Now I understand why Bustler was hesitant to post the winners! It was one of the most depressing group of winners that I have seen from a competiton.

i entered this and choked when i saw these, really hilariously craptastic, in a, "wow i just spent a month on a competition that wanted this" kinda way...

This is awesome for bahamas.. Couple of tiki huts and is a winner.....

wow those really stink. is this for real?

complete waste of a competition. this was not architectural in any way, but rather, come up with an overly gaudy hotel that could barely pass for a house.

This is almost as entertaining as the results of the Thyssenkrupp Elevator competition.

I assume this means they were not anonymous submissions, considering 4 of the 6 winners were from Florida. What a scandal.

it was anonymous...i entered and the boards could not have any identifying info, anyways....as i mentioned in previous post....

Basically anti-design, pretty much couldn't be worse.

Wow!!! Some really smooth and subtle piece of conceptual Archicrapture indeed... So advanced, that for us the mere mortals, it is almost hard to understand... Maybe one day the world will learn more from the Bahamas architectural digest.... Seriously, what an absolute EMBARRASSMENT!!!!!!

I like the projects!!!

I think I saw this nice winner project somewhere, was it in a sketchup download area ? or was it a archicad tutorial....?,

LOL! I posted some renderings of my entry for this competition on Archinect. I suggest that everyone else should upload their entries into the unbuilt section and let everyone see what else was entered in this competition versus the winners.

I guess it comes down to what the clients wanted. They should have named this "design" challenge "The New Urbanist Design Challenge". I have to say that the second place winner is better than the other two entries.

http://www.archinect.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=search&type=full&search=Bahamas+Design+Challenge+Entry

21Ronin, your design is really cool. The international style began in the 1920's and is pretty much the standard of "modern" architecture. Really cool renderings! Your design is remarkably similar to LeCorbusier's Villa Savoie seen here:



Do can you post some floor plans? I will post my design too!

Hey I googled the winner's name and this guy is some kind of artist. He does some really cool furniture. I agree with Arches that ronin's work looks just like corbu's. still kinda cool tho. go google troymoses panton and he has a linkedin profile with a lot of his work, even some cool college stuff. Jamaica mon!

Masterbuilder,

What are you talking about? His furniture is absolutely horrible. And the college work looks like it came directly out of a high-school art class. Sorry, I don't agree. Looks like the majority of participants in this competitions were robbed. I'm so glad I decided not to enter. What a scandal.

just posted my entry as well over at archinect, not sure how long in between posting, to it showing up, but there for the viewing...

"WOW! NASSAU, BAHAMAS HOUSE COMPETITION"
I hope the design really LOVED by the Client.

Listen up guys, I respect all your comments and opinions. Now I think we've learned something about this CONTROVERSIAL competition. Obviously we as an experienced international design competitors should let this thing go, it's over that's the TASTE???? of the judges or there might something gone anomalies we dont' know, though it's my first time to see WINNERS like this in an international competition is obviously VOMITTING!!!!!!!!! sorry by bad..

But if there is really gone wrong somewhere, we'll it's not us who act as a MONSTER (shame on you!!!!!), we are the victims of sleepless nights, sacrifices, just to contribute our ideas to this unforgettable WASTE of time effort.

What if 1 or 2 of our / non winner entry suddenly built somewhere by one of the judges I hope not my design!!!!!!!

Since we are all critics here

I am just an observer, your negativity is not supported with your own work. So far the most angry dude's work is nothing new and as arches posted, u imitated a Corbu design. Adams work has potential but it does not look livable. You guys need to get to reality because your designs so far don't show that you understood what the client wanted. It is possible that you all did not win because your designs are so similar and typical of a design competition.

Whoa... With all due respect to the winning colleagues, but by looking at the outcome, I have to wonder if an international architectural competition was the right thing to do. Everybody would have probably been far better of, if the owners had invited a handful of offices which represent their taste. Money can't be the problem, eh? No waste of time for all the others...

Damn...
when i started with this competition i was a little bit afraid of the clients wishes...sounded like mtv cribs to me. But i kept working on because the site was so nice. And now...this disneyland crap.
But Eric...the problem with this competition is that there were a lot of restrictions (e.g. maximun height, topography, heat, green architecture,etc.) and the winning entries doesnt care about them. i am not even sure if they planned on the original site. i think this is most frustrating, because you spent so many time to match these special restrictions and wishes and then you have to realize you could have done whatever you want.

It isn't appropriate to hold a design competition for a single family residence. There are too many reasons to list.

If you look at my design, its not imitating Corbu. Eric S, f you look at the design, the long rectangular shape is a slot in a stucco facade, with wood, bifolding doors behind it. Specifically, if you look at the guest room renderings for the guest apartments, you can see this does not seek to be like Villa Savoie. These doors open the entire guest apartment to the view. There is no steel used and in the Bahamas, it actually makes sense to elevate the building off the ground. The pilotis concept has nothing to do with why this building is raised off the ground. If you look at the floor plans, there are indoor/outdoor spaces, only enclosed by screens, placed below (an activity room and a home gym) the building for shade and natural ventilation. I don't think I am "the most angry due" here either. If you think that I am unaware that modern architecture is utilized all over the world and has been for decades, you will realize that my design is not looking to be radical. It is understated, emphasizes the view and groups the most important spaces by the beach. It's site specific and I interpreted the design criteria to come up with something that I do not think is typical for a design competition.

