Document

Principles and Draft Regulations for Architecture and Urban Design Competitions

The Editor · Memar 1 · Summer 1998

Fundamental Principles

The following document presents the fundamental principles and a draft set of regulations for organizing architecture and urban design competitions in Iran. It is intended as a framework for professional practice, ensuring fairness, transparency, and quality in the selection of architectural designs.

1. Definition

The purpose of architecture and urban design competitions is to meet society's demand for delegating the power of decision-making and selection to professionals, and broadening the circle of selection by creating competition within the community of professionals and real and legal persons engaged in architectural design, urban design, and related fields, in order to achieve the most suitable designs for the construction of buildings and cities, and to create opportunities and encourage designers to present their designs and attain higher professional standing.

2. Regulations

The arrangements for organizing and conducting a competition, protecting the rights of participants, the method of selection and qualification of jurors, the process of review and judging, and the publication of results must be governed by regulations approved by an overarching professional organization to which professional individuals and institutions are committed.

3. Professional Qualification of Competition Administrators

The planning, administration, and possible additions to competitions must be carried out by a person or persons, or by institutions whose professional qualifications have been recognized and confirmed by one of the professional organizations specified in these regulations.

4. Supervision

Overseeing compliance with the provisions of competition regulations and investigating complaints shall be the responsibility of the professional organization that approved the regulations.

5. Legal Assurance

Meeting society's demand for the construction of buildings and cities through the selection of superior designs is a matter of legal endorsement, requiring that the use of the competition method and observance of its fundamental principles in major projects of the public and private sectors shall be made obligatory, with necessary financial resources allocated in public and government budgets.

6. Promotion and Advocacy

Architecture and urban design competitions, in addition to helping achieve superior designs, can contribute to the cultivation of taste and broadening of perspective among the general public by presenting designs and innovative viewpoints.

7. Ensuring Financial Resources

All costs required for organizing a competition, including prizes for winners, holding exhibitions, and publishing results, must be secured before the competition begins and placed at the disposal of the competition administrator.

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Draft Regulations

Chapter One: Definitions

Article 1. Architecture Competition -- The purpose of architecture and urban design competitions is to meet society's demand for delegating the power of decision-making and selection to professionals, by creating competition within the community of professionals and real and legal persons engaged in architectural design, urban design, and related fields, in order to achieve the most suitable designs for the construction of buildings and cities.

Article 2. Types of Architecture Competitions

Clause 1. Commissioned Competitions -- Organized to select a superior design solution with the intention of implementing that design.
Clause 2. Ideas/Theoretical Competitions -- Those whose purpose is to arrive at superior views and ideas on the design of a particular subject.

Note: These regulations have been prepared primarily for commissioned competitions, but a considerable portion is also applicable to ideas competitions.

Clause 3. Open Competitions -- The entire professional community is invited to participate on a national, international, or regional basis. Any architect holding a university degree or professional practice license may participate. The works of other designers and students are accepted, provided they collaborate with a licensed architect. Open competitions may also include a limited capacity for accepting participants.
Clause 4. Limited Competitions -- From among well-known and experienced architects and designers, a number are invited based on their professional expertise and relevant experience.
Clause 5. Invited Competitions -- Organized through written invitations from the organizer to several architects or architecture firms.
Clause 6. Single-Stage Competitions -- Winners are selected through a single stage of judging.
Clause 7. Two-Stage Competitions -- The first stage involves selecting superior schemes; the second stage requires those individuals or groups to continue competing, with final ranking in the second stage.

Article 3. Organizer -- The organizer of a competition is the individual, organization, or entity -- whether private or governmental -- responsible for holding a competition. A responsible person must be designated as its representative, assuming responsibility for coordination, organization, and execution of the competition's commitments, and ensuring the management and budget allocation.

Article 4. Professional Advisor -- An expert appointed for the purpose of planning and administering the competition, serving as a consultant to the organizer and acting as the principal liaison between the organizer and participants from the beginning to the end of the competition.

Article 5. Participant -- Anyone meeting the conditions specified in the competition program for participation is accepted.

