A competitor?s reflections
reflections about competing in an international architectural competition
In the profession of architects there is an element called architectural competitions,
where several architects compete in submitting the best solution for a certain task. In
this master?s thesis I am studying the competitor?s perspective of an international
architectural competition, while at the same time gaining experiences for my future
career as a landscape architect. The aim of this thesis is to through an introspection of
my own process examine a competitors view of the international architectural
competition and how to approach the difficulties concerning international competitions.
Through that I hope obtain experience about the international competition as part of
the profession of landscape architects and other involved professions. To examine a
competitor?s reflection of an international competition, I entered and competed in
LE:NOTRE Student Competition, a competition for students where the task was to
develop 25 kilometers of complex urban periphery along a chain of natural and artificial
lakes in Bucharest, Romania. My working process contained a five step method of
Research - Conceptual ideas - Inventory - Analysis - Proposal where I went from knowing
nothing at all about the site and the task, to completing a proposal and submitting it in
the competition. The idea of my competition submission called Retain, Restore and
Revive, build upon the intentional purpose of the artificial lakes; to serve as water
supply, irrigation, fishing and primary leisure. Existing values will be retained, vacant
lands and available shores will be restored into green spaces and the entire area will be
revived with a new identity uniting people and attracting tourists. Discussing the
working process and the results, I bring up the difficulties in competing in an
international architectural competition and what experiences I obtained through my
introspection of my participation in a competition. I also discuss creating a competition
submission that is both innovative and unique and at the same time fulfills the aim and
requirements. Furthermore, I discuss the wider perspective of international architectural
competitions, if they contribute in creating high quality architecture or not and if they
may contribute in a global generalization of architecture and less cultural differences in
the long term. Lastly, I mention my own experience and development when completing
this competition and the master?s thesis, how I have found myself as a landscape
architect and the harmony in designing.