They say that Architectural Competitions are avenues for companies, institutions and investors to get

cheap designs. As a student and an aspiring architect, given this scenario, will you still join such
architectural competitions in the future? Why?

Within so doing these competitions are a chance to experiment with new tools and new concepts in
design, they are a way to build your portfolio, and in a very real way learn from your mistakes. It is a way
of challenging oneself as an architect. Competitions can provide an opportunity to explore new design
ideas and push boundaries beyond the constraints of a typical project. I would take it also as a chance to
practice more the architectural creativity that could lead to an amazing opportunity to be recognized by
not only the architecture community, but also by potential future clients. Not only that, participating in
competitions is also a way to engage and learn from architecture community therefore can provide
innovative impulses and initiate a learning process. However, I do understand that this is a type of an
open competition is a project. A project you are going to work on for free. Whether you like it or not,
architecture is a business and businesses are in the business of making money, not working for free and
only shall be rewarded unless you win the said competition.

As for those who avenues who host these competitions, they want to see creative ideas and innovative
designs. As architectural firms are given a set of practical and somewhat repetitive set of works,
architectural design competitions grant the ability to create something imaginative and inventive into
something realistic. However, to do so they must be given the venue to design something more artistic
and maybe unconventional. The reason for this is that the entire concept of these design competitions,
undeniably, provides new and exciting design problems that participating designers would need to
endeavor out of their comfort zones to attain solutions to. To join an architectural design competition
allows students and aspiring architects to be given that chances to a more confident and successful
future.

Competing in contests is a great way for architects and aspiring architects to get
experience, build their portfolios, and learn from both their successes and failures.
Participating in these kinds of events is a great way to push your own creative
boundaries and think outside the box when it comes to design. As an additional benefit,
this could be helpful to put set creative architectural skills to use, which might open up
tremendous doors for the future in the eyes of both the profession and future clients. In
addition, entering competitions is a great method to network with others in the field of
architecture, which may spark creative ideas and lead to new insights. But nonetheless,
I am aware that this is a contest of a sort. Something you're going to do for no
compensation at all. Architecture is a business, whether you like it or not, and
businesses are in the business of making money. Businesses don't work for free, and
you won't get paid unless you win the competition.
It bears repeating that participation in such contests typically necessitates nonprofits
effort, which may be at odds with the profession's emphasis on making a profit.
Nonetheless, hosts often look for out-of-the-box approaches to design, which gives
architects a chance to test out concepts that might not work in real-world contexts.
Architects and aspiring architects can improve their skills and raise their prospects of
future success by taking part in these competitions.

References
Sharley, H. (2019, August 5). Architecture competitions: The pros and cons.

https://www.hamessharley.com.au/knowledge/architecture-competitions-the-

pros-and-cons

Design competition benefits - OAR. (2022, September 19). OAR.

https://oar.archi/en/competitions/competition-benefits/

O’Donnell, K. (2022, January 23). The Pros and Cons of Design Competitions.

Metabuild. https://www.metabuild.io/en/the-pros-and-cons-of-design-

competitions/

It is a way of challenging oneself as an architect. Competitions can provide an opportunity to explore

new design ideas and push boundaries beyond the constraints of a typical project. Additionally,
participating in competitions is my way to engage and learn from architecture community.
"There are several aspects to why we as an office invest our energy in competitions. They create a
certain visibility and charisma. But the most important argument: competitions provide innovative
impulses and initiate a learning process."

“I participate in competitions partly to develop my skills in designing narrative spaces and to hone my
craft in representation. Prompts I am drawn to exist outside of the reality of a traditional brief for a built
project as they stimulate creative impetus in a way that is difficult to source outside of academia or
intentional collectives."

"You are given the chance to challenge yourself to the maximum, to refine and sharpen your skills, from
the birth of the idea to the most expressive and honest way of transmitting it."

However, I do understand that this is a type of an open competition is a project. A project you are going to work on for
free. Whether you like it or not, architecture is a business and businesses are in the business of making money, not working
for free and only shall be rewarded unless you win the said competition.