Professional Practice- Architectural Competition

Kindly note these are a few key pointers of the study that need to be elaborated on and researched
further by students with examples and cases discussed under each section during the class. Refer to the
Council of Architecture portal and link for detailed general guidelines for Architectural Competitions.
There are several different levels and typologies of competitions but the enlisted guidelines are general
guidelines that might change with the nature and level of competitions.

• Competition part of human history and culture to locate the best possible options
• Create great public interest,
• leads to discovery of new talent
• Discovery of best designs
• The Council of Architecture Competition Guidelines;
• provides code that safeguards interests of promoters/ architects,
• helps clients to make choice of an architect
• Provides client with number of solutions to choose
• Architects prohibited to compete against each other without charging a fee
• in an open architectural competition they are allowed to do so

 Offers opportunity to Architects

• to compete in projects of national importance

• to prove their talent and ability.
• provide opportunity for research/ study of a new building type,
• exploring possibilities of new technical ideas and
• for gaining new experience.

The promoter advantages are

• Competition may cost more than commissioning an architect privately and also takes a little
more time.
• But balanced by numerous choices of Best with a variety of approaches - a wide range of ideas
/concepts
• Selecting a design that fits into his requirements.
• Explores hidden talents among younger Architects and explores the talents of those competing
in architectural challenges, the possibility of having outstanding design.
• Finding the best architect.
Offers opportunity to Architects

• to compete in projects of national importance

• to prove their talent and ability.
• provide an opportunity for research/ study of a new building type, exploring possibilities of new
technical ideas, and for gaining new experience.

ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE

 Participation in all competitions shall be open to:

  Architects -- registered with the COA under the Architects Act, 1972 --on the date of
announcement of competition and thereafter.
 Firms-- in which all the partners shall be registered with the Council of Architecture under the
Architects Act, 1972 on the date of announcement of the competition and thereafter.1
 Students of a Teaching Institution-- recognised by the COA- provided no staff member of
institution is sole Assessor ---
 or in a jury of three or more Assessors, only one Assessor is from the staff of the said institution.
 Promoter/ Assessor/s /their associate, partner/ employee shall not compete/ assist a
competitor / act as architect/ joint architect for competition project.
Registration Procedure

The Council of Architecture recommends 3 parts Procedure:

PART I

• A leaflet/advertisement should include the following information:

• Name of the Promoter
• Purpose and nature of the competition—ideas/ single or 2-stage competition material
competitor would submit.
• The prizes (or honoraria)
• Names of Assessors
• Persons eligible to compete
• Approximate timetable
• Procedure for registration,
• Last date for registration and
• Date by which competition conditions would be made available by the promoter.
PART II

• An intending competitor makes an application for the registration form and completes the
registration form sent by registered post within the time stipulated to the promoter with the
registration fee (if any).
• Registration is complete when the promoter accepts the competitor's eligibility by placing his
name on the competition register and informing him in writing
PART III

• The competition condition is sent to competitors when their eligibility is established and their
name is entered in the competition register.

Type of Competitions

Three types of competitions—

• Project Competition
to find the best solution for the actual building project
to appoint a winner to carry out the commission
• Idea Competition
To get ideas about certain aspects of architectural/ town planning issues.
winner may not be commissioned to carry out the project,
students of architecture may participate when permitted by the promoter
 • Combination of both– Project and idea

CLASSIFICATION OF COMPETITIONS

OPEN COMPETITIONS
Competitions where all Architects are invited to participate- Through announcement by advertisements
in suitable media/ through circulars which may be issued by the promoters. For projects costing less than
Rs. 10,00,000/ may be limited to Architects having office in the State of the project site.
Participants are not paid.

Limited Competition- Competition by Invitation

Competitions are limited to Architects approx. 5 to 8 selected by the promoter on the advice of the
Senior Architect Assessor / Board of Assessors,
Each participant submitting designs shall receive an honorarium.

SPECIAL COMPETITIONS for projects involving

town planning and design problems or use of industrial components or participation of developers.
participation maybe limited to professionals/groups of professionals ------with definite expertise.
Competition announcement to clearly define the field of expertise.

