The European Platform for Architectural Design Competitions

The ARCH-E project promotes high-quality architectural solutions by advocating for the increased use and accessibility of Architectural Design Competitions (ADCs) in Europe. On the way to a more accessible ADC landscape, research and professional knowledge transfer by the project members map the current status in order to better understand good practices and locate topics with need for action.

Members of the project team, who are experts in the theoretical and practical aspects of ADCs, regularly give insights into national ADC systems. In our upcoming online presentation Célia Faria and Sara Azevedo, who are responsible for the competition services of the Ordem dos Arquitectos and  Diego Zoppi and Tiziana Campus, Consiglio Nazionale Architetti, Pianificatori, Paesaggisti e Conservatori will give insights in the Portuguese and Italian national ADC systems. Zoppi and Campus will especially focus on the study After the Project – What happens after a public works tender?, that was published recently.

They will be available for questions and further exchange of ideas afterwards - we are looking forward to a thriving discussion.

Please join the online presentation following the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89164767468?pwd=Z6mKy9erZqUxjPupwHBoC8Qij2NFLq.1

The presentations will be streamed online, feel welcome to join without further registration.

15 January 2026 | 13:00 – 14:30, CET

Get to know ARCH-E in a nutshell

This short animation gives insights into ARCH-E’s research, its key findings and results, culminating in the ARCH-E White Paper.

Recommendations for Quality-based Procurement Processes by Using Architectural Design Competitions

Based on the ARCH-E research and in-depth expertise of the members of the consortium, the ARCH-E White Paper presents recommendations on improving the ADC system in Europe.

Based on the data collected with the ARCH-E Survey the Architects' Needs Report aims to assess experiences, challenges, and opportunities related to Architectural Design Competitions (ADCs) architects encounter particularly in cross-border contexts. A special focus of the report is on Small and Mid-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and/or female architects and the hurdles they encounter, when participating in ADCs abroad.

The ARCH-E Map on ADCs gives an extensive overview of ADC systems in Europe. Country profiles provide statistical data, information on the regulatory frameworks and on current trends regarding ADC procedures. A second chapter combines recommendations by 46 international experts and a comparative analysis of the examined ADC systems. A collection of good practices in ADC procedures provides examples from 10 countries.

The ARCH-E Network connects professionals in architecture all over Europe and beyond to discuss and analyse ADCs and moreover to form transnational teams and working groups to participate and cooperate in architectural design competitions.

The ARCH-E Glossary brings together 11 country specific perspectives on architectural competition procedures in Europe. A total of 190 terms explains the regional characteristics of this linguistic landscape of competition culture. Because the language mutations are not mere translations, but original descriptions of the local practice in the subject areas, the terms can be compared and examined for similarities and differences in an according function. This compendium currently contains around 1,000 definitions.

This tool lets you evaluate an architectural design competition (ADC) from the perspectives of architects or clients. The evaluation system takes into account the Architects' Council of Europe's 9 rules for ADCs as well as principles the ARCH-E consortium has defined essential for fair and transparent ADC procedures.

The ARCH-E ADC map gives directions to architects and other experts in the field of architecture where to find procurement platforms, information on national regulations, chambers representing architects and other helpful resources supporting to orient in the international architectural design competition (ADC) landscape.