Eric S, where is your entry? Put your money where your mouth is.

do we still need competitions and architects for architecture like that?
what a waste.....

Ronin - arches posted that picture and I simply agreed with him.

For you to say that your design is nothing like Corbu's is like saying a rectangle is nothing like a square. Smooth your feathers out because they got a little ruffled and I didn't mean to offend.

I learned of the project late and have no images to show you but I was just eager to see who the winners were. So far, that 1st place winner deserves it because he did a "mediterranean-ish" design which the client program alluded to. I am not going crazy over the design but so far I haven't seen any other posts that are impressive enough to be 1st place winner. Hey, maybe next time.

eric s. the winner is not "mediterranean-ish", it is McMansion-ish, a mediocre pile of pastiche -- extremely poor design that doesn't deserve to win anything. I agree with one of the comments above: they really should not have had a competition with architects at all, but just gone out and picked a banal schlock-y designer like this in the first place -- they're a dime a dozen (probably 80% pf "architecture")...

Eric S. You said, "So far the most angry dude's work is nothing new and as arches posted, u imitated a Corbu design." But I imitated nothing. If you think the proportions of the facade resemble Villa Savoie, that's one thing, thats a good observation. You said that I imitated Corbu. And it is nothing new, its an interpretation of modern.

As an observer, you could have observed that there were no windows in that slot. It was a frame for terraces. Or maybe you could have observed that there were no emphasized columns underneath the building or within that slot. I can take criticism, but the criticism needs to be valid and well-supported or I will show you how you are wrong.

<img >

Ronin, let your design speak for itself.

while i am glad i did the competition, and kinda felt some of the results coming, based on bizarre Q&A postings, i agree with an earlier post, to have a competition to come up with a regurgitated style magazine house is pointless. in the end i would be curious to see all the entries, to see the actual range of entries beyond the 3 chosen. that 3rd one still kills me.

Just because there is a long, extended rectangle doesn't mean that this design imitates Corbu. The work does stand for itself, but this is a discussion and for some reason, you are concentrating on my design. it will stand strong in my portfolio.

Ronin, I see what you're saying. Yours is the focus because it is the only one up whose designer is present. I agree with Adam nyc that you all should post your designs to see the range of work. As Arches posted, that type of architecture was first inspired by Corbu. DeStijl was the escape from Bauhaus. What will be the escape from DeStijl? Or will we be tied in a loop like the renaissance of baroque, roccoco & romanesque with no escape?

Either we r from another planet or these winners,....this is so depressing i thought it would very different

To Eric S, it is good for you to comment (this is what we are here for), but I hope that it doesn't discourage people from putting up their work. So I will continue with a few of mine (the 'parallelogram'). As you said, we are all critics so any faults are there to see.
If I can do a little self-criticism it is that I may have taken the idea of 'schematic design' a little to literally. The brief said "The schematic will focus on the essential elements of orientation, view, spatial relationships, circulation, flow, size and volumes of the spaces" ... since it is a 2-stage comp.
New Providence island suffers from occasional power cuts and water shortages so the 'environmental' elements have a very practical use (the roof collects water). The layout (vv summarized) is family spaces on the lower ground floor level, more formal on the upper ground and sleeping on the top. The site is HUGE so the building is bigger than it might seem on the site plan.
Anyway, images at archinect at
http://tinyurl.com/bahamas-loser-comfort-group

Oh and about the mediterranean business the brief said "The design should be either, Mediterranean, Contemporary, Caribbean or a fusion of all three, while being mindful of a sub-tropic region with tropical summers."

The fire was kindled and I fanned it. These are all great and colourful projects - I hope to see more. Lawrence I love the horizontality of your design and the use of the property. I can see myself there.

Samer el sayary - did you enter? I would love to see your submission because your website is off-the-chain! Hopefully your design will take us out of the depressive prize winners.

Hey Ronin - peace and I love your passion.

Dear David who said, "I like these projects!!!"

I hope the three exclamation points are to hint at your sarcasm. Otherwise, for the sake of humanity, I hope you are not an architect.

I must say, the more I look at that first place winner is the more I like it. It feels like home and not like a boxy apartment. Those balconies on the rear are crazy cool. It seems to be practical in the Bahamas because of the style and available materials. Maybe this is a lesson for us that there are other types of architecture that can win a residential design competition because it can be based on where the project is located and the clients' personal taste.

Master Builder,

Can you please explain, critically, how this design is responsive to the Bahamas vernacular? I agree that some of the spaces could be very pleasant. But seriously, we do not criticize this project because it is conventional, we criticize it for the very reason that you seem to praise it. It is not a sensitive response to the site. With minor adjustments this house could go anywhere, and be just as terrible.

