Architectural competitions

To assist the profession and clients who are considering a competition the Institute has developed Guidelines for the Conduct of Architectural Competitions, available to download here (under Competitions policy).  

The architectural competition process is adaptable. Competitions can generate a wide range of solutions to a variety of design problems. The format, rules and details must be tailored for each competition to accommodate the particular requirements of each project.

A competition is appropriate when the project:

• is of public significance;
• will benefit from a wide degree of design investigation;
• is to be on a significant or unusual site;
• will benefit from the public interest that a competition can generate; and
• where design excellence is a high priority.

A competition is inappropriate when:

• the project is required as a matter of expediency or urgency;
• it is not possible to appoint an appropriate jury;
• the budget is insufficient to cover the total cost of the competition;
• an adequate brief is not available; and/or
• the sponsor is unwilling or unable to ensure that the competition conditions provide for competitors to retain their intellectual property and moral rights in their designs.

Competition objectives

Project competitions

Project competitions lead directly to the construction of a specific project on a specific site. The competition objective is to select the best design and architect for the project who will be commissioned to develop the design and complete the project.

Ideas competitions

Ideas competitions can be held for projects that may or may not be built. They are useful to explore significant design issues or design opportunities for significant sites.

Competition eligibility

Open competitions

Open competitions do not have eligibility criteria that restrict any type or location of architect from entering and are appropriate where:

• all competing architects have an equal opportunity to be selected on the basis of design merit;
• the design objectives can be clearly stated; and
• the project requires the widest exploration of potential solutions.

Limited open or select competitions

Limited (open) competitions limit eligibility to a specific cohort. For example:

• architects residing within a specified area; and
• architects with particular experience.

Limited (select) competitions limit eligibility to a specific cohort but entrants are selected based on select criteria. For example:

• selection may be purely qualification-based; or
• the competition may require an initial, broad conception design response to the brief.

Select competitions

Select competitions limit eligibility to a small group of entrants selected directly by the competition sponsor.

Competition staging

Competitions may be single- or multi-stage competitions depending on the type of project and its complexity.

Single-stage competitions

Single-stage competitions select a winner in one step. Single stage competitions are most suited where only a very broad conceptual solution is sought, or where the brief is highly developed and clearly defined.

Multi-stage competitions

Multi-stage competitions are appropriate for complex projects. They encourage architects to undertake a broad exploration of design concepts in the first stage and allow detailed development of a limited number of designs in the following stages. A multi-stage competition:

• attracts more entries by reducing the amount of work required in the first-stage submission;
• is an excellent process for selecting a limited number of promising concepts that can be further developed in the second stage; and
• provides the opportunity for comments by the client and the jury to be incorporated in second stage development.