The Order of Architects and Consulting Engineers (Ordre des Architectes et des Ingénieurs-Conseils or OAI) was created 35 years ago. On 15 May, the organisation celebrated this anniversary by organising a Europe-wide conference on the theme of “Architects + Engineers: Partnership for Resilient Design.” The conference was organised jointly with the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE), the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) and the European Council of Engineers Chambers (ECEC), bringing together representatives of more than 1.5m architects and consulting engineers in Europe. It provided an opportunity for discussions and speeches on various themes such as the issue of collaboration to enhance quality and various round tables developed around the New European Bauhaus.
After the conference, a celebration was held for more than 800 people at the European Convention Center Luxembourg. The speeches reiterated the OAI’s commitment to, among other things, the standardisation of contracts based on the MOAI.LU methodology, administrative simplification, the fair valuation of its members’ services and the promotion of conversion rather than demolition (as advocated by HouseEurope). The latest OAI publication produced with DOM Publisher, “Architecture deLUX,” was also unveiled.
A joint declaration on public procurement
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the federations present to adopt a common position on the issue of public procurement. Thus, the “Luxembourg Declaration on Public Procurement” was adopted, a “joint commitment to improve public procurement practices across Europe to promote design quality, sustainability and long-term value, in line with the New European Bauhaus initiative.”
In this declaration, the signatories ask, among other points, not to favour the lowest price for intellectual services, to make a selection on quality and not just on price, to give more recognition to intellectual services in procedures and to simplify administrative procedures while making them more flexible.
The OAI is a unique legal body that has kept pace with developments in the construction sector and the six professions it represents today, namely architects, consulting engineers, interior architects, urban planners, landscape architects and surveyors. Its missions are legal (ethics, disciplinary council, participation in legislative processes); organisational (standard contracts, manual for competitions, continuing education); cultural (promoting the culture of the built environment through conferences, prizes, publications, events); and promotional (with young people in particular). It operates at both national and international levels.
This article in French.