Mike Mexico City: I see a family living there. If architecture is too radical lay-people will not understand. For me it is very hard to judge a design based on the exterior alone and until I see the floor plans I should hold my peace. To me some of the other work I have seen looks like they are being constrained to boxes while the top two projects seem to expose a wider angle view. Designs may be stylized to the client's wish and this very house could have been interpreted as prairie or Chinese with the correct stylizing. The front fountain is cool, the garages, the top viewing deck and the general look is a Florida inspired design that folks in the Caribbean seem to love. If this were in Japan or some place in the UK I would be troubled but I can see this in the Bahamas.

Mike Mexico City: you should post yours also.

I have feeling we have a lot of fresh graduate meat comments in "trouble in paradise".

Come on fellows!, is perfectly fitting for the Bahamas, what's wrong with it? I can see myself running naked there with couple coronas on my hand and enjoying a nice vacation.

Not everything we design has to look avant guarde, different, unique, carry a political statement, parametric bloated, or be loaded with lots of BS.

Is bahamas, and as far as I can remember last time I was there, I had a very good time in a similar place like the winning entry.

So relax, ... and enjoy the view..

Thanks for your astute comments London. I think all of us would agree that we strive for BS.

Master Builder, I unfortunately do not have access to the image files at the moment but check out our website at hernandezdelagarza.com select projects by name than Bahamas House. Check out the site, I am sure you will find some projects you really like.

I appreciate your comment about reserving judgement as the floor plans could redeem much of this seemingly super formal project. Although you have certainly not reserved judgment yourself as you stated clearly how pleased you are with the project. Whether positive or negative, a critique is a critique.

Regardless you bring up some important questions on style, client, and use. Your concerns are valid and the polar ends of both extremes have produced many atrocities. But honestly, are we supposed to suppress our critical minds by accepting projects just because the client is happy with the project. Of course you do not believe that this is how we should exclusively judge architectural value. We all know the client is happy so they get an A for that. Unfortunately for these designers, their is so much more to judge than that. A closer analysis may reveal otherwise, but I doubt it.

Mike, why am I getting a warning that your site will "harm" my computer. I was expecting some really bad architecture dude (actually just talk to your webmaster, your domain is on google's 'malware' list for some reason).
Superchicharron, don't get all condescending now. I am young (for an architect), but not fresh meat and I am shocked and appalled by what has happened here. Read around, do you think that everyone that has commented around the web is just inexperienced fresh meat? Sure the building 'works' in the bahamas but that is not the point. That crap is all over the Caribbean. As someone said above, you simply do not need to ask architects all over the world to slave away at a competition for it. I have seen developer-built gated communities in Barbados that all look same-ish but are much better than our 'winner'. At least there seems to be a 'gated community vernacular' there that works. They are second rate but with an identifiable language. This stuff is third rate and worse. Unfortunately for Mr second place he is caught up in this but obviously issues there are different, although I still don't think that it "stimulates and delights".
This competition is a global disappointment. If they didn't want all this flak they should have just closed their eyes and picked someone from the yellow pages. They might even have done better.

you shouldn't gather a buch of architects to design a commercial house when you can buy these plans on any website

one should know that doing a competition for a private residence was unpredictable. the brief was a sure sign of things to pass but we all did it with the right intentions. as for the winner , all the best that style is obviously befitting for the client.
I'd like to share my entry just for kicks, off the next one more wise but still optimistic.

http://unhousedstudio.blogspot.com/

Could an entrant please confirm this for me - I see contours/slopes on some of the site plans. Our friends in 1st + 3rd place seem to be almost pancake flat?

The one thing that I can guarantee you is that the first two winning entries completely ignored the site. By looking at unhoused, LA's entry and my entry, I know that I properly scaled the site. When you look at the winner and the second place projects, I can see that they didn't even consider what the actual views would be.

I also posted my plans on architnect, they finally were approved and are now visible. Also, I was an idiot and accidentally uploaded two of the same renderings. There is an additional rendering now posted.

http://www.archinect.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=29

Guys I do residential design in Cali and sometimes on a lake or Pacifìc for there to be steps at the rear it means there is a slope. There seem to be a lot of college entrants because some of your entries look like over developed bubble diagrams. People, don't expect to win a residential competition with conceptual flare

From studying the contours and the shoreline, I can tell you that the first and second prize winners did not use the actual shoreline. If they didn't use the existing shoreline, they could not have used the correct contours.

Hello group. I hope I didn't join this discussion too late but I will take this as an opportunity to show some elements of my entry that will help to explain my thought process as I just discovered this discussion.

To the persons who said I took no consideration of the site: please see the link to my site and roof plans. This site is a relatively flat lot and to get the most usage out of it I proposed two terraces. From the front gate, you drive down to the first terrace which is the 1st floor level. From the rear porch I located another terrace which has the swimming pool and rear yard. From there, a ramp takes you to the beach.

I propose a sea wall or retaining wall for the rear to give me the maximum flat area. This can simply be achieved by regrading the lot and shifting around earth.

