Walter Menteth. A synopsis of UK Architectural Competitions Practices and Trends. March 2017. — 2017

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author

Walter Menteth. B.A.(Arch), Dip Arch, RIBA, FRIAS, Director Project Compass CIC and Walter Menteth Architects, and Senior Lecturer Portsmouth School of Architecture, RIBA Presidents Medal for Research 2015. 

 

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FOREWORD 4

THE PUBLIC SECTOR 4

ORGANISATIONS CRITICAL TO ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITIONS DISCOURSE. 11

COMPETITION CULTURE 12

CONCLUSION 15

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY: 17

REFERENCES: 17

 

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This report is a synopsis by Project Compass CIC about UK architectural competitions. It forms part of a comparative evaluation, stocktaking and exploration of competition culture in Europe, commissioned by Architectuur Lokaal on January 17, 2017. This analysis, which includes some recent summary case studies, is being undertaken with a view to researching the opportunities and potential expansion of alternative innovatory European practices, and for furthering their implementation over the period 2017-2020.  

 

In the UK private sector the extent of transparency is determined by the clients. Although they may also hold competitions to achieve best value they tend to do so for shortlisting architects, following pre competition research by a restricted and limited procedure and frequently place greater emphasis on empathies and commercial alignments (negotiating and face to face), and notably do so with processes that maybe faster, less complex and more effective but also less transparent. Apart from anecdotal evidence they lack any form of professional or peer transparency or benchmarking, are generally opaque and fall short of meeting equivalent public contract transparency, accountability and social market values.

 

Despite their apparent efficiency, they lack any form of benchmarking other than anecdotal evidence, they are generally opaque showing little or no professional or peer transparency, accountability and they fall short of meeting equivalent social market values.

 

Notices for commissions for architectural services in most UK public construction above £10k are generally found in public forums, although commissions below threshold values maybe less transparent. 

 

This report however addresses only public and private competitions where information and data is transparent and evident. 

 

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