Design competitions offer best proposals

In the letter titled The Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach (July 28), architect Claude Borg took exception to the comment made by Prof. Richard England when he called for the organisation of a design competition for the development of St George's Square.

In line with its own position paper The Urban Challenge: Our Quality of Life and the Built Environment, and with the Architects' Council of Europe policy document Architecture and Quality of Life, the Kamra tal-Periti wishes to restate its position in favour of design-based competitions for the selection of projects of particular size and importance, particularly those of a public nature, or those utilising public funds or funds from EU sources.

It is the firm belief of the Kamra that design competitions are instrumental in providing the best design proposals for a given urban or architectural undertaking. Design competitions also enhance competition within the profession.

While promoting quality and innovation in the procurement of architectural services, competitions offer an important opportunity to support the emergence of young design talent and contribute to ensure that design quality can be delivered as independently as possible of financial and vested interests.

The Kamra also stresses that a thorough appreciation and understanding of the complex character of urban design problems is best addressed through the employment of skilled resources, with sound architectural and urban design training, which alone provides a comprehensive basis for the understanding of the full range of contextual, artistic, historical and technical requirements concerned, and with the ability to take on the professional responsibility for their design and execution.

The Kamra believes that the public sector has a special responsibility to society, more so when making use of public funds for public benefit.

The government is in a unique position to champion the transformation of Malta's urban environment by consistently leading by example in terms of quality of design and a quality-based approach to the procurement and execution of urban and architectural design services.