The process of building and construction involves many different stages and collaborators. To better understand the dynamics of cooperation, relationships, and business between offices and external partners in the architecture and construction ecosystem we have run a survey called “What's the Collaborative Network Behind the Process of Building“. We also talked with various architects and professionals on the most important aspects of selecting the partners as well as the process of being selected.
The following report is structured into 4 parts:
- General findings
- Key aspects of selecting partners for architecture projects
- Key findings from the process of being selected as a potential partner
- New opportunities
General Findings
The key finding of the research is that the majority of architects and architecture offices take a very active part in selecting partners working on their projects - they are the key decision-makers or influencers in this process. 70% of architects surveyed need and select partners in the design stage, out of which 32.9% collaborate externally on a regular basis, and 67.1% depending on the project. Only 30% of architects cover all the design stages within their office, confirming the collaboration aspect is critical from the very early stages of architecture projects.
Looking at the construction stages, the influence of the architecture offices leading the design remains strong. 84% have an influence on selecting partners for the construction stage, out of which 41.7% do it always and 58.3% depending on the project.
No matter the project stages when the partner will be needed —58.8% of the respondents select their future partners at the very beginning of the project. Some of the architects we spoke to mentioned that the partner selection has an actual influence on their design: “I design keeping in mind the contractor that will be executing the project”. This means that the very initial stage of the project, the moment when the inspiration takes place, is also the critical moment to be on their radar.
Key Aspects of Selecting Partners for Architecture Projects
When asked about what’s the most important when they are looking for a partner, skills and expertise were key for 37.1% of architects and 26.7% of consultants. Integrity and reliability got 35.7% and 20%, whereas portfolio and proven track record received 14.3%, 26.7% respectively. Already existing relationship is decisive for only 8.6% of architects and 6.7% of engineers.
An interesting aspect that came up in our survey was the importance of soft skills and collaboration fit. It was brought up by 25.7% of architects and 20% of consultants. In the further interviews with the architects, we heard multiple times that the dynamics of collaboration, attitude, co-creativity, and learning from each other are one of the key areas they appreciate when working with their external partners. Interestingly though, in our survey creativity was selected as an important characteristic of a future partner only by 8.6% of architects, and by none of the engineers or consultants that took part in the research.
Lastly, the importance of the cost was selected as one of the key elements of the mix by only 20% of engineers, with an interesting low of 7.1% in the case of the architects.
Looking at the perception of the process of finding the partners, 56.3% of engineers and consultants stated that it’s hard for them to find the right ones, with 37% of architects also confirming issues on that front.
Digging deeper into the problems that the community is facing when selecting new partners —quality and accuracy in vision proved problematic for 23.1% of architects and 14.3% of consultants & engineers. Integrity or transparency issues were flagged by 10.8% of architects and 21.4% of consultants. Problems with soft skills like communication and collaboration styles were highlighted also by 10.8% of architects and 7.1% of consultants, and commitment or attitude by 9.2% and 7.1% respectively.
Challenges with partners’ availability were marked by 15.4% of architects and 14.3% of consultants, whereas cost aspects are frustrating to 9.2% of architects and 7.1% of engineers & consultants.
In our deeper interviews with the community, we heard that exploring new partners in untouched fields or new tasks is the biggest frustration, as well as a nerve-wracking responsibility. In more competitive markets the difficulties often come from the short supply of professionals. In other, the lack of specific expertise on the market forces architects to import professionals with the skills from abroad.
Key Findings from the Process of Being Selected as a Potential Partner
In our survey, we also looked at the other side of the process —our respondents participating in a bid or other selection process as a candidate.
Altogether 55% of architects and 37.5% of engineers & consultants stated that it is not easy for them to be selected by the right partners, they often do the projects they get—not always the ones they’d love to do. Engineers & consultants mentioned that they enjoy working on more ambitious initiatives, at the same time they are still generally happy to support their partners in any type of project.
Looking closer at some of the problems in the process of being selected, communication and trust issues with their future potential partners are key frustrations. Lack of honesty was highlighted by 18.2% of architects and 22.2% of consultants. Lack of clarity or communication issues by 18.2% of architects and 16.7% of consultants. The perception of their potential partners choosing cost over quality is frustrating for 13.6% of architects and 5.6% of engineers. Strong competition in the market received 9.1% and 16.7% respectively.
An interesting finding is that 9.1% of architects and a bit more consultants (11.1%) are frustrated by the lack of experience and ambition on the clients’ side. In the interviews we conducted, we heard that some of the architecture practices are actually expanding internationally in order to work on more ambitious projects. Additionally, for architects, 9.1% are frustrated by the budget constraints they need to work with —an aspect that has not been raised by any of the consultants we’ve surveyed.
New Opportunities
The search for new professional partners is definitely not an easy process, no matter the side you are on. But it becomes key to the members of the architecture and construction community especially when there is no availability of their regular collaborators, they move to different project types, or they work on a project in a new location. Often it happens when they grow, move to more ambitious endeavours, or when the market gets more competitive.
It came as no surprise that among our respondents 89.5% stated that they have some partners they work with on a regular basis, on some of the aspects of their projects. This means that a satisfying, high-quality first collaboration could turn into a long-term relationship. Another important fact from the conversations we had is that business comes from different directions: an architect may bring a talented interior contractor to their project in a similar way as an interior contractor may bring in a talented architect.
From our survey, 61.9% of consultants and engineers and 43.5% of architects actively search for new business. At ArchDaily we want to create new opportunities for our community of architects, consultants, engineers, and construction professionals. We want to help the community connect with the right partners, and receive the requests for projects they’d love to do.
That’s why we have created ArchDaily Membership for Professionals.
ArchDaily's Professionals Catalog includes only the top curated specialists working on global architecture projects published on ArchDaily. We invite you to check out our Professionals search experience or read more about the initiative.
If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, please reach out to us at professionals@archdaily.com. We always appreciate the feedback from our community.
