ARCH-E Newsletter May 2025

Based on the collected data from the ARCH-E survey Eva M. Álvarez Isidro and Carlos J. Gómez Alfonso, UPV - Universitat Politècnica de València, and their team analysed the potentials, risks and hurdles architects in Europe are encounterng when participating in cross-border architectural design competitions (ADCs). The resulting Architects’ Needs Report further deepens ARCH-E’s research efforts. The report assess experiences, challenges, and opportunities related to ADCs. A special focus of the report is on Small and Mid-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and/or female architects. As these hurdles are closely linked to country-specific ADC systems, the report analyses the data both on an European level as well as on a national level when disaggregated data is available.

The report is embedded in ARCH-E’s efforts to foster a more accessible European competition culture and informs the project’s future activities with its insights.

Authors | Dr. Eva M. Álvarez Isidro, Dr. Carlos J. Gómez Alfonso | researchers: Diego Martín de Torres, Laura Iglesias Barras | UPV - Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain

Contributors | Country specific information, expertise and support in implementing the survey was contributed by all consortium members of ARCH-E

The ARCH-E Map on ADCs is available online in seven languages

ARCH-E workshops and talks about ADCs in Europe

Throughout Europe the ARCH-E consortium presents the project's results in workshops and talks. 

The national events aim to present the ARCH-E results to architects to promote the ADCs to contracting authorities and to engage them in the discussion on ADCs. The partners are presenting the results of the project, and recommendations are made regarding the internationalisation of architectural services, the equal treatment of architects, the objectives of the Green Deal, and how they can best be achieved at the European level. In addition, these workshops also aim to formulate guidelines on the additional criteria for the composition of the jury for fair ADCs.

If you cannot make it in person, you can watch some of the talks online! 

      Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in cooperation with The Fundació Mies Van de Rohe, Barcelona, Spain 

On May 16 2025 from 13:00 p.m., the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) will organise its second national event. Liva Dudareva and Eduardo Cassina will present the findings of their research on the architectures of the EUmies Awards built on islands. Later on, Eva Álvarez and Carlos Gómez, architects and researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia will introduce the ARCH-E platform and their conclusions.

In the subsequent discussion, Josep Maria Borrell, director of IMPSÒL, and Eduard Cabré, international advisor to the management of IMHAB, will also participate. Both these two institutions have played a key role in promoting architectural quality through public competitions.

Bundesarchitektenkammer (BAK) in cooperation with WIA Festival, Berlin, Germany

On 19 June 2025 from 14:00 p.m., the Federal Chamber of German Architects BAK's first roadshow will take place at the Berlin Chamber of Architects in Berlin, as part of the Women in Architecture Festival 2025.

The ARCH-E project results will be presented, contextualised and expanded upon by further expert presentations, discussions and networking opportunities. It is possible to participate on-site and online. 

                          Save the date for the upcoming events! 

• Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA), Rundum-sia, Zürich, Switzerland - July 8th 2025
• Bundesarchitektenkammer (BAK), Düsseldorf, Germany - September 1st 2025
• Croatian Chamber of Architects (CCA), in cooperation with the Croatian Architectural Policies event, September 2025.