Awarding Architectural Commissions

The Az W and the BIG (Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft) are to be playing host to regular public discussions twice a year at the Architekturzentrum Wien. The topics under discussion are to be taken from topical issues in the building and architecture sector that affect both planners and the construction industry and investors. The aim of these evening events is for both the building and the architecture worlds to share their experiences with one another.

Panel discussion with brief contributions

* Hemma Fasch, architect
* Georg Pendl, chairperson of the Bundeskammer der Architekten und Ingenieurkonsulenten
* Hans Lechner, Hans Lechner ZT-GmbH
* Christoph Stadlhuber, business manager of BIG
Moderated by: Dietmar Steiner, director of the Architekturzentrum Wien and Ute Woltron, architecture journalist

The awarding of planning commissions is one of the most sensitive phases in the genesis of every project: a well-organised selection process is decisive for the quality of the project to be realised. But what kind of commissioning process should the organisers be aiming for, to find the right planners for the building project concerned?

The Bundesvergabegesetz only controls the commissioning of architectural work to a limited extent, and the competition guidelines issued by the chamber for architects and civil engineers are not binding. Architecture competitions and, where applicable, the preliminary quailfication process repeatedly cause hefty debate in the property development sector and among architects. The Az W and the BIG want to address the following issues in discussion with a distinguished panel of speakers:

Is it expedient to want to pre-filter the quality of planning with competitions?
Should there always be a competition or is it sometimes expedient to award commissions directly?
Are the organisers bound to adhere to the results of their competition?
What are the pros and cons for the organisers of competitions and the construction industry, as well as for architects, of the increasing trend towards the employment of general planners and financing construction consortia?
What is the position adopted on this topic by Austria’s largest property developer, the BIG?
And what does the chamber of architects have to say to this?

A discussion in cooperation with the BIG (Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft)