COMPETITION CATEGORIES

CATEGORIES OF ARCHITECTURAL
COMPETITIONS

OPEN ARCHITECTURAL
COMPETITIONS

SUBMITTED BY
MOHAMMED FAHAD M

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - I
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST 3
INTRODUCTION

• In the past, a competition was defined as a formal process that

required a professional advisor and a jury.
• Today, it is recognized that there are a wide variety of traditional as
well as non-traditional competitive processes that do not fit this
definition.
• Therefore, the RAIC now recognizes an architectural competition as
a method of obtaining a design solution to a sponsor's.
requirements that relies on a process which is fair and equitable to
all the stakeholders.

TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES OF COMPETITION

• Two categories of competitions fall under this definition:

• Endorsed architectural competition: This competition
includes a professional advisor, abides by a jury’s decision,
is endorsed by the appropriate PROVISIONAL OR
TERRITORIAL associates of architect or the RAIC, and leads
to a commission for the winning architect.
• Non-Endorsed design competition: This competition is
neither endorsed by the RAIC nor by the appropriate
provincial or territorial association of architects.
• It may or may not have a professional advisor or use a jury
for decision-making.
• It may or may not lead to a commission for the winning
architect.
• Related selection process are where architects are chosen
by other criteria and do not include the submission of a
design. Quality-Based Selection (QBS) is always
recommended
COMPETITION METHODS

• Depending on the category, a competition can be run

as OPEN , LIMITED or CLOSED , and INVITED.

Competition Categories Chart

• Find a competition type or competition method in the left

column and its accompanying check mark in one of the
major categories.
• In the case where a competition falls into more than one
category, the difference depends on the competition rules.
A competition may be combined with a related selection
process such as QBS.
WHAT IS
ENDORSED ?

• Endorsed means any competition that has been

approved by the Council of the provincial or territorial
association of architects.

• Competitions for non-building projects and related

selection processes do not require endorsement.

• On the other hand, open and limited competitions for

buildings require endorsement as most provincial
associations of architects prevent their members
from participating in such competitions that have not
been approved by their Councils.

WHAT IS
NON ENDORSED ?

• This competition is not endorsed by the

appropriate provincial or territorial association of
architects.

• It may or may not have a professional advisor or use

a jury for decision-making. It may or may not lead to
a commission for the winning architect.​
Open Architectural
Competition
• All endorsed architectural competitions are for the
design of a building.
• The project can range in size from a small building to
a master plan.
• As well, it can result in the selection of a winning
design and commission to the architect of the
winning design, or the competition may be a means
to award a commission without necessarily selecting
the winning design.

Open Architectural competitions include the following

elements:

• Sponsors engages a professional advisor

• Sponsor engages a qualified jury.
• Sponsor abides by the jury’s decision and engages the
winner.
• Competition may be open or limited and conducted
in one or two stages.
• Sponsor awards the commission.
• Entries to the competition must be anonymous.
• Rules of the competition include clear terms for
disqualification.
• Competition must be endorsed by the appropriate
provincial/territorial association of architects.
Closed Architectural
Competition
Definition of a non-endorsed competition:

• This competition is not endorsed by the appropriate

provincial or territorial association of architects.

• It may or may not have a professional advisor or use a

jury for decision-making. It may or may not lead to a
commission for the winning architect.

Closed Architectural design competitions include the

following elements:

• Sponsor may or may not engage a professional,

advisor, jury and/or technical committee.

• Sponsor may retain final decision. If so, sponsor sets

clear criteria for the decision at the outset and
commits to these criteria throughout the competition
process.

• Competitors receive fair and equal payment

according to the level of work required of them.

• Competition is invited and may be combined with a

related selection process.
Types of Closed
Architectural Competition
1) Building

Site Specific

• A sponsor, such as a government or corporation, may use

an invited competition process to select a building design
and/or an architect. Many of the principles and processes
of an endorsed architectural competition apply to this
situation. The RAIC recommends that the sponsor engage.

• A professional advisor to manage the process in a fair and

equitable manner.

• A technical committee to advise on design submissions to

ensure that their technical and aesthetic aspects align
with competition objectives.

2) Prototype Design

• Sponsors are usually corporations interested in the

prefabrication of various kinds of structures or products.

• Designers may be reluctant to enter unless the prize

winners are appropriately rewarded and their prototypes
adequately protected by copyright or by patent.
2) Idea
(also referred to as “Research/Creation” competitions)

• This type of competition is designed to explore

significant design, technical, or planning issues,
produce new information, and stimulate interest in
untried architectural possibilities.

• The subject for the idea or research must be carefully

chosen as designers may not be interested in entering
a competition that promotes a narrow interest, fails to
benefit the public or the profession, or whose benefits
are limited because they cannot be practically applied.

3) Student

Open only to students enrolled in university or college,

this type of competition is usually sponsored by:

• Institutions of higher learning.

• Organizations promoting research in architecture.
• Companies who are advancing the use of their
products or systems;
• National and provincial/territorial organizations who
wish to support the architectural profession and
encourage design excellence.
4) Product Design

• Sponsors are usually manufacturers interested in the

promotion of particular types or brands of building
materials.

• As with idea competitions, designers may be reluctant

to enter these competitions unless the subjects are of
significant public interest or concern as opposed to the
sponsor’s narrowly defined product.

5) Design-Build Selection Process / Public Private

Partnership (P3)

• The sponsor selects and contracts with one entity, who

may be either a constructor, designer, developer, or
financier.

• The entity assumes responsibility for the design and

construction of the project.

• The contract can include various forms of financing and

can include operations and maintenance.

In general, the resulting designs are not constructed but

are used as a way to explore ideas about architecture and
to advance research within the field.
SOME POSTERS OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN COMPETITIONS