Design by Competition

Too often, design competitions and signature architecture result in costly eyesores that do not work. How can sponsors and clients get more meaningful results? To answer this question, Dr. Nasar, supported by riveting studies of competitions and Peter Eisenman's competition-winning design for the Wexner Center at the Ohio State University, suggests the use of pre-jury evaluation (PJE). He shows the potential value of this approach as well as visual quality programming for many kinds of environmental design for which the client wants to convey certain desirable meaning. The studies, from those specific to the Wexner Center to those covering the scope of history, point to a new method for shaping the visual form of buildings, places and cities. Architects, urban designers and planners, social scientists, clients, government officials and residents will want to read this thought-provoking book. It will give them a new perspective on the designed environment.

This innovative book looks at design competition architecture from a social science, psychological and public policy perspective. It shows the flaws of competition architecture, and high brow architecture in general, for the consumer, and it offers a scientific approach to make design results more meaningful and functional to the public. This book is important for the systematic way in which the author presents and evaluates the methods. While architectural critics speculate about the performance of various buildings, this book also presents solid evidence on the failures of a design competition design heralded as the 'building of the decade', and designed by the world- famous architect Peter Eisenman.