YOUNG COMPETITION

FOR REDESIGNING THE

MEȘTESHUKAR BOUTIQ SPACE
A NEW DESIGN STORY

Context and scope of the competition1

Context
Meștesukar ButiQ (MBQ) is the organizer and promoter of the competition with the
support of its sponsors and partners: BCR, KANE, Fosta Fabrică, Architecture Annual
2018 of the Romanian Order of Architects, Bucharest branch.

Who we are
• MBQ is a Bucharest based, non-profit social enterprise that promotes traditional
Roma and Romanian craftsmanship. Various collections, from home décor to
clothes and jewelry, are created through the joint efforts of artisans and designers
and have a story to tell. Some of them can be discovered here: jewelry, small
accessories, clothes and fashion accessories, kitchen items, home décor.

• Given the nature of our activity, as a social enterprise, MBQ supports local makers
from its own resources and those of its partners. The support and collaborations
involve project-based activities and are financed using small budgets.

• To have a better understanding of the manufacturing process and the unique

stories of both the maker and their work that make these collections possible, a
series of three minutes videos is available for viewing here.

Mission statement
• MBQ creates and helps distribute premium lifestyle products that use a blend of
centuries’ old techniques combined with contemporary design. Our team believes
that all makers and artisans need a commercial voice.

What we do
• We liaison between designers and artisans.
• Designers imagine, draw and sketch unique items for their collections and
the artisans bring them to life.
• We support other brands that create handcrafted items.
• We leverage our shop space to display and sell their products.

1
The rules and regulations are available only in English. This decision is based on finding a common ground for discussion
and deliberation of the proposals in respect to the jury’s international componence. It also ensures that the proposals do
not lose any of the meaning and value its author / authors intended it to have.

As English is the preferred language of the competition, the participants must master or at least be acquainted with the
concepts of their field in this language. Moreover, the questions any participant might have should be formulated in
English.
 What we want to do
• We want to achieve a different level of value creation:
• to remain the link between designers and artisans, but to increase both their
outputs from a single conceptual collection to limited-edition collections.
• to offer more support to brands that create handcrafted items through better
promotion within the shop.
Our uniqueness
• What defines us is a special emphasis on local design heritage and culture.

The competition’s objective

MBQ owns a space of approximately 52 square meters located on Edgar Quinet 7,
Bucharest, Romania that serves as a shop, but which is no longer in accordance with
the association’s mission and activity.

MBQ is organizing this competition with the scope of selecting the best solution for
redesigning the current shop space to properly reflect the organization’s activity and
sustain future growth.

Competition framework
• Besides its practical and professional nature, the launch of this competition is meant
to celebrate the World Architecture Day, under the sign of Architecture Annual 2018
of the Romanian Order of Architects, Bucharest branch. Thus, the competition is
open to all young architects and interior designers under the age of 45 years (until
the 31st of December 2018), working in the country or abroad, without restrictions
regarding gender or individual and collective professional achievements.
• At the same time, in order to raise the public interest in architecture, and given the
scope of the competition that has a promotional component too, the general public
will participate in the selection of the winning proposal through online voting on the
competition’s dedicated website page.
• As a result, the winning project will be designated as follows: the jury's vote
accounts for 80% of the final score and the public online vote represents the
remaining 20%.

Competition theme
The space
• The MBQ shop space has a total surface of approximately 52 square meters, with a
prominent display window (height: 244 cm, width: 100 cm, depth: 65 cm). The
specifications of the layout alongside the sections, ceiling plan and electrical wiring
layout for the latter are available in Floor Plans archive that can be downloaded
from the organizers dedicated page for the competition.
• The expositional space unfolds on the entire length of the shop, with collections
displayed on stands next to each wall. The MBQ shop also has a basement that
serves as a fitting room. This area is not included in the space redesign.

