Archinect
anchor

Beijing Medical City - Open for Best Architectural Design

BIMC

Beijing Medical City - Open for Best Architectural Design



We are working on the following project:

Beijing China-US Intentional Medical Center (BIMC) is US$ 2B medical city in Beijing, China. It consists of 1000-bed international hospital, an education center, a research center, business center (including hotel, shops, and conference centers), and residence zone (including amenities and parks) on 425-acre land.

We are looking for architects to can help us to create a architectural design, and later conceptual 3-D computer graphical model for presentations and information. We have master plan in mind. We need person/s who is/are skilled in design and computer modeling. It will be on a competition basis.

Please reply with contact number.



Timothy Quek
Managing Director
US Invest Group, Inc.
Palo Alto, CA
+1 925 930 9330

 
Aug 22, 06 12:18 pm
BIMC

You can get more details on the BIMC project by visiting:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=bimc&hl=en

The deadline for competition is Oct 15, 2006.

Aug 22, 06 3:31 pm  · 
 · 
BIMC

Does anyone know any other websites that I can posted my request for Best Architectural Design competition?

This is a very large project and I would like to have more creative people be interested and involved.

Thank you.

Aug 22, 06 5:07 pm  · 
 · 
Reason

BIMC,
The link doesn't really direct you to any where? Do you have detail information about this competition? Is it hold in China or US? Who are qualified to join? Who are the juries? What are the fees involved? The information you gave so far is too vague.
I think if you gave more nformation a lot of people will be interested include myself. Thank you!

Aug 22, 06 5:26 pm  · 
 · 
BIMC

The link directs you to 3 videos on "Google Video". You can also go to "Google Video" and type in "BIMC" in the search key.

Competition is being held in the U.S. Everyone one is invited to participate. There is no fee involved. If you submit some very creative design and we like them, we will large architect firms to work with you to implement your design. You will have your name to the design.

If you want further details, please send an email to design@usinvestgroup.com with your background information. I will response with a detail description and parameters of the project.

Thank you.

Aug 22, 06 7:30 pm  · 
 · 
BIMC

Are there websites where design and architectural firms visit to look for new large scale projects? How do I let interested firms to be aware of this project?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Aug 23, 06 11:53 am  · 
 · 
BIMC

metamechanic, I agreed. Right now, we are at the beginning stage, we want to get the best conceptual design through open competition. Once, we selected the best conceptual design, we will engage some architectural firms to implement the design. Getting the conceptual design from a few architectural firms may not be the optimal process. Not all architectural firms are creative conceptual designers.

Aug 23, 06 8:04 pm  · 
 · 
morfo

This looks very interesting. I would like to be able to work on this project if there are more details available. But for your informtaion, there are some organizations that help to formulate open design competitions, for example www.uia-architectes.org and www.deathbyarch.com
Hope this helps. I guess archinect's website could be another channel for an invited idea competition.

Aug 24, 06 12:20 am  · 
 · 
BIMC

morfo, please me an email at design@usinvestgroup.com or call me, I will give you more information.

Aug 24, 06 12:26 am  · 
 · 
BIMC

I want to emphasize that this is an open competition. Everyone is welcome to participate. Let the best conceptual idea wins. We have some conceptual drawings in www.bimc.cn website. But they are there to give you ideas on what we are thinking about.

Aug 25, 06 10:38 am  · 
 · 
Chili Davis

Is it just me or is that hospital a giant H?

Aug 25, 06 11:04 am  · 
 · 
sameolddoctor

BIMC, let me voice my concerns about your process of going about looking for designs. My thoughts are based on very extensive experience in the China architecture industry and dealing with Chinese clients. I know i should not generalize, but the process you are going through is very similar to the ones many of our horrible clients also employ.

1. You are asking for a huge amount of work and TRUST from prospective designers without giving them anything, except a re-assurance that they will work with 'large architectural firms' later
2. In most cases those 'large architectural firms' will rip off the winning design and kick the individual out of the process. Are you willing to sign an legal note that the winner WILL get to implement the design he/she produces?
3. I think the best way for you to go around this would be to actually invite some firms to produce designs and then go from there.

All in all, you are asking a lot from the competitors without giving them any reassurance or compensation at all. In my opinion, its neither fair nor ethical.

Aug 25, 06 3:16 pm  · 
 · 
BIMC

Sameolddoctor: You are dealing with the U.S. firm, UIG based in CA. We sponsor the project. Your fears are unfounded.

