4:30 – 5:30 pm – doors open at 4:00

Design Competitions: Are They Good for Designers?

Presented by Architectural Record and Van Alen Institute

What does the architectural community really think about design competitions?

Across the country, government agencies, cultural institutions, non-profit organizations, and even private developers are turning to design competitions to create bold visions and implementable plans for new buildings and open spaces, and to develop solutions to complex economic, ecological, and social challenges. Competitions can mobilize thousands of talented people across disciplines to creatively tackle pressing challenges. They can also be wasteful, exploitative, and not fully transparent.

How can competitions be used most effectively, what models have proven to be the most innovative, and how will future competitions shape cities and regions across the world? The panel brings together designers, organizers, and government officials to discuss strategies for getting the best outcomes for the built environment, the public interest, and design, drawing on input from more than 1,400 designers who responded to The Architectural Record / Van Alen Institute Design Competition Survey.

Panelists:
David van der Leer, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute
Stephen Cassell, Principal, Architectural Research Office
Jing Liu, Principal, SO-IL

Moderator:
Clifford Pearson, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Architectural Record