or selected Architects are invited to take part in such a competition. The basic difference between an open competition and a limited competition is that every participant in a limited competition is paid a fixed sum as honorarium and the winner is asked to execute the project. Special Competitions: These competitions are of special character. These may also combine town planning as well as design of industrial components such as prefab units or may involve design of large complexes, neighborhood city or projects involving developers. Only certain groups of professionals are targeted for such competitions. The field of expertise is specified in the announcement of such competitions. Regional Special Category Competitions: These competitions are organized for small projects of charitable organizations. Normally four to six local firms are invited to take part in such competitions. The winner is given the project; but other participants MAY NOT be paid any premium. The success of a competition depends largely upon advisers. There are two types of advisers who can be involved: a Technical Adviser

 a Professional Adviser Technical Adviser: He is a person who is chosen either by the promoter or the Board of Assessors to help in preparation of the competition brief. He is a technically qualified expert in the field related to the project. He may participate in the judging process only if invited to do so; but he does not have voting rights. Professional Adviser: He is necessarily an experienced Architect who assists the promoter in the conduct of a competition. Normally he is appointed for a two stage competition; but he may be appointed for a single stage competition also. His role is to assist the Board of Assessors in formulating the competition brief, drafting conditions, framing time schedule, sending answers to queries, corresponding with participants, handling their registration, helping promoter in receiving and displaying entries and generally to ensure anonymity of the participants. He does not participate in the judging process. The success of any competition to a great extent depends upon how the Professional Adviser manages the competition.

Procedure of a Competition:
The competition shall preferably be open only to those who are registered with Council of Architecture. Draft conditions of competition, its time table, registration fees, prize moneys, Board of Assessors,

program, etc. shall be finalized before the competition is announced. The conditions shall clearly mention the type of competition, intentions of promoter, nature of problem to be solved, and all mandatory requirements to be followed by competitors, number, scale and size of drawings, size of documents and models to be submitted, form of estimates to be submitted, number and amounts of prizes, etc. The language of the competition shall be English.

Principal Requirements and Conditions for Conducting Architecture Competitions:

Council of Architecture has formulated these guidelines to govern the promotion and conduct of architectural competition. If these guidelines are followed it will ensure that the competition is properly conducted, the winning design is selected on merit alone and the promoter's requirements will be met. Council has advised all Architects to take part in only those competitions which are conducted as per these guidelines. 1.Board of Assessors: The appointment of assessors is to be form the panel suggested have to by the council to judge the design. The Board of Assessors shall consist of an odd number and not exceeding seven of persons. The promoters can have their own assessors on the panel, not more than two. The panel is to contain assessors from the panel recommended by the council such that it forms a majority by at least one. In other words if the promoters desire to have two assessors from

their side, three will have to be from the panel recommended.

2.

Eligibility of Competitors: All Architects (persons registered with Council), firms having at least one Architect as a partner or Director (not an employee) and students of recognized architectural institutions can take part in such competitions. However, neither the promoter, nor the Assessors or any of their associates, partners or employees can take part in a competition. The competitors can be asked to submit proof of their valid registration with Council of Architecture. In the case of a student, he may be asked to produce a certificate from the Head of his school.

3. Prize, Honoraria and Mentions: In every competition announcement in media should be done regarding the number of prizes, their amounts and the amount of honorarium offered to each competitor in a limited competition. The total prize money should be about one per cent of the estimated cost of the project. In ideas competition and in competitions such as those for town planning. Where subsequently the work is generally carried out by official bodies, it is particularly important to allot adequate prize money to decompensate the

competitors for the ideas and the work they have done. The promoters shall undertake to accept the decision of the board of assessors and to pay the prize monies within one month of the announcement of the competition results. Each participant in a limited competition shall receive an honorarium. In a two stage competition a reasonable honorarium shall be paid to each of the competitors selected to take part in second stage. This sum which is intended to be reimbursed to them for the additional work carried out in the second stage shall be stated in the conditions for the competition. 4. Copyright & Right of Ownership: Each competitor will have the copyright in his own design and he shall have the right to reproduce his own competition design. The owner can also reproduce the prizewinning designs in his in-house publication or brochure; but he will not exploit it commercially. 5. Wide publicity to be given to the competition for its success. 6. The brief, setting all conditions be filled before the council for information before publication. 7. Each design shall be accompanied by a declaration on the prescribed form signed by the competitor in a properly sealed envelope.