So recently I’ve been interested in learning more about competitions but I can only find limited information online without actually entering them (which I am definitely not available to do yet haha.) I have a few questions and would greatly appreciate those who have knowledge or experience help me out:
1) Do you have to be licensed to enter? (Can a student enter by themself? Or do they need to be part of a licensed firm or sponsored by an NCARB registered architect?)
2) This obviously has a huge range, but what are typically the entry fees? And are there usually winnings associated with coming in first?
3) If your design is lucky enough to be built, what comes next? I know not every competition actually gets built but what is the common outcomes?
4) What deliverables are required? Is it basically like studio in school where we show pretty plans and renders, or do they often require it to be taken a step farther and show future mechanical plans and structural requirements/calculated supports?
5) Is it worth it? Half the people online say strongly yes, half day no. What do YOU think?
Thank you very much and I hope you all have a wonderful day.
flatroof
Dec 16, 19 10:30 am
1. Depends on the competition. If it is only an ideas competition, no. If it will be built, maybe.
2. From free to whatever. Some do have prize money for 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
3. Don't go into a competition expecting to win, or even that your design will get built. Look at the Guggenheim Helsinki competition.
4. Depends on the competition.
5. To keep your design chops up, yes. Probably not as a way to make a name for yourself.
midlander
Dec 16, 19 10:51 am
there is no easy answer to vague questions about this. your questions are actually too specific to answer without more detail. a few things to consider though:
there are different kinds of competitions, ranging from ideas competitions that have no intent to be buildable, to exploratory competitions that might help a city study potential but are unlikely to be realized as designed, and then literal win-it and it gets built competitions, or at least get the contract for a determined scope of design service.
different types of projects will have different kinds of competitions. prominent civic institutions might have more design-focused competitions that include public review and feedback, plus review by a professional jury. other competitions might be used by institutions or companies for their own development, and they basically pick a favorite scheme sometimes on the whim of a single leader.
the standards vary enormously between countries - some like China and I think Germany have national standards for public competitions, others like the US are totally unregulated.
generally you could group competitions into 3 types: open competitions with no prequalifcations / qualified open competitions / invited competitions. Of these, invited competitions tend to have the most stringent requirements, and would typically be paid. I've participated in invited competitions that do include technical reports from engineering consultants and maybe even landscape architects. Pre-qualified competitions will ask for details about the firm and possibly an interview before selecting the competitors. They can be as stringent as invited competitions, but usually not since they more likely indicate a client without the capability or freedom to select an architect directly. They can be more like an RFP with a design proposal included. Whereas open competitions are all over the place, and possibly not profitable even if you win. nothing worse than 'winning' the opportunity to work for 2 years below cost.
As to whether it's worth it - again it depends on you, your goals for your firm, and the competition. Some high profile competitions are simply a means for firms to gain exposure and recognition, despite the poor likelihood of seeing anything built or getting much money. OTOH invited competitions can be slightly profitable for firms that manage them well - but you've got to have excellent capabilities and a solid portfolio to get those chances. The value of these isn't the small profit though - it's usually a way to develop relationships with a potential or repeat client and show them your strengths.
My advice would be to be wary of participating in any competition where you don't have a clear purpose and don't feel like it could build a useful connection to specific people if you place among the finalists. I suppose if it's free or low-cost to enter and you want to exercise some skills on the side it's no harm. Just realize you're not going to get anything out of it even if you win unless you really are already in the position to do this kind of work well. Jorn Utzon made his name on a competition that kind of impaired his career and certainly caused him a great deal of personal grief. Carlos Ott won his quite young and stayed obscure once everyone figured out how immature his talent actually was.
Archlandia
Dec 16, 19 6:55 pm
This website is a great place to get some insight on how these work. It will answer all of your questions if you select a project and open the brief https://bustler.net/competitions
Hello all,
So recently I’ve been interested in learning more about competitions but I can only find limited information online without actually entering them (which I am definitely not available to do yet haha.) I have a few questions and would greatly appreciate those who have knowledge or experience help me out:
1) Do you have to be licensed to enter? (Can a student enter by themself? Or do they need to be part of a licensed firm or sponsored by an NCARB registered architect?)
2) This obviously has a huge range, but what are typically the entry fees? And are there usually winnings associated with coming in first?
3) If your design is lucky enough to be built, what comes next? I know not every competition actually gets built but what is the common outcomes?
4) What deliverables are required? Is it basically like studio in school where we show pretty plans and renders, or do they often require it to be taken a step farther and show future mechanical plans and structural requirements/calculated supports?
5) Is it worth it? Half the people online say strongly yes, half day no. What do YOU think?
Thank you very much and I hope you all have a wonderful day.
1. Depends on the competition. If it is only an ideas competition, no. If it will be built, maybe.
2. From free to whatever. Some do have prize money for 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
3. Don't go into a competition expecting to win, or even that your design will get built. Look at the Guggenheim Helsinki competition.
4. Depends on the competition.
5. To keep your design chops up, yes. Probably not as a way to make a name for yourself.
there is no easy answer to vague questions about this. your questions are actually too specific to answer without more detail. a few things to consider though:
there are different kinds of competitions, ranging from ideas competitions that have no intent to be buildable, to exploratory competitions that might help a city study potential but are unlikely to be realized as designed, and then literal win-it and it gets built competitions, or at least get the contract for a determined scope of design service.
different types of projects will have different kinds of competitions. prominent civic institutions might have more design-focused competitions that include public review and feedback, plus review by a professional jury. other competitions might be used by institutions or companies for their own development, and they basically pick a favorite scheme sometimes on the whim of a single leader.
the standards vary enormously between countries - some like China and I think Germany have national standards for public competitions, others like the US are totally unregulated.
generally you could group competitions into 3 types: open competitions with no prequalifcations / qualified open competitions / invited competitions. Of these, invited competitions tend to have the most stringent requirements, and would typically be paid. I've participated in invited competitions that do include technical reports from engineering consultants and maybe even landscape architects. Pre-qualified competitions will ask for details about the firm and possibly an interview before selecting the competitors. They can be as stringent as invited competitions, but usually not since they more likely indicate a client without the capability or freedom to select an architect directly. They can be more like an RFP with a design proposal included. Whereas open competitions are all over the place, and possibly not profitable even if you win. nothing worse than 'winning' the opportunity to work for 2 years below cost.
As to whether it's worth it - again it depends on you, your goals for your firm, and the competition. Some high profile competitions are simply a means for firms to gain exposure and recognition, despite the poor likelihood of seeing anything built or getting much money. OTOH invited competitions can be slightly profitable for firms that manage them well - but you've got to have excellent capabilities and a solid portfolio to get those chances. The value of these isn't the small profit though - it's usually a way to develop relationships with a potential or repeat client and show them your strengths.
My advice would be to be wary of participating in any competition where you don't have a clear purpose and don't feel like it could build a useful connection to specific people if you place among the finalists. I suppose if it's free or low-cost to enter and you want to exercise some skills on the side it's no harm. Just realize you're not going to get anything out of it even if you win unless you really are already in the position to do this kind of work well. Jorn Utzon made his name on a competition that kind of impaired his career and certainly caused him a great deal of personal grief. Carlos Ott won his quite young and stayed obscure once everyone figured out how immature his talent actually was.
This website is a great place to get some insight on how these work. It will answer all of your questions if you select a project and open the brief https://bustler.net/competitions