The objective
 • MBQ is a space where ethical and responsible alternatives to mass produced market
goods are showcased. The main objective is to create a space that adheres to the
same principles.
• A welcome feature will be the ability to use parts of the proposal in different events
(Elle Decoration, for example) as displays or elements that exemplify the MBQ
identity.
• Considering the objective, the proposal needs to be relevant for the three main
themes:
• Manufacturing culture
• Interaction
• Functionality

Manufacturing culture
MBQ puts a strong emphasis on artisanal products created by local craftsmen. We are
inclined to promote in the shop, even though it’s not in a direct manner, products and
items from Romanian companies or individuals. In this regard, furniture and decorations
that are produced by Romanian designers and craftsmen will be highly appreciated.
Please consider integrating in your proposal the above suggested types of products -
they can vary from chairs, tables, light fixtures, building materials and so on.
The exposed objects are made out of the following materials, which can provide a
starting point for your proposal:
• Leather
• Coper and brass
• Softwood (linden tree, cork, willow) and beech wood
• Osier
• Cattail
• Textiles
• Silver

Interaction
In order to appreciate the craftsmanship of the items displayed in the shop, the
customers must have the possibility to closely observe, touch or hear them. MBQ needs
to provide the same level of involvement for its clients and become a sensorial
experience for the people who decide to cross its threshold.

Functionality
The space must ensure a pleasant experience for customers and enable the MBQ team
to properly tend to their needs. The proposals must pay attention on how to create a
feeling of intimacy and direct contact with the items, whilst providing sufficient space and
avoiding obstructions in the customers path.

Functionality requirements
The MBQ space will host a suit of activities, in what should be a flexible and attractive
concept. Two main aspects need to be taken into consideration:
 1. Product presentation and sales
• The space is dedicated to the culture of Roma and Romanian craftmanship and
design. This purpose has to be underlined also through the objects that will be used
in the new design.
• All objects used in the new design must be original.
• The furniture used for exhibiting the products has to highlight the following types of
objects and concur to a percentage of the total display space of the shop
• Jewelry and small accessories (40% of the space)
• Home décor objects and kitchen items (40% of the space)
• Clothing, bags and fashion accessories (20% of the space)
• Multiple collections of items of various dimensions will be hosted within the shop.
• Some flexibility in terms of rearranging the layout of the shop is required to
adequately put them on display.
• Images of the types of items we are working with are provided in the Annex.
• The store window should be included in your designs as long as the modifications
occur inside our space.
• There are no restrictions regarding the ceiling. It can be disposed of, remodeled or
included in the new design as is. The same applies for the furniture already existent
in the store; it can be integrated in the new design or disposed of.

2. Social interaction (meetings and coffee discussions)

• Within the shop we will host a dedicated area for meetings/drinks/discussions with the
possibility of seating (high tables and bar stools are also accepted) for 10 persons.
This will be an area where our visitors can enjoy coffee specialties, with an espresso
machine, tables and chairs.
• The table needs to accommodate a 15-inch laptop and have space for drinks /
permit a client-supplier meeting / be rearranged for possible workshops or to
display items from collections we are hosting without wasting space.
• The chairs need to have a system to occupy less space when they are not
being used: can be folded, stacked, put under the tables etc. If tables and
chairs can be rearranged for a working place or event, it will be an advantage.
• Specifications for the bar, espresso machine and other objects are provided in
the Annex.
• The feeling of the space should remain that of a Shop and not a Café.

Important mentions
• The space reserved for Product presentation and sales should account for 80% of
the total space. The remaining 20% should be included in the Social interaction area.
• The proposed design works should not involve obtaining a building permit.
• The walls are plastered with drywall and can’t bear too much weight.
• The building is not a historical monument, but it is located in a protected area.

Budget

• The proposals should be based on the fixed gross budget of EUR 10.000
 • The budget includes the execution of the proposed design and the cost for materials
and the furniture and decoration.
• It does not include the coffee machines, computers and other consumer goods.

Evaluation of proposed solutions

The proposals will be evaluated on:

• The consistency and attractiveness of the overall concept – 3 points
• Integration of the 3 main themes mentioned in the “Competition theme” is
required
• Originality, clarity and unity of the proposal – 5 points
• The overall architectural discourse and message of the proposal should be
intelligible for visitors and congruent with the MBQ mission
• Sustainability, efficiency and feasibility of the proposal – 2 points
• The proposal should abide to the functional flexibility criteria mentioned in the
“Functional requirements” section

Rules and regulations

Overview
• The organizer and promoter of the competition is Meștesukar ButiQ (MBQ) with the
support of its sponsors and partners: BCR, KANE, Fosta Fabrică, Architecture Annual
2018 of the Romanian Order of Architects, Bucharest branch.

