The rebuilt of Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building "favours the cheapest over the most suitable bid" according to a Glasgow architect.
Paul Stallan, co-founder and principal of the Glasgow-based practice Stallan Brand, made the comments in architectural magazine Architects' Journal the week before last.
A search is ongoing for an architect to lead the £62m restoration that will reinstate the historic building to its former glory after it was devastated by fire in 2018 while undergoing £35 million restoration works following an earlier blaze in 2014.
The stabilisation of the building was the first phase of the rebuild. The second, which will put in place a structure to reinstate the Mackintosh Building, is expected to be complete by 2024. The team that wins the tendering process will then deliver stages 2 to 7, which is expected to be completed by 2028.
Mr Stallin believes the search for an architect is favouring the cheapest rather than the best bid, and argues that a closer look is required to at the tender assessment criteria for architects being applied by the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) for the rebuild.
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And he claims the GSA's application of a 60:40 quality:cost method for the tendering process "is not going to deliver the answer it thinks it wants" in respect of the rebuild.
He wrote: "We need to look a bit closer at the tender assessment criteria for architects being applied by the Glasgow School of Art for the procurement of services to help in the reinstatement of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s fire-ravaged landmark.
"The reason: to highlight a phenomenon that other country’s across Europe have figured out but one which those in Scotland, as in Scottish Government’s civil service together with Scottish Futures Trust, Local Authorities, RIAS, RICS etc, have not.
"The issue: the application of a relative quality price assessment methodology, sometimes known as the 60:40 (quality: cost) method, which GSA is applying in its selection process is not going to deliver the answer it thinks it wants."
GSA responded to the comments by saying that they have ensured that they have made sure the tender process is "robust and transparent" and will be "assessed rigorously and fairly" so that the rebuild project is done by the best team possible.
Eleanor Magennis, GSA director of estates said: "We fully understand the concerns and complexities around procurement that have been shared and for The Glasgow School of Art we have worked hard to ensure that the procurement process is robust and transparent.
"Central to our approach is a two-stage tender process with the first stage, which is currently open, based only on quality of past experience.
"The second stage is based on both quality and cost. At both stages tenders will be assessed rigorously and fairly ensuring we select the best team to work with us on delivering the Mackintosh Building reinstatement project."