Please note also that the drive to the rear of the guest apartment is sloped up from the swimming pool terrace to the 1st terrace. This is why it looks flat - because I made it flat. That sea wall should eliminate any future land erosion.

http://picasaweb.google.com/troymoses/BahamasSitePlan#slideshow

It was very difficult reading some of your sharp comments but I am not very emotional. An earlier statement suggested that a building can be decorated in any way you want. I partially agree with that. A circular building can be gothic, classical, rustic, futuristic etc. depending on how it is treated but it's still a circle. Hipped roofs with clay roof tiles suggest a mediterraneaneque style (if there is such a word) but with the same plan concept It could just have easily been modern, or futuristic or prarie (and the list goes on). The point is that spacial relationships on an open site doesn't need to change because the building style may change.

Now; client language and an architect's language are different. What I have learned over the years is that when "mediterranean" is used in conjunction with "contemporary" it means that they are leaning towards the former but want a little of the latter.

My aim is to do what is requested humbly without trying to make a statement of my own thus drowning out the client wishes - it takes maturity to do that because we all want to show what we really can do. But successful results stem from serving our clients.

I have even more to add and then I will back off. To those who are concerned with the general massing: I don't know what the skill level is in the Bahamas. There are standard building methods, and there are specialized building methods. My approach is to use standard building methods knowing that a majority of the building materials may be obtained from their own country without having to ship special labour or materials. I therefore designed this building using CMU and standard 2X framing. With proper construction documents it should be a breeze. I also saved some money on the guest apartments by making them simple 'squares" and put the money on the interior.

Remember that a beach environment is salty and harsh so durable materials have to be used! Sexy looking metals and all that may look good for the first year, but maintenance cost will drive the clients nuts.

Troy, with all respect dude, you cannot take yourself seriously now, can you?
I mean, unless you simply are a random architecture enthusiast, maybe after finishing high school, a vocational community evening course or something like that, your entry is ... ludicrous.
A long while ago, about 17 years , when I was in the 1st year at the Institute, if any lousy student would have presented such a project to our tutors, it would have been the EARLY and definitive END of that persons career.

In fact I am absolutely sure, you are a happy and perfectly content guy. The tragedy is that there are people having the cheek to launch an "architectural competition" with this kind of standards, and, subsequently, thousands of people put in loads of effort and sleepless nights for a lost cause.

Because Troy is always there to swiftly throw some of his masterpiecey tiled pitched roofs, some of his creative and playful random volumetries, some of his round waterfeatures and monumental stairs.

To conclude, no grudge against you, dear Troy, you just make sure you hang on to your day job.
The huge EMBARRASSMENT I mentioned earlier is entirely belonging to the organizers of the "competition" and the sites that promoted the "competition" by posting it.

so Moses knowing that a building can be anything you want, why choose such a cheesy style? Why not go off and show more creativity? This competition was international and you turned down the notch. Most of the renderings I have seen look way better than yours and even appear to be better thought out.

Well Troy, good (and brave) for joining the discussion. Your site plan layout at first look is somewhat redeeming but how it comes out of the ground ... well ...
What you have probably done better than anyone else is read the anonymous client's mind, so congratulations. Unfortunately the contents of that mind are disappointing to say the least.
Going back to the site plan, the few dollars that are saved on making the guest apartments squares will be totally lost on your 'terraces'. Seriously, the site is over 3 acres. You want to terrace that?! I guess there is always stage 2.

Waxman, are you kidding me? The site is almost flat. Leveling the site in areas is simply done with bulldozing or by using a backhoe and that's just a couple days work. Waxman, this is not done with pick axes and shovels. 3 acres is not as much as you think. Sites for entire communities are regraded. so regrading a meager 3 acres is nothing for a skilled backhoe operator or two. And yes, that is the edge that the top 3 had over their competitors - they heard the client and many others only heard themselves.

So the cost saving from making 2 apartments square rather than circle is more than the cost of re-grading a 3 acre site?
Well, thanks for letting me know.

I am not an expert on cost but my understanding of the designer's statement is that he did not go crazy with the design of the guest apartments because that money could go elsewhere - not necessarily in grading which you seem to be hung up on. Hey by the way Waxman, where is your design? show us what you have done with the site to make any of our statements valid.

Sadly, I did not enter.
Initially, I was curious about the flatness of the first and third entries and now the designer has clarified that he is re-grading the site. He is also concerned about cost. i would bet the cost of a day's re-grading that we are not talking about "a couple days work". As far as I know New Providence island is a coral stone formation. If so, like other such islands (especially at beachfront) it will only have a few inches of mud and then rock, and a lot of outcroppings all over the place. Let's also not forget the high water table.
Forgive me for being curious but I think that 3 acres will be a tad expensive.

Waxman, I have no project either but enjoy the discussion because these winners or should I say judges totally threw us a curve-ball. I do work in California all the time and it is more common than not to bring dirt onto the job site to get the correct grade elevations - this is very common. My experience is that rocky soil is generally preferred. Don't get me wrong. I don't think Troy's design is that unique in general but I think it was compared to his competitors and that aerial site plan shows great vehicular and by-foot circulation.

All of this is SO entertaining! Although I think the competition should have been posted and advertised in other places, I can at least get something valuable from this discussion (entertainment). I understand what Troy has said about flattening the site. It wouldn't be too difficult to flatten this site. Based on the renderings alone, I didn't see how your entry used the same shoreline as the actual site though. There is a pronounced rocky area of the beach that projects out further than everything else and I failed to see that from your renderings. You must understand that there are no plans submitted with the renderings, so if it is blocked by the building in all of the renderings and is not visible to me, I apologize. But, I really don't see how the contours of the beach are reflected on your renderings.