STAGES OF COMPETITION

(I) SINGLE STAGE COMPETITION

In single stage competition
• Competition entries shall be fairly complete drawings plans, sections, elevations, etc. to a
suitable scale sufficient to explain the scheme set out in the competition
• Designs submitted and assessed by the Assessors for award of prizes and appointment of an
architect.
• Such competitions are recommended for small &simple projects.

II) TWO-STAGE COMPETITIONS

STAGE ONE-- the first stage is for soliciting ideas
• competition entries are limited to planning on a broad basis and Drawings to a suitable scale
• sufficient to indicate the intention/idea of the competitor.
• Designs submitted and assessed by the Assessors for selecting a small number of competitors
(between 5 and 10)
• Selected designs were invited to take part in the second stage of the competition, each invited
architect paid a specified sum.
• to maintain anonymity, each competitor informed individually
• whether or not you are invited to participate in the second stage.
• After the end of the first stage Board of Assessors, if necessary / with approval of the Promoter
Clarify points in competition conditions for the benefit of second-stage competitors
STAGE TWO
• Period between Assessor’s award for the first stage and submission of designs for the second
stage not to exceed six months.
• In exceptional circumstances period may be extended.
 • Second-stage competition may be limited to only a part of the subject dealt with in the first
stage.
• Members of the Board of Assessors shall be the same for the first stage / second stage
• Designs submitted for both the first/ second stages shall be exhibited and published only after
the final award of the second stage competition.
• If any design selected for the second stage is published/ exhibited before the final award of the
second stage is declared, it will be disqualified.
• Two-stage competitions are recommended for town planning and large-scale/complex projects.

REGIONAL SPECIAL CATEGORY COMPETITIONS

• This type of competition is intended for small projects of charitable organizations
• in which four to six local firms compete for the appointment as the Architect.
• No premiums are given and
• the winner is appointed to carry out the project.

Appointment of Advisors

I) TECHNICAL ADVISER
Where necessary promoter in consultation with the Assessor/Board of Assessors appoints one / more
technical advisers to assist in the preparation of a brief for the competition project and
to advise the Board of Assessors on competition design entries.
advise limited to his expertise with no voting rights.

II) PROFESSIONAL ADVISER

For two stage competition--Professional Adviser is appointed (an Architect registered with COA ).
- He will not be connected with the Board of Assessors / attend any of its meetings.
Professional Adviser responsible for maintaining the anonymity of each competitor/
On completion of the first stage of the competition
--sealed envelopes containing names of the competitors opened only by the Promoter or Professional
Adviser without disclosing names to anyone
-- Inform each competitor individually whether invited or not for the second stage.
-- All envelopes resealed by a Professional Adviser/Promoter till final award.
--If after the first stage, Assessors wish to clarify/amplify any aspect of the competition project, it shall
be conveyed to competitors only by the Professional Adviser/Promoter.

Conditions for Conducting Architectural Competitions

1. GENERAL CONDITIONS
2. CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION
3. PRIZE MONEY AND HONORARIUM
4. ANONYMITY
5. INSURANCE
6. COPYRIGHT & RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP
7. TERMINATION OF THE COMPETITION
8. COST ESTIMATES
9. COMPETITION TIME TABLE
 10. APPOINTMENT OF ARCHITECT
11. EXHIBITION OF ENTRIES
12. RETURN OF DESIGN DRAWINGS

General Conditions:
Any amount remitted by applicants for 'Conditions of the Competition',--Fully refunded in case of a
decision not to compete /return the "Conditions of the Competition" within four weeks before
submission of design.
Submission of design means -acceptance by competitors of the conditions of competition.
Each design is accompanied by a declaration that the design is a Bonafide work
Drawings prepared under his supervision
Accept the award of the Assessors as final and binding.
In case two / more architects compete - a partnership deed to be created for carrying project in case of
winning the competition.

