This is the judging and general administrative website page for the ArCHdes™ design awards program.

1.  INITIAL DEFAULT STATUS OF ALL ENTRIES:
All entries start as being award winning. There must be something about them that makes them Not worthy to not make a design award, which is opposite of most “competitions.”  ArCHdes™ is Not a competition. It is a recognition of quality designs.  Each entry is awarded on its own merit.  Judging is not to be made on a “curve.”  Each entry stands on its own.

 

2.  TIE VOTES:
In the event of a tie in the judging, the entry receives the ArCHdes™ design award. The program and judging is to always make the award in the event of anything questionable or borderline.

 

3.  SPECIAL CATEGORIES:
Judges may determine to make a special category award, in the event the entry is something that doesn’t quite fit a normal design award category. Better to do that then not make an award.

 

4.  DESIGN QUALITY:
A.  However, the above notwithstanding, the ArCHdes™ program is not here to award mediocrity.  Each project must truly have something about them that distinguishes them from lower end (not in terms of cost, but in terms of design quality) homes and other projects that have a lack of design quality.

B.  STYLE: style is mainly a personal taste issue and it is not the intent of the ArCHdes™ program to award, for instance: flat-roofed white-painted Euro-boxes as the preferred style for awards.  Although those may very well be among the winners for any given year.  Houses that look like houses in the mainstream of the USA, Europe, Africa, India, Russia, or anywhere else are also legitimate “styles.”  An effective design solution may look like a normal house, but may solve its program in creative and highly functional ways that render it to be of high quality in residential architecture.  For instance: an extremely efficient floor plan.  Or an environmentally responsive design.  Or cost effectiveness.  Nothing is off the table.  All styles are welcome.  Then again, a house that looks like an industrial warehouse is an equally considered “style.”  The point being: style really is irrelevant.

C.  BEAUTY: Architectural beauty is in the eyes of the judges.  Every piece of true “architecture” is set apart and above the mediocrity of everyday shelter and is elevated into the realm of visual poetry by the abilities of the Architect.  This may be by understated simplicity or by energetic and elaborate imagery.  Cohesiveness might be one explanation, but then, there’s the deconstructivist imagery of Architects like Gehry.  The style evolved, used, and/or created by each Architect is in his/her hands.  All will be fairly judged on their own merits.

D.  FUNCTIONALITY: every winning project MUST solve the problem.  Each winning project must WORK and be useful for its inhabitants/owners.  Style must not get in the way of how the Owners want to live.

 

5.  TIME:
Judges will have very little time during the actual judging session, so it is recommended that each project receive from 5 to 10 minutes maximum of judging time before making a decision and moving on to the next project. Keep in mind that this is not a “ranking” exercise.  Each projects stands on its own.  It may be wise to have the judges each examine the entries prior to the judging so that the actual judging can be expeditious.

 

6.  SIZE:
No project is too small, or too large. All will be judged for design quality.

 

7.  NUMBER OF ENTRIES FROM EACH ARCHITECT:
Each Architect may submit up to 5 entries in the ArCHdes™ per year.  An interesting question arises: what if more than one Architect from a given ArCHmember firm wishes to make multiple entries?  In other words: what if 3 Architects at XYZdesign want to each enter 5 projects that they each designed, for a total of 15 projects from one company?  The answer:  If the entrant is indicated as the name of each Architect, this will be acceptable.  However, if the entrant is indicated at the firm name, then the firm will be limited to the 5 maximum entries per year.

 

8.  OVERALL PROCEDURE:
At one time, the ArCHdes™ was going to be a very structured point assessment program. However, this proved to be unwieldy.

The current procedure:
A.  All judges enter into a Skype online video conference call.
B. Each judge will have already had copies of the various entries with the links for each entrant’s PDF images.
C.  The senior judge (person longest a member of ArCH) will guide the progress of the judging.
D.  All judges will open the 3D imagery and other images they believe is appropriate for each entry, starting with the first entry, spend approximately 5 to 8 minutes or so discussing the merits of the entry, vote as to YES or NO (to receive an ArCHdes™ award or not), make a note on a list as to what is to receive an award and what projects will not, then proceed to the next entry for judging, until the entire list of entries is judged.  Majority rules as to “go/no go” for each project.  In all cases, borderline voting shall result in an award.
E.  No judge will be deemed as having any more influence on the winners than any other, even if a guest “starchitect” may be involved or not.  Each judge’s opinion is equal to the others and has the same weight as the others in terms of voting.

 

9.  AWARD NOTIFICATION & TRANSMITTAL OF AWARD:
Within a week from the judging date, the senior member of the judging will notify each ArCHdes™ entrant as to the AWARD or NO AWARD on their entries. A link will be included to each entrant as to the JPG or PDF ArCHdes™ electronic award symbol that winners may use on their websites and other materials.

 

10.  CERTIFICATE TRANSMITTAL:
Within 1 month after judging, the firm preparing the ArCHdes™ Award Certificates will issue them to the various winners, as either JPG or PDF, to be used as each winner wishes. Preparer of certificates will notify the senior judge that this has been accomplished.

 

11.  NEW ArCHdes™ WINNERS PAGE ON ArCHwebsite:
After the above items, ArCH will create a new website page, on which the various ArCHdes™ winners will be announced. A small image of each winner will be indicated (assuming that each winner has provided some sort of 3D image or other 2D image of visual quality that reflects the quality of the program).  For those winning entries without 3D or other reasonable 2D quality imagery, a text entry winning notice will be indicated.

 

12.  NEXT YEAR:
After the above has been accomplished, the ArCHdes™ program for the next year will be announced, with a CTA (Call To Action) button on the ArCHwebsite, allowing Architects to pay for the next year ArCHdes™ program in advance.