This "competition" was more like a RFP to be at 100% DD. A design competition is usually a call for architects and/or designers to use their imagination. This "challenge" seems like it is more a challenge to guess what these mysterious clients would like. The notes about what the aesthetics could include did not direct the projects to be typcial, conservative or predictable. For those reasons, I don't think it is just to criticize entries for testing the boundaries. At the same time, I think that is why there are a lot of disgruntled entrants.

While my design is sleak and modern, I also used CMU and concrete construction, w/ a stucco finish. Each building is rectilinear in plan and in elevation. The dynamic qualities of my proposal came through the arrangement of the spaces. I do not think I went crazy at all and this was also reflected in the interior design. Troy, do you have any interior images? I could not see anything from the link that you posted.

DESIGNERS:

Good job for getting it done! I'm sure there were a lot of amazing designs we didn't get to see. For the most part, these competitions aren't about winning (although that would be nice). We all got a lot out of it, pursuing our own design ideas on a fantastic site and being creative. It was a great exercise and helped keep us thinking and dreaming while things are slow.


ORGANIZERS:

You guys did a great disservice to the design community. Seriously, you advertise on Achinect for an international design competition and award 1st place to a project that lacks any elements of progressive design. You should have known most entries would be nothing close to the clients taste. I agree with Adam above. Your approach was a huge waste of time for a lot of talented people who never really had a chance.


TROY

Good on you for reading what the client wanted, you hit the mark. It's too bad your design doesn't show any environmental sensitivities though. Your rotunda, or whatever, is going to heat up like an oven and you're grading idea is an absurd waste of resources and shows no respect for the environment.

Thanks to all for your comments. They will help to make me a better architect.

As an architect with over 25 years of experience in all aspects of residential architecture, I have been listening to comments like this from the prima-donna's in our profession for years. I too entered this competition, though very late, and was also surprised by the projects chosen, but for different reasons. But what I think so many of you are forgetting is that the goal was to design a home; an environment in which one is to live. I looked at some of the projects posted by some of you self-serving whiners, and while they are interesting architectural designs, how many people really want to LIVE in such places. Sure, they would look great splattered all over the pages of Arch Record, etc., but when all of the oohs and ahhs have passed, and you have received your accolades and moved onto your next challenge, somebody is still expected to live in this "home"....and I for one could not. To me, these are not homes, but testaments to an architects ego, and a desire to be published that is far greater than the desire to create a livable home design.

I would strongly suggest that we all keep looking for unique competitions such as this, but go into them looking to provide a unique solution to THEIR needs, and not just another in a long line of projects who's goal is to get published in this months architectural rag. While the projects posted by some of you are interesting to look at, they are not unique by any means....just go to any design studio at any University in the US, and you will see these types of solutions to just about every design problem. I for one am bored to tears by it all....

In regards to Residential Architecture, put the clients needs before your need for recognition and adulation, and you will be a better architect for it. You may not make next months Arch. Record, but you will have earned the respect of your client, and that is more important than earning the adulations of your peers.

Congratulations, Mr. Panton. Though not a popular solution, it seems to have met the clients needs and goals, and that above all else is what is most important.

GF in Chicago: you said

"To me, these are not homes, but testaments to an architects ego, and a desire to be published that is far greater than the desire to create a livable home design."

and

"I for one am bored to tears by it all.... "

Would you be so kind as to post pictures of your design? I, for one, am interested to see how others approached this competition with so little input from the actual clients.

This polarized argument is such a cliche. GF I think that architects who do work that is published for its progressive appeal, have clients whose wishes are in line with that ideal.

GF, similarly to you I saw this competition late but I did not have time to enter so I don't have anything to show, but I flirted with the idea long enough to get to know the brief.
You are suggesting that the losers have designed ego trips and the winners have put the client first but who is the client, what are they really like? It is an international anonymous competition - on both sides. There is no opportunity to walk the site or have face time with the client to help you get to the heart of their wishes. You have a brief and a google map/dwg site plan and the rest if left for your imagination. Is it a coincidence that the top 4 are from florida? They 'won' because they imagined the right kind of person. It is a good thing I didn't enter because there is no way I would have come to a similar conclusion.
You seem to have an issue with architects that want to be published. This was not a quiet private commission but an international event. I mean, think of your next door neighbour. What kind of person would you think they are if they launched an international architectural competition for the design of their home. If you are worried about egos I would start with the client's. For starters the nature of the 'commission' is that it needs to be published just to be known about. If for the client, why not for the architect? And then they ask their global competitors for a design that "stimulates and delights with its unique ideas". It is an invitation to experiment and inspire - qualities hat are totally lacking in our winners.
To all competitors I look forward to seeing you published some day. If it strokes your ego a little (and gives you some much need publicity in a recession) - great. If it inspires me or others - even better.
GF, you seem to be one of the more mature contributors here (I am not that far behind) but I think you are very misguided in what you have written, bordering on bitter.
ps. - please show us how you have been so empathetic to an unknown person

I have to say that what GF Chicago said is some of the most depressing words to come out of an architects mouth. If this was an actual project, where an architect/designer worked directly with a client and then blatantly ignored their wishes, I could see how your statements are relevant. This was supposed to be a "design challenge". It called for unique ideas and creativity. I am sure that I can find an architect with 27 years of experience that disagrees 100% with you. Your condescending remarks are not helpful.

