Red Non-Competition was created to foreground experimentation in architecture. Rather than classifying projects by scale or programme, it assessed their architectural contribution through innovation, spatial organisation, construction and material practice, programme, and social dimension. Research, the courage to act, and a willingness to learn from mistakes were central to its values.
The programme addressed the wider architectural community. It was organised by the Contemporary Architects Association of Iran with RootPlat, with sponsorship from Ajornama Chin, Igal, Superpipe, and K Plus.
The selectors were Iman Ansari, Nader Tehrani, Homa Farjadi, Jennifer Bonner, Anne Holtrop, and Chris Precht. The review group included Azadeh Shahcheraghi, Hooman Talebi, Mohammad Majidi, Reza Daneshmir, Amirhossein Ashari, Alireza Taghaboni, Pouya Khazaeli, Mina Moeinoddini, Sepideh Elmi, Mohammadreza Ghoddousi, Atefeh Karbasi, and Kamran Afshar Naderi.
A total of 144 projects entered the programme and 20 were selected. Fifteen had been built and five were ready for construction. The selected teams presented their work across three panels over two days, on 11 and 12 January 2024, at Platform Eight in Ava Center.
The reviewers used diagrams to discuss each project’s experimental indicators, unrealised potential, and architectural retreats. The selected works included Zoar House of Worship; Zoar Combined-Cycle Power Plant Prayer Room; Inside House; Baaftar Skin and Hair Clinic; Weekend House with Eight Projecting Columns; Hunting Room; Kahrizak Residential Building; No. 38 (Fiber Gym); Bagh-e Ghooshkhaneh; Rhine Villa; Jondagh Library; A Stage for the City Event; Villa 60=200; Alley–Villa; Shafagh Mausoleum; Digging for Light (Qanat Villa); Hayat Project; Dom-in-Nature; Dasht-e Chehel Villa; Ecoflex Pavilion; A House Facing the Persian Gulf; and Lumina.
Attendance was free and the programme was broadcast live on digital platforms. Around 1,000 people attended in person and more than 600 joined online, making Red a widely shared and active architectural event.
