Thrill of the Hunt - Despite the potential payoff of winning, some architects call for competitions to be fairer and more equitable

One concern the experts AN spoke to for this story expressed is the decision-making that goes into shortlists and eventually selecting a winner. Who ultimately calls the shots? Charles A. Birnbaum, founding president and CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based education and advocacy nonprofit, notes that landscapes are especially sensitive and appropriately judging competitions that engage with them requires specialized knowledge. “We live in an era of overwhelming environmental concerns and over-stuffed programmatic agendas,” Birnbaum said. “Unless the jury includes individuals who have dexterity in both natural and cultural systems when managing change, the results of design competitions could have an adverse effect erasing significant historic fabric and nullifying cultural lifeways."