Article 6. Juror -- A qualified person who, based on their knowledge and experience, is appointed by the competition organizer through a formal decree.

Chapter Two: Competition Announcement

Article 7. All architecture competitions must be announced publicly.

Article 8. The competition announcement must contain sufficient and precise information about the competition in the minimum possible wording. The information to be included:

Clause 1. Identity of the competition organizer
Clause 2. Subject, purpose, type of competition, and its stages
Clause 3. Conditions for participation in the competition
Clause 4. Prizes, their number and value
Clause 5. Name of the professional advisor
Clause 6. Names of jury members
Clause 7. Competition schedule
Clause 8. Registration fee amount, if applicable
Clause 9. Address of the competition organizer
Clause 10. Any other information that clarifies the technical and legal implications of the competition

Article 9. The competition announcement must be published in at least two widely circulated newspapers. In addition, other forms of announcement are also permissible.

Article 10. The competition announcement shall be prepared by the professional advisor. Before publication, the professional advisor must submit the announcement for the organizer's approval.

Chapter Three: Competition Program

Article 11. Every architecture competition must have a complete program in the form of a written document.

Article 12. Writing the competition program is among the most important responsibilities of the professional advisor, made possible through close cooperation with the competition organizer.

Article 13. The competition program must be clear, complete, and -- to the extent possible -- concise and expressive for participants.

Article 14. The professional advisor must submit the competition program for the organizer's approval. This approval must be obtained before the competition announcement is published.

Article 15. The main elements of the competition program include:

Clause 1. Description of the subject, purpose, and content
Clause 2. Competition objectives
Clause 3. Evaluation and judging criteria
Clause 4. Information and maps relating to urban and traffic context
Clause 5. Information and maps relating to site dimensions and topography
Clause 6. Climatic characteristics of the site
Clause 7. Spatial and physical program of the competition subject
Clause 8. Competition schedule
Clause 9. Financial program and project limitations, if applicable
Clause 10. Conditions and documents requested for presentation of works
Clause 11. Prizes, obligations, and rights and authorities of the parties
Clause 12. Method of packaging and sending designs, and maintaining anonymity
Clause 13. Special cases noted in the announcement beyond the above
Clause 14. Any other information useful for the competition

Article 16. In two-stage competitions, the program for the second stage must be prepared and distributed after the completion of the first stage and the identification of those advancing.

Article 17. The competition program must be appropriate to the type, scale, and importance of the competition, with complete consistency between program description and expectations.

Article 18. Compliance with all provisions of the competition program is obligatory for the organizer, the professional advisor, jurors, and participants.

Chapter Four: Competition Organizer

Article 19. The competition organizer is the client -- whether an individual, private entity, or governmental body -- responsible for holding the competition. A responsible person must be designated as its representative.

Article 20. The organizer must ensure the management and funding of the competition.

Article 21. Payment of all costs related to organizing the competition -- including the professional advisor's fee, assistants, jurors' fees, prizes, administrative services, announcements, and exhibition costs -- shall be the organizer's responsibility.

Article 22. The organizer bears individual and organizational responsibility for the implementation of all provisions stated in the announcement and program.

Note: Any change to the organizer's representative does not alter the organizer's commitments. In the event of a change, the organizer must immediately designate another representative.

Article 23. The organizer of an architecture competition is obligated to appoint a professional advisor.

Article 24. The selection of the professional advisor is at the discretion of the organizer.

Article 25. The organizer must provide necessary facilities during the competition -- office space, secretarial services, printing and reproduction of documents -- at their expense and at the professional advisor's disposal, including a suitable space for the jury's work.

Article 26. The competition announcement, program, judging results, and similar documents must receive the organizer's written review and approval before publication.

Chapter Five: Professional Advisor

Article 27. The professional advisor, as the consultant for organization and execution of the competition, bears the highest-level responsibility for achieving desirable results.

Clause 1. Coordination and cooperation with the client toward clarifying needs, objectives, and project content
Clause 2. Review and recommendation of the appropriate type of competition
Clause 3. Planning, organizing, and managing the competition
Clause 4. Preparation of necessary documents including announcements, program, and reports
Clause 5. Recommending and participating in the selection of jury members
Clause 6. Administering the competition so that all participants equally benefit from fair and reasonable treatment

Article 28. All costs of organizing the competition are the organizer's responsibility.

Article 29. The professional advisor must hold an architecture practice license with at least 5 years of professional experience.

Note: If the competition concerns an urban design project, the advisor must hold either an urban planning license with at least 5 years of experience, or an architecture license with at least 5 years of urban design experience.

Article 30. The professional advisor may appoint assistants from within or outside the organizing entity.

Article 31. The professional advisor undertakes responsibilities through an agreement with the organizer. All legal matters and mutual obligations shall be stated in this agreement.

Article 32. The professional advisor and assistants may not serve as jury members of the same competition.

Article 33. The professional advisor may not participate as a competitor in the same competition.

Chapter Six: Conditions and Procedure for Participation

Article 34. Conditions and procedure for participation depend on the type of competition. In any case, conditions, participation method, and registration process must be clearly stated in the announcement.

Article 35. The competition must not require a registration fee as a deterrent, and the organizer must not consider it compensation for competition costs.

Article 36. Compliance with the schedule and care in completing the registration form are the primary conditions for acceptance.

Article 37. Planning and proper execution of registration is among the professional advisor's responsibilities. A clear registration form must be prepared, obtaining at minimum:

Clause 1. Identity of the candidate (name, address, telephone, etc.)
Clause 2. Name of the firm and team leader, if a consulting entity is applying
Clause 3. Educational degree, date and place of graduation
Clause 4. Names of collaborators, especially the team leader
Clause 5. Professional record meeting the program's requirements
Clause 6. For limited competitions, information establishing eligibility
Clause 7. Declaration of commitment to the competition program and conditions

Article 38. The registration form must be prepared in four copies: one for the professional advisor, one for the organizer's archive, and two returned to the participant -- one as a receipt, one enclosed in a sealed envelope attached to the submitted design.

Article 39. The competition secretariat is the venue for all administrative matters, from receiving documents to registering candidates.

Chapter Seven: Presentation of Designs

Article 40. Required documents for presenting designs depend on the type and conditions of each competition. They generally include:

Clause 1. Site plan
Clause 2. Floor plans and sections
Clause 3. Main elevations
Clause 4. Principal cross-sections
Clause 5. Introduction of certain details
Clause 6. Functional and descriptive diagrams
Clause 7. Descriptive notes
Clause 8. Supplementary documents (three-dimensional drawings, models, etc.)

Article 41. All submitted documents must conform to the requirements of the competition program.

Article 42. Maintaining the anonymity of design authors until the end of judging is mandatory.

Article 43. Documents outside the framework specified in the program shall cause the relevant designs to be excluded.

Article 44. If submitted documents exceed the requested amount, the professional advisor may, at their discretion and with jury consent, reduce the count to the required minimum.

Chapter Eight: The Jury

Article 45. Jury members are selected by the organizer in consultation with the professional advisor.

Article 46. Jury members must be selected before the competition announcement is published.

Article 47. Each jury member is appointed through separate decrees issued by the organizer.

Article 48. Each jury member must give written consent to the competition program and conditions before the announcement is published.

Article 49. Introducing qualified candidates, obtaining the organizer's agreement, explaining the competition subject and process, obtaining written consent, and following up on the issuance of jury decrees are among the professional advisor's responsibilities.

Article 50. The professional advisor may not serve as a jury member but may attend jury sessions without voting rights.

Article 51. Jury members must be protected from interference. Payment of jurors' fees is the organizer's responsibility, determined by agreement of the parties.

Article 52. Jury members may not be among the competition participants.

Article 53. First-degree relatives of jurors may not participate. Jurors must not be from among firms competing in that competition.

Article 54. Jury members must maintain the anonymity of design authors and refrain from speculation about the creators.

Article 55. Jury members must not contact participants during any stage, except within the framework provided in the program.

Article 56. The number of jury members must be odd -- a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 11.

Article 57. Coordination among jury members and the relevance of their expertise to the competition subject must be considered during the selection process.

Article 58. In competitions requiring specialist advisors, such persons may be appointed as consulting members -- attending sessions and providing consultation, but without voting rights.

Chapter Nine: Judging Procedure

Article 59. The jury must first review all eligible designs. The professional advisor delivers an oral report to the jury.

Article 60. Designs are reviewed in the first round based on program criteria, and those meeting the conditions are recognized as qualified.

Article 61. The professional advisor and assistants attend jury sessions and may be consulted, but do not hold voting rights.

Article 62. Attendance of all jury members at judging sessions is mandatory. In the event of a tie due to even attendance, the jury chairperson's vote shall be decisive. Quorum: 3 of 5, 4 of 7, 5 of 9, or 6 of 11 members.

Article 63. The jury chairperson is responsible for directing the judging process, preparing the final report, and serving as liaison between the jury and the professional advisor.

Article 64. Awareness of and adherence to the competition program in all stages of judging is essential.

Article 65. The jurors select the first-place design and rank others. Only one first place must be selected.

Note: In rare cases where no design meets the program's fundamental objectives, the jury may choose not to award a first prize.

Article 66. In two-stage competitions, the jury first selects finalists from the first stage, the organizer invites them to continue, and the jury provides a report on its reasoning and may offer guidelines for the second stage.

Article 67. After final judging, the jury must present a written report including the reasons for their decisions.

Article 68. The jury's verdict is final and not subject to objection or change.

Article 69. Identification envelopes are opened after judging in the presence of the organizer, professional advisor, and jury members.

Chapter Ten: Prizes and Privileges

Article 70. The responsibility for awarding prizes rests with the organizer under any circumstances.

Article 71. The number and value of prizes must be appropriate to the type, importance, scope, and timeline of the competition.

Article 72. The organizer may only enter into an engineering services contract with the first-place winner. If the winner lacks implementation capacity, they may introduce a consulting firm to collaborate.

Article 73. The organizer must conclude the contract within one year of announcing results. Otherwise, an amount equal to the first-place prize must be paid to the winner in addition to the prize already awarded.

Article 74. In two-stage competitions, each participant advancing to the second stage must receive a stipend commensurate with the second-stage program.

Article 75. Prize recipients must receive their prizes within 2 months of the official announcement. The first-place prize shall not be deducted from the engineering services contract fee.

Article 76. If a winning design is found to be a copy of another's work, all rights and prizes shall be revoked and the individuals must return received prizes.

Chapter Eleven: Publication of Results

Article 77. Results must be published in at least two widely circulated newspapers according to the announced schedule, in addition to written notification to winners.

Article 78. The organizer shall hold an exhibition of participants' works in a suitable venue. Exhibition organization is the professional advisor's responsibility.

Article 79. The organizer may also hold lectures, seminars, or roundtables with winners and the public.

Article 80. The organizer may publicize the competition through radio and television programs.

Article 81. The organizer has the right to print, publish, and exhibit participants' works without limitation, provided authors' names are credited.

Article 82. Without the written consent of each author, the organizer has no right to use designs for construction of the competition project or any other project.

Chapter Twelve: Conclusion, Return of Works, and Consequences

Article 83. Following the judging stage and publication of results, the competition is concluded.

Article 84. Winning designs are not returned and remain in the possession of the organizer.

Article 85. The professional advisor arranges the return of other designs. Unclaimed designs within the specified period shall be destroyed.

Article 86. Participants with objections may submit substantiated views within one week of publication. The professional advisor, after consulting with the organizer and jury chairperson, must respond within one month.

Article 87. The organizer must send copies of the competition program, questions and answers, jury report, and images of winning designs to the secretariat of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

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Addendum -- With apologies: The following clause of Article 24 is redundant. Article 47: Each juror must confirm their consent to the program and conditions of the competition before the announcement is published, in writing.

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