Prize Money and Honorarium:

Condition for competition must state:
number of prizes and the amount of each prize money.
Prize money is related to the size of the project, the amount of work involved, and expenses incurred for
preparation for competition.
In Ideas competitions where subsequently work is carried out by official bodies-- prize money is
adequate to compensate competitors for ideas Promoter to accept the decision of the Board of
Assessors
Pay prize money within one month of the announcement of results.

Contractual Obligation-
Publication of competition constitutes an offer of a contract by the promoter and submission of design
for competition, the competitor accepts this contract.
The competition conditions /reply to competitor's questions – constitute the legal basis for the contract
legally binding on promoters and competitors.

ANONYMITY
• Anonymity of competitors maintained till final award of Board of Assessors.
• No competitor shall terminate his anonymity till the final award.
• Anonymity of each competitor guaranteed by adopting suitable measures

INSURANCE
• Promoter to insure for damage /loss by fire/floods/any other reason
• Competitor's design drawings submitted in competition when he assumes responsibility for
them and for the duration of his responsibility for loss during transit when drawings returned to
the competitor.
• Amount of insurance stated in competition conditions.

COPYRIGHT & RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP

• Each competitor shall retain the copyright for the competition design.
 • Design awarded first prize only used upon commissioning author of design to render
professional services to carry out the project.
• No other design shall be used wholly/ in part by the promoter.
• Promoter's right on design awarded the first prize/ designs selected-- covers one execution only.
• Competition conditions, may provide for repetitive work and specify terms thereof.
• Each competitor shall retain the right of reproduce of his design

TERMINATION OF THE COMPETITION

Promoter may terminate competition if:
• in opinion of Board of Assessors
• none of competition designs declared as winning entry.
• promoter under advice of Board of Assessors to award second, third and additional prizes as
declared
• none of competitors will be considered for appointment
• as architect for project and promoter not liable to make any further payments to any of
competitors.

COST ESTIMATES
• --Competitors may be required
• to submit a cost estimate of their design
• on an areas/volume basis.
• Cost estimate shall not be a determining factor in the Assessors' decision except where cost
limits are rigidly imposed and stated in competition conditions.

COMPETITION TIME TABLE

Notice of competition shall clearly indicate :
• last date for application for the competition conditions
• last date for submission of the design drawings.
• --Last date for submission of questions.
• --Approximate date when the answers to the questions will be sent to the competitors.
• final date for despatch of entries by the competitors and receipt by promoter.
• --Sufficient time given for transport,
• --particularly for open competitions where competitors will be from all over the country.
• --Interval between date of despatch & date of delivery should be between five and ten days.

APPOINTMENT OF ARCHITECT
• Award of first prize to a design places promoter under obligation to appoint its author– as
architect for the commissioning of the project.
• If the Board of Assessors is satisfied with a valid objection to appointment of the author of the
winning design as an architect
• he may be required to associate with a senior architect/firm of architects of his choice
• whose qualifications shall be approved by the Board of Assessors.
• Failing this, the author of the design is placed next on merit and appointed as architect subject
to similar conditions.
• award of the Board of Assessors shall not be varied for any reasons.
 • --If no instructions are given to the design selected by the Assessor to proceed within twelve
months from the date of award,
• he shall receive payment for his services in connection with the preparation of Competition
drawings of a sum equal to 1.00 percent on the amount of estimated cost.
• First premium shall be deducted from the sum so paid.
• If work subsequently proceeded this sum shall form part of his ultimate fee.

EXHIBITION OF ENTRIES
• -All competition designs
• including those disqualified by Board of Assessors
• exhibited for at least one week
• together with a copy of the signed report of Board of Assessors.
• Exhibition shall be open to public free of charge.
• --Promoter to notify all competitors & announce in media
• days / place of public exhibition of competition.
• --Promoters to submit to COA -a copy of signed report of jury and if requested photographs of
selected designs for possible publication.

RETURN OF DESIGN DRAWINGS

• --All drawings, plans, models etc.
• submitted except those of winning design
• shall be returned by promoter at the end of public exhibition at his own cost.
• Drawings, plans, models of winning design shall be returned to its author
• --on being appointed as Architect for Project or
• after six months from date of announcement of award by Board of Assessors whichever is
early.