I will put it like this. Although I do not have 25 years of experience in all aspects of residential architecture, I am very aware of personality types and the psychology that affects us all as we face challenging projects. There are technical/practical and creative aspects of architecture and the best architects are very technical, practical and creative. If there were no creative architects, the profession would be re-classified as building engineering. And since our culture places such little importance on what we do (represented by architectural fees), it is important that architects prove that their work is worth the money being spent.

Where in the project brief did it call for traditional aesthetics, a hip roof or pilasters? The criteria for competitions are intentionally vague in order to leave the decision making up to the designer. If not, there would have been spatial requirements for the programmed areas. You should not judge architects for taking initiative.

Dear all who have some sort or "Good Design Bone" in their body.

I find myself shivering from fear of today's so called Architecture. Congratulations to the winner, but please don't call that Architecture just because it's got some walls, a cylindrical shape and a balcony you can stand on, no! If we dare call these competitions for Architecture we are misleading the world and the future of design.

I am not taken back because the competition I worked on did not come in first place, no. My distress comes from the lack of architecture present in the winners design. Most of us have a common design bond that makes us all question the world we live in and the buildings that surround us. To have the audacity to call that winner a piece of Architecture is a damn shame. I can drive down to San Diego and see thousands of the same kind of "Architecture" just along the freeways.

Remember, Just because these people have money doesn't mean they have taste.

I'm realizing the masses are really too dumb to care anymore and I'm surrounded by idiots. Maybe we should start building Architecture for dogs and cats.



Oh wait, we do..

With much restrictions poor architects cannot design.

C_Dub_

What are you smoking? I can smell elitism all around your post.

So now the masses are dumb? And the winning entry is not architecture.

Sometimes our concept of what is and what is not is architecture is so tainted.

There is architecture for everyone, the winning entry might not be what your interest lie, but is still architecture.

You comment---->To have the audacity to call that winner a piece of Architecture is a damn shame. I can drive down to San Diego and see thousands of the same kind of "Architecture" just along the freeways<---------

So is it architecture or is not architecture?

I am confused..

Innocent question, honest - is there anyone out there from Florida who entered but did not come in the top 4? (really, an innocent question)

Now Troy, I hope that is not really you with the one-liner above, and if it is I hope I am not understanding you right. I really don't get the 'poor' but 'restrictions', in the best architecture they are usually the source of most of the magic.

Superchicharron, waxman: My intention was not elitism but to stir up a conversation. Don't you see that my design is NOT ELITE! That statement was a challenge for more contestants to put their work on the board and not to be VERBAL ARCHITECTS. I would love to see what others have done with the limitations given.

Of all those who posted their work, whose have we seen thus far that should be on the top of the winng ticket? Vote for yourselves.

And this time, please answer with your "work" and not trifling philosophical architectural mumbo jumbo...

My bad Superchicharron - I thought for a sec that the "elite" comment was on my post...

Damn, I'm getting edgy!

I have uploaded my entry to Archinect "Unbuilt". Credits: Adrian
Designer: Groove

I thought my design responded eloquently to the brief, responded to the winner's criteria and provided an inspirational solution that was very liveable.

My heartfelt best wishes go out to the hardworking and talented Architects out there who I am sure didn't even get a mention.

Troy,

Will you PLEASE post some plans? I would like to see something about your design that relates to the interior of the building. I an focus on the exterior all day, but I would also like to know how the interior relates to the exterior.

Ronin, thanks for that sobering solution. Plans are really what speak the logic of any "parti" but I now need other entrants' work to look at.

In this whole drawn out conversation, no one has discussed function and program, but for now I will reserve my plans for future judgment; and when I am satisfied that more are willing to put their work on this "international' chopping block I will gladly disclose.

As someone rightfully said. A circle can be treated in any manner, so to reveal the winner of "THIS" competition we need to see the guts.

I asked because I have posted plans, exterior renderings and interior renderings to tell the whole story. I am willing to post sections as well. I understand that it does seem like a public bashing, but I think it can show if your design is more liveable than the other entries. The strength of a design will be evident in the plans and I think there has to be something there that will answer a lot of questions.

Ronin, you are absolutely correct. How many people have posted - five, six? I want more so that we have a real comparison (especially from the nay saying architectural theorists).

Troy, I have to respect you for hanging around and defending yourself. Good spirit! I would love to post more plans but the archinect gallery is not very user friendly and very slow to moderate.
Can a clever person please suggest an alternative - Flickr, Picasa or something better - where we can post pictures with immediate results.

... and a super short text summary alongside

In an effort to further this discussion, I have posted a scheme as well. This scheme was done as a joint effort between myself and two colleagues. It doesn't show up in a search for "Bahamas Design Challenge", but will show up if you search on "Pribyl."