• The operational activities will be provided by Meștesukar ButiQ (MBQ).

• The competition consists in a private procedure that will assign the contract for the
design and implementation of the new MBQ space. The competition takes place on
the organizer’s website: http://mbq.ro/newdesignstory/ The webpage is the
platform that will host relevant materials, as well as the results of the competition.
The webpage will also have a section with answers to the inquiries.

• The current document is complemented by the existing shop plans available at this
link: http://mbq.ro/newdesignstory

Calendar

Competition launch October 1st

Inquiries from interested parties October 1st – October 15th
Clarifications and responses from the organizer October 15th – October 22th
Q&A meeting on-site with the beneficiary October 11th
Enrollment and proposal submission October 30th – November 9th
Public vote November 11th –November 17th
Jury meeting & deliberation November 19th – November 22nd
Winner announcement November 23th
Appeals November 24th – November 27th
Resolution of appeals November 27th – November 29th
Projects exhibition December 3th - December 7th
Inauguration of the space February 2019
Jury
The jury is composed of 5 members. Its role is to evaluate the proposals submitted and
determine a hierarchy.

Members:
• Arch. Emil Ivănescu – President OAR București
• Arch. Eliza Yokina – Co-founder SYAA & Senior Partner Cumulus
• Nadja Zerunian – Co-founder NZ & Designer at MBQ
• Nicoleta Deliu - Head of Corporate Communication and Community Affairs
BCR
• Mindaugas Valuckas – CEO HANNER, developer of Fosta Fabrică

Substitute member: Khalid Inayeh, architect and Meșteshukar ButiQ co-founder.

The operational activities

• The operational activities will be provided by Meștesukar ButiQ (MBQ)

• The competition takes place on the organizer’s website:
http://mbq.ro/newdesignstory/
• The webpage is the platform that will host relevant materials, the gallery of projects
submitted, as well as the results of the competition (the Report of the Jury). The
webpage will also have a section with answers to most common inquiries, if
necessary.
• The competition will be promoted through the OAR Bucuresti newsletter, social
media channels, publications, websites and specialized blogs.

Prizes
A total of three prizes are offered:

First Prize: EUR 3.000

Second prize: EUR 1.200

Third Prize: EUR 800

Special Prizes
The Jury has the liberty to nominate honorary mentions for possible special visions.

The prizes are expressed in gross amount and their payment will be made in accordance
to the provisions of the Tax Code in force, in maximum 30 days from the competition’s
completion.

Enrollment and reception of projects

Enrollment in the competition is free of charge. The projects are received between
October 30th – November 9th by using the form on the website page of the competition by
completing the required fields: name, contest title and e-mail address and uploading your
proposal.
The deadline for submitting the projects is November 9th ,10 PM. It is recommended to
make early registration in order to avoid unwanted blocked web page.

Communication
• The communication with the competitors will be in writing. All questions can be sent
during the proposed stage of the competition at the e-mail address team@mbq.ro,
between October 1st – October 15th.
• All questions alongside their answers will be made available on the organizer’s
website as a “Questions & Answers” section.

Anonymity
• The projects submitted will be anonymous, according to the architectural
competitions’ rules.
• The proposals, expressed in written or drawn material should not include names or
distinguishing marks that will constitute a violation of the anonymity principle.
• In order to ensure the anonymity of the process, please follow the instructions below:
• Mottoes and titles that are part of the design are allowed.
• No names, property / properties field of .pdf documents the author / computer
name and other such characteristics.
• In the lower right corner of every page of the project please insert a text box that
will contain a unique identification serial. The unique identification serial will
contain a six-sign code consisting in four numbers and two letters create by
yourself. The text box dimensions are 50mm x 15mm (hxl) and the font size is
16mm;
• In the participation form complete the required identification field with your
unique code and send the document archived in a .zip called teamcode.zip via
e-mail at teamcode@mbq.ro The title of the e-mail will be
• The unique serial is a six-sign code that consists in four numbers and two
letters created by yourself in the appropriate field
• The organizers will open all teamcode@mbq.ro mail after the Jury meeting &
deliberation day, on November 23th
• In situations where a project disrespects these principles of anonymity, the respective
project is disqualified.

