Day-long online symposium »Overcoming borders together through competition – an expert dialogue and exchange on promoting architectural competition and awarding procedures in cross-border cooperation« – which took place on the 18th of March.
The goal in the Interreg project was to recognise and use the common experiences in order to master national borders, cultural and legal differences in cooperation: Architects from the Bavarian-Austrian Interreg area – Bavaria, Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg and Upper Austria – worked together to find solutions to overcome the 817 kilometer border and to promote architectural competitions and award procedures in cross-border cooperation.
Our interactive event design enabled participants to engage in exchange right at the event itself and learn from the experiences of others. Our success showed itself in the day long presence of almost all 80 experts and architects until the early evening to actively engage with each other. Together with the steering group of the Bavarian and Austrian Chambers of Architects, we designed the objectives of the symposium, the invitation process, the participatory formats for the event and the documentation.
Architects are free spirits and need creative space
The interactive formats provided a minimal structure for free exchange: strategic learning and dialogue based on case studies, open space for practical approaches, and space for informal networking. A welcome package sent by mail additionally ensured the anchoring of the congress day.
Testimonials on the online dialog and exchange
Our goal was to enable a dialogue and exchange among experts across borders. We succeeded brilliantly, despite or perhaps because of the online format, under the highly competent leadership of Ursula Hillbrand and her team, we succeeded brilliantly. Our participants actively contributed throughout the day and stayed in the digital aperitif rooms for a cultivated exchange, like at a face-to-face conference. We are exited.
Arch. Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Fügenschuh, Vice President of the Federal Chamber of Civil Engineers and Chairman of the Federal Section of Architects
»Baukultur« does not stop at borders. Competitions and transparent award procedures ensure diversity, innovation and sustainability in the planning and construction process. With our Interreg project, we have developped and promoted an intensive dialogue in the “neighborhood”. Thanks to your creative thinking, we were able to create a a good base for the best from […]the respective regions can enter our culture of award procedures. Many thanks to Ursula Hillbrand and her team for the successful and insightful organisation and implementation of our 1st cross-border expert symposium.
Arch. BDA Dipl.-Ing. Karlheinz Beer, Vice President of the Bavarian Chamber of Architects
For me the most exciting event since online exists.
A participant of the symposium
Our best Interreg project so far.
The Interreg coordinator
Role in the project
As part of the salon hosting team, I helped design and support the process, documentation, follow-up and the event itself.
More information
- Salonhosting – Transformative Leadership with Ursula Hillbrand
- OTS der Bundeskammer der ZiviltechnikerInnen: Architekturwettbewerbe im deutsch-österreichischen Grenzraum – German
- Bayerische Architektenkammer: Grenzüberschreitender Architektenwettbewerb – erfolgreicher Fachdialog und Austausch – German
