ABSTRACT
The foundations for what is often described as the traditional architectural competition can be traced back to the rules drawn up by the Royal Institute of British Architects Council. This chapter looks at the factors which have impacted the way architects and design teams are selected and appointed, and how they have changed the way competitions are organised in the UK. It describes initiatives to promote a more flexible system, while retaining the safeguards for architects, clients and the public that the more formal structures aim to secure. Everything changed in the 1980s when the Thatcher government, committed to the concept of a market-led economy, started to look at what it regarded as the protective practices of professional institutions. The launch of the National Lottery coincided with the issue of European Union procurement directives which extended jurisdiction from goods to services–including the services of architects and the design team professions.