Go ahead, be as vicious as you like.

Here is the link to my scheme:
http://www.archinect.com/gallery//thumbnails.php?album=search&type=full&search=pribyl

I agree that Archinect is frustrating. I made a public web album through google/picasa if anyone wants to see everything together.

http://picasaweb.google.com/nels1686/RoninBahamasDesignChallenge?feat=directlink

Thank you everyone for being reasonable. Now we can discuss our projects as professional architects.

Ronin - we need to have individual folders or albums. How is that done?

Superchicharron ---

- If you honestly believe the winner is "Architecture" please send me some of what you're smoking because it must be the good stuff or you simply need thicker glasses.

Elitsim indeed, I'm trained as an architect for Dog's sake and know the difference between decent, provocative architecture and a cookie cutter that some cheesy developer designed..

Also, the masses are indeed dumb. Please follow this link :



And if you would like more proof I'd be more than happy to keep replying.

Okay Everyone: I just created a gmail account:
User: BahamasCompetition
Pass: whoisthewinner

There we can all create folders with names that everyone should be able to browse. I hope those who submitted before will be polite and upload your pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BahamasCompetition
Here we go!

Uploaded to Troy's Picasaweb

Uploaded

Troy (the warrior!) is on board. Where are 2nd to 6th? Actually 4, 5 and 6 have completely escaped the slaughter
Anyway I hope that many more people will put their work up at Troy's picasa link.

I added my 3rd Board with sections/site plan...cool to see the others

The best thing about this competition is the 'picasa review'. We should make this a habit.
Respect to all who are open and gutsy enough to put their stuff up there including (especially) Troy.

Just so everyone that was hoping for more discussion about this competition and a meat and potatoes conversation about some designs, go to this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/BahamasCompetition

and you can get caught up on all of the rhetoric, bullcrap, side stepping and shallow analysis that you may have wished happened on Bustler (no fault of Bustler, having all of the images helps).

I just had to share this. This quote is from the ever-so-talented Troy-Moses (aka the winner of this competition) right before he deleted his images from the public album on Picasa. And yes that is sarcasm oozing out of each letter of that statement.

"Hahaha - Ronin, you have the words of a CONSTIPATED ARCHITECT. Your work is a Corbu knock-off. The motive for this group is to find a design that is more worthy to be first on the ticket - yours surely is not! To you architecture equals piracy and since your work cannot speak for itself you over verbalize. Architecture is art and science and your work shows neither. Are we at the point to yet determine whose design best suites the client? Is "intuition" not a valid reason for style?"

Sometimes you just have to laugh, but I thought I would share some of the ignorance from the discussion. I would have shared more, but the gracious "winner" deleted his images. Calling my entry a Corbu knockoff just shows that the winner cannot see past the first image. He couldn't even see past the guest apartments. Paying attention to all of the renderings, looking at the plan and sections will show that the entry is not trying to be like Corbu. If anything it points people in the direction that I was going with the design. Clean, sophisticated, sleek and understated......but, I did not say, I want this to be a Modernist house.

The "winner's" quote above came after a long discussion where I tried to extract a concept from him. He dodged the question and say that he used his "intuition" to design the building. He also said that the conceptual edge would come with the interior design. I tried to get to the point where he would explain what he set out to do while he designed it. Any concepts, goals, styles (if applicable) that he had, I wanted to understand before I really criticized his work. But he did not have a response. In the end, it became clear to me that the work was just sloppy design. There is no concept that directed the winning project......just "intuition".

I was disappointed by the results, but I was more disappointed when I found out more from the "winner".

troy finally had enough i guess?, well at least he set up the account....i have to say i have a hard time seeing alot of "intuition" in that design, which is so stylistically rooted...anyway, all's fair in love and war right, or in this case competitions...onward and upward...and ronin, good work on keeping this conversation moving....

So much for my optimism .....

Troy, wherever you are - your calling card by my guess is straight up professional execution for the client - with concept/inspiration far behind (and proud of it). I called you the warrior above because I really admired how you single-handedly took the fight back to the angry crowd.
BUT I found your latest comments narrow minded, uncontrolled, over-emotional and in many cases plain rude. And now you are off in a huff.
SO I will have to draw big red lines through 'professionalism' and 'temperment' on your calling card.
I am not very interested in what is left. What a shame.

what i find most disturbing in this competition is, if the narrative had been written honestly by the sponsors, i.e. accurately portraying the clients wants, which i hazard to guess are much more in line in the winners scheme ( no insult intended to either) there would have been 2 or 3 entrants. instead, they chose to frame the narrative ambiguously enough to drive a truck through. i had my doubts, but fought against them and plowed ahead with the competition (as i have stated earlier i am glad i did, i always get something back out of competitions regardless of win status). i feel like the client wanted a "competition" as some badge of honor that their house had come from one, not that they were really interested in what ideas might come from it, or what offering it might hold. these things always leave me a little cynical, and this one has left me more so that most.

anyway, my two cents for the day, poor punctuation, and capitalization included.

As many have said here, most of the problem is that the client has sought to procure his / her design naively.