Proposal submissions
1. Proposal upload
Participants will upload on the http://mbq.ro/newdesignstory/ , an electronic
archive called projectname.zip with the following:

A. Written pieces:
• An essay of maximum 1-page A4,.pdf format, in English, detailing the concept
of the design. The written materials will be formatted as follows: Times New
Roman font, size 12 with bold font for titles and subtitles.
• An estimated budget of maximum 1-page A4, in English. The budget should be
in EUR.

B. Drawings:
A maximum of 2 x A1, pdf format, compositions in landscape layouts that contains:
 Floor plan; scale 1:20
 Longitudinal cross-section proposal; scale 1:20
 Transversal cross-section proposal; scale 1:20
  A minimum of 2 perspectives, maximum 3500x3500 pixels in .jpg, .png, or .tiff
format
 Sketches explaining both the concept, the functional scenario of the space
imagined, the lighting scenario of the shop space and objects, technical depictions
of the proposal, as well as additional 3D perspective of the design. The scale of the
details for furniture and other items is up to each competitor’s choice.

2. Sending the participation form & unique code

The participation form completed will be sent to teamcode@mbq.ro archived in a .zip
called teamcode.zip. Please do not forget to insert the unique identification serial
containing a six-sign code that consists in four numbers and two letters created by
yourself in the appropriate field.

3. Proposal submission & participation form deadline

• Participants will upload their proposals on http://mbq.ro/newdesignstory/ until
November 9th, 00:00 (Bucharest, Romania local time). Once submitted, no
modifications or alterations of the proposals will be allowed.
• The participation form containing the unique code will be sent until the date and
hour mentioned above
• The organizer's recommendation is to upload the proposals prior to the date and
time limit mentioned in order to avoid technical difficulties or other issues caused by
the server’s overloading. The organizer will not take into consideration partially
uploaded or corrupted electronic archives.

Appeals
• Participants have the right to file complaints referring to procedural issues and
compliance with the regulation, within the timeframe specified.
• The jury's assessment cannot be contested.

Eligibility
• The competition is open to young architects, interior architects and designers under
45 year.
• Competitors can be individuals or teams.
• In the case of teams, the submission will be made by one of the team members
using his / her personal or office data — name, surname, telephone, e-mail, and the
team's composition will be made public after the competition will be finalized.
• It is not mandatory to have certain qualifications within the team, it may include
students or professionals from different domains.
• As the winning team will sign a contract with the organizer for implementing the
proposal/solution, based on the budget submitted, the only condition is that the
team has at least one architect who is an OAR member, no matter his/her
geographic affiliation.
• The competition being supported by the Architecture Annual 2018, it must observe
the general condition of the Annual according to which all OAR members must be
on time with his/her fee.

Intellectual property rights

• The use of images and / or texts in the concept and design will be done with due
respect for the copyright of the holders. The organizer will not be responsible for the
participants’ possible attempts to plagiarize, or the use without permission of
projects, images, texts, etc.
• MBQ is the beneficiary of the competition and of the implementation of the winning
proposal. The winning team will assign to the organizer, through a clause in the
 contract of design and implementation, the patrimonial rights to use the projects’
images and other materials for promotional purposes.
• The winning team will still hold the moral rights and authorship of their project and
the organizer will mention their names in promotional materials related to the
project.

Obligations and responsibilities

• The organizer’s responsibilities consist in:
• preparing the different stages of the competition
• communicating and promoting the stages of the competition on different
platforms and to the various stakeholders
• maintaining an uneventful proceeding of the competition
• providing assistance and responses for inquiries that fall within his
attributions
• The winner of the competition will be invited to sign a contract with MBQ for
implementing the solution, based on the estimated budget submitted.
• In the case of a foreign winning team, it should include at least one architect OAR
member who respects the general condition mentioned in the Eligibility chapter
above.
• The unjustified refusal of the winner to sign contract will lead to the "moral"
withdrawal of the prize and will entitle the beneficiary to invite, based on the
hierarchy established by the jury, the runner-up to proceed with the implementation
of their proposal.
• Unjustified refusal of the organizer to sign the contract with the winner will result in a
compensation equal to half the prize.

Final dispositions
• By entering the competition, the participants agree to abide to the requirements set
forth in this document.
• Being promoter and organizer of the competition, MBQ cannot nullify all the results of
the competition, but, in situations of “force majeure”, can annul the ongoing and future
execution stages.