1. Is that what open competition is about? There are many projects design through open competition, like the Vietnam Memorial in DC.

2. I am asking for conceptual design, not fully detailed drawings where they specify the locations of wires, pipes, etc. The conceptual design can be a hand-sketches or computer-generated. A creative designer can do it within a day. Architectural firms who work with us will sign an agreement with the designer. Details of the agreement can be work out. The individual will not be kicked out or I will kick out the architectural firm.

3. I am also looking into "invited competition".

So, if you are interested and will like the challenge, and put your name on one of the whole big projects, this is your opportunity.

Aug 25, 06 4:31 pm  · 
 · 
Reason

I agree with sameolddoctor , also being a Chinese myself I heard a lot of similar stories.
Since a lot of companies are really busy right now in US, I'm not sure how many want to spend huge effort, money and time to do this, which is quite possible not rewarded. I heard some developers use competition as a way to get some good designs for free, then give it to someone else they know to develope it.

You may get some attention if you put the ads in some well known architecture megazine, and even better is invite some good companies to participate and pay them some compensate for their work. These are my two cents.

Aug 25, 06 6:46 pm  · 
 · 
BIMC

Reason, I can assured you that if you are truly creative designer and you come out the design, you will get credit for it. There may be other developers who abuse the system.

We have talked to several very large architectural firms. But I do not think that most creative design can come out of limiting ourselves to several large architectural firms. That's why I am trying the method to see any creative people out there who want to take up this challenge.

For us, we are going to pay the architects anyway. Your compensation will come out of archectural firms' pie. To us, it is no difference whether the design came from a creative individual or an architectural firm.

I know large architectural fimrs will kill for this project. This is the second largest project after Beijing Olympics.

Aug 25, 06 7:25 pm  · 
 · 
Taesung

BIMC, your response and perspective towards open competitions (such as the Vietnam Memorial in DC) are incredulous. Open competitions are structured with a schedule, guidelines, and a jury that give such credibility (jury for the Vietnma Memorial: Harry Weese, Richard Hunt, Garret Eckbo, Costantino Nivola, James Rosati, Grady Clar, Hideo Sasaki, Pietro Belluschi, and Paul Spreiregen).

Open competitions are often considered "idea" or "conceptual" competitions. They DO require a lot of work and are often considered the heart or soul of the design that later ends up to the fruition which has the location of wires, pipes, etc. One such "ideas" competition entered by a famous architect (think Bilbao), cost the firm almost $100,000.

If you are also looking into "invited competitions" then I perhaps you should advertise this then. I feel sorry for any archinecters' that may have already put time into this.

Also, you mention that this project is the second largest after the Beijing Olympics. So this is bigger than even the World Expo in Shanghai for 2010? Even aspects of that were structured through organized competitions.

Anyhow, I can see how UIG is in dire need for ideas with regards to this Medical City. Afterall, the early renderings show a building of a giant H (perhaps in reference to Hospital, or even more ironic, Harvard??? since they are a partner as shown in the videos).

If you are serious about wanting the best designs than UIG needs to establish a structured competition.

Aug 25, 06 11:48 pm  · 
 · 
sameolddoctor

BIMC, i think your intentions might be noble, but as taesung points out, you need to either award the participants some money for their efforts, and/or have a proper jury for this project. Even if you get some ideas the way you are currently going about this, with the lack of proper organization, it might all turn sour real bad. By which i mean, with lack of proper guidelines, most of the 'large' firms will be very quick to dilute the essense of the design and turn it into a value-engineered piece of corporate architecture. China is full of such competitions and such situations.

We were invited for a similar competition in south china last month and we were amongst a group of 3 firms invited. Each was paid $ 100k and the winner was paid $125k. The clients had prepared proper RFPs and supporting documents for this.

Also if you talk about this project being the largest after the beijing olympics, there needs to be a masterplan? Who designs the masterplan? You mention that you have one in mind, but you will need to lay it out as part of a package.

Anyways the project itself is very intriguing, I will write an email to you requesting for the competition entry package.

Aug 26, 06 1:46 am  · 
 · 
BIMC

Thank you for all your suggestions. I will prepare a formal open competition system and let you know about it.

Aug 26, 06 2:03 am  · 
 · 

Block this user


Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?

Archinect


This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.

  • ×Search in: