Information on Architects Law in Switzerland

Architecture competition

The federal government, cantons and communes as well as professional builders often hold architecture competitions for the awarding of their major building contracts.

Characteristics are:

Organiser

  • Professional private builders
  • The federal government, cantons and communes for public buildings

Participants

  • Most architects
  • Public invitation

Evaluation body

  • Jury of experts, who are considered (should be) well known

Objectives

Organiser

  • Planner solution proposals
    • Planning competition
      • Idea competition
      • Project competition
    • Overall performance competition
    • Combination of the above

Architects

  • Ranking as winner
  • Possible follow-up contracts

Procedure

  • Rigid, anonymous procedure (pre-formulated competition terms and conditions)
  • Consistent separation of solution proposals and creators (anonymity, experts do not know the identity of the participants)
  • No rolling solution optimisation
  • No interaction for development and no knowledge of the jury’s rationale

Awarding

  • Prize (for the winner) as part of a ranking with secondary possible compensation
  • Entitlement to possible follow-up contracts for the winner
  • Binding decision of the awarding body

Architecture competitions (AW) are disputed. Advantages and disadvantages are known. The architecture competition (AW) as a “promotional contest of architectural work” is a thing of the past.