As Tom from Vienna said, if the client had put a fraction of the substantial resources required to stage this competition into shortlisting a select number of practices which best represented their taste, then in my view, they would have achieved a focussed client orientated design which was suited to them, and may even have had the opportunity to actually meet their architect.

Since the conversation here has drifted to 'are the designs self serving or do they serve the client?', and if you accept the argument that Moses' design more accurately represented the clients needs than the others, then can you imagine how much more it would if Mr Moses had actually walked the site with the client, chatted about life, aspiration, and inspiration. This is an awesome opportunity for the client to commission a 1 off, bespoke design, tailored to his / her needs, and for that to be crafted by an architect that they actually like, stylistically and personally, on a wonderful site.

On the scale of, architecture as product to pick off the shelf or as a service to buy, surely the commissioning of a one off house has to be more at the service end than the product end.

If you accept architecture as pure product to be selected from a range, then I believe the client could have bought a better house from a pattern book - in ten minutes. With respect, Mr Moses' design is neither a bespoke client centric gem, nor is it a well honed, tried and tested pattern book product.

The lame response to the site, the bemusing resolution of the roof forms, the clash of 2 seemingly alien architectures (disneyworld / crap golf club crashes into sub art deco beach pavillion), and the seemingly poor consideration of the topography, all conspire to upset anyone who entered this competition ernestly, vainly attempting to interpret the flimsy brief posted on the website.

Which brings me to my last point. If you accept that this was a worthwhile competition, and that you can dumb down the briefing process and the collaborative relationship between a client and their architect, simply gathering a load of designs and picking one, then it is at least the responsibility of the organiser to brief entrants properly.

A simple image gallery 'we like this, we don't like this' might have enabled entrants to make a more informed decision as to whether they ever had a hope in hell, or whether to ditch (sorry ronin) their corbusian principles and design it like a conference hotel, that's been extended 4 times without an architect.

After all, like them or not what is common to all the losing designs is days and days - and days - of valuable time and intellectual energy which might have been expended on something more fruitful.

The fact is that as a result of the brief and the competition procedure, many entrants (including ourselves), took this as an opportunity to be self serving, play around, design something fun on a beautiful site, and to make something that represented what they / we were about - to put on our website, to show clients, and to test out our own ideas.

The possibility of winning some money, exposure, and maybe even a commission was very low on our list. So that is what I believe happens when you ask the world, badly, to design your private house. I don't really blame any of the entrants for being self serving in their designs. It's such a long shot, and the brief was so crap, what else could you do?

I don't think Mr Moses did any different - him and the client clearly just happen to have the same taste as Caravel said above - they'd pick the same pair of trousers, the same car and agree that they both liked Babara Streisand, U2, Lionel Ritchie, Tony Bennett but NOT Hip Hop!!!!

I just hope they end up liking each other personally.

And I hope for Mr Moses that the client doesn't start reading this site - it might make them question whether the route they selected was really the one that would result in the best piece of architecture.

That said, I commend them for putting up half decent prize money for once - most UK competitions are lacking in that regard.

JOOLS, THAT'S A GREAT SUMMARY, I THINK IT SUMS UP MANY OF THE CONTESTANTS THOUGHTS!

Well said Jools. You've put the time in to say what I didn't. I participated in the Picasa farce to see what other designs were out there and to try and get some perspective on this (Groove). Unfortunately, my suspicions were correct and what Jools says above is completely true - Troy-Moses does just happen to have the same taste as the client and he appears to know no better. Either this, or he completely prostituted himself in front of the international architecture community. He is even bitter that we seem to suggest that only "modernist" expressions are valid. On the contrary, we are only saying that the process, not the designs was dysfunctional and that the particular expression chosen (unwittingly or not) by Troy just doesn't say anything about today's architectural processes, theories or building systems.

Jools I disagree that it would be bad for Troy if the client saw this. In fact I have already sent a link to the promoter. On the contrary I think the more they see the better!

Best wishes to all.

First of all, I want to congratulate all of you, for contributing to this discussion.

The organizer of this competition should upload all of the entries to a website, in order that it will be possible to learn from them all.

I myself, have uploded my entry on my website:

http://www.solamente-design.com/products_eng.asp?cid=11

peep-show porn, the winner is, and Bustler (?) WTF? is this a stress test?

You know I was just thinking that...

First of all, I want to congratulate all of you, for contributing to this discussion.

The organizer of this competition should upload all of the entries to a website, in order that it will be possible to learn from them all.

I myself, have uploded my entry on my website:

http://www.solamente-design.com/products_eng.asp?cid=11


http://www.solamente-design.com/products_eng.asp?cid=11

I would be happy to upload my entry, but can't seem to sign into the picasa web album. Can someone advise me? username (email) is-?
password is-?

I think it is above ...
User: BahamasCompetition
Pass: whoisthewinner

I don't understand y u r all hating on troy's design-at the end of the day he won and i really like his work-everyone improves in their work as time passes by and i have seen other work he has done and he does not need much improvement so hats off to you troy. Job well dont

Troy's work is amazing and he's at the top of the list for a reason-obviously he's good at what he does and all those criticisms and harshness is unnecessary. But hey-the criticism's will only make him alot better at what he does so so continue doing what you do best troy.