Given that the first half of the year was affected by the lack of major projects, while the number of building permits, issued for the residential sector and other buildings which have another use except housing, has decreased, the field of architecture, with the exception of specialized design services, suffered an increase of the competition. Currently, most companies from the branch work for small-scale projects. Arhitects concentrate even on refurbishments, reconfigurations of existing spaces, household annexes and other such "projects" for which the time required to obtain approvals from local authorities is, in many cases, longer than the creation of the actual plans. For the few large buildings financed from private funds (where, sometimes, investors make the decision to hold a contest for architecture and do not assign the design services to the "favorite" firm) competition is fierce and the specialized offices must differentiate not only through innovative and ingenious ideas, but also through their feasibility and their "sustainable" character, namely in the direction of energy saving and "durable" building constructions, as well as by establishing a fair price for the services rendered. Of course, in order to achieve success, all stakeholders involved in a project should collaborate and, lately, by leaving aside some professional animosity or of other nature, between the various parties invited to participate in the construction of a building, the subject of business relations between the architect and the other parts returned to date, also in Europe, most likely because a degradation of the specific "links" was observed. According to Arch-Vision, a market research company, the efficient cooperation between the architects and construction companies which operate in the market leads to the development of major and widely recognized projects, which is a positive factor for all, as shown in the recent report entitled "European Architectural Barometer". It was already known that most corporations prefer to work with architects who are renown for their innovative approach, openness to the proposed themes and adaptability to the inherent requirements of sustainable construction. For further information and a detailed analysis of the current Agenda Constructiilor issue click here!