As part of our methodological process, we engaged a cohort of architects who had previously contributed to design competitions—both as participants and/or as jurors—for their perspectives on the contemporary competition paradigm. The questions, while not going into specifics, sought to understand the multifaceted dimensions of the design competitions. Read the article ‘Who really wins? — A Critical Look into Design Competitions in India’, authored by Anusha Sridhar, here.
We ask Yogesh Chandrahasan, Founder and Principal Architect of WeBe Design Lab.
How have competitions shaped your practice so far or opened new directions in your work?
Competition has played a significant role in shaping our practice, pushing us to evolve in several key areas. Here’s a breakdown of how they’ve influenced our work:
Expanding the Scope of Work and Portfolio
- New Typologies, Scale and Services: Competitions have provided an opportunity to work on projects with new typologies, scales and Services that are different from our usual “comfort projects.” This has forced us to explore uncharted territory and broaden our expertise.
- Building a Stronger Portfolio: By participating in and winning competitions, we have been able to add prestigious and diverse projects to our portfolio. This gave us to earn the credibility and trust.
Fostering Innovation and Collaboration
- Breaking Free from Constraints: Competitions often provide a space to experiment with groundbreaking design ideas without the usual constraints of client demands and budgets. This freedom has allowed us to push creative boundaries and develop innovative solutions within the given time frame.
- Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Working on competition entries, especially largescale ones, has required us to collaborate with a diverse range of experts, including lighting designers, landscape architects, structural engineers, and information designers. This has been an invaluable learning experience, exposing us to new perspectives and enriching our understanding of the design process.
Driving Professional and Personal Growth
- Learning and Development: Competitions serve as a powerful learning tool, presenting real-world design challenges that require problem-solving, creative thinking, and technical proficiency. This experience has been instrumental in honing our skills and helping us stay current with industry trends.
- Networking and Recognition: Participating in competitions has provided a platform to connect with peers, industry experts, and potential clients. Gaining recognition or receiving feedback from a jury of renowned professionals is a significant career booster that validates our ideas and helps us refine our professional voice.
One of the projects we were commissioned to create was an international design competition. We were not in a great situation after Chennai floods as the construction activity had come to a standstill. We looked for other possibilities and practices to build our portfolio. The typology of the project, the scale, the magnitude of the site, everything was new. This gave us an opportunity to work with other experts of design especially, Lighting, planting, artworks, information design, structure, services, management, legal etc. Working for this competition and the project was one of the best experiences and learning I had so far.
What systemic flaws do you think are limiting the progress of competitions in India?
In our field, opportunities for open invite competitions are scarce. When they do occur, the process for selecting a design firm should be strictly based on design merit, not on subjective or self-serving criteria. A recurring issue is the high rate of failure post-declaration of the winner. Unfortunately, many projects are abandoned after a proposal is submitted, or the winning firm is unfairly denied the project they earned.
Do you think competitions really empower and impact emerging practices in India?
Yes, I strongly believe that it will impact many young practices in India. It’s a great platform which will bring in many creative minds to limelight. It gives internation/national/ regional recognition, a platform to pitch for other typologies and scale, and allows designers to bring their most creative and innovative ideas to life.
If you could change one thing about how competitions are run in India, what would it be?
All competitions should have a well-defined brief that also mentions the project budget if there is an intention to execute the project. This will bring in entries that can also be commissioned for execution.
The competitions should be framed according to COA Guidelines; this should be made a mandate. We should have more open competitions that allow everyone to participate. A two-stage Jury process usually allows more transparency and fairness. The awarded entries should be commissioned to deliver the projects with a minimum fee as per COA norms.
Objective:
The public gets well-designed, functional, contextual and aesthetically pleasing projects. The government gets a transparent process and a guaranteed outcome.
Most importantly, emerging firms get a viable path to securing breakthrough projects, which in turn fosters innovation and growth within the entire industry.
