Working Through The Pandemic

30 Apr Working Through The Pandemic

Working remotely is certainly not new in today’s world, and for many businesses, it has become a popular practice. With the available technology to access files and conduct business from afar, working from home has become widely accepted, but mostly in isolated circumstances.

Enter the COVID-19 pandemic. Within a matter of weeks, this Coronavirus spread rapidly through almost every country in the world and quickly crippled businesses and economies throughout. Any business that could, scrambled to set their employees up at home, challenging the capabilities of IT departments to make things work. ( Kudos to the IT people.)

Our industry is one of the lucky ones, able to practice our craft in a variety of places. Architects have been working from home forever. Many one-person operations run successfully in their own home-office, meeting with their clients on-site or a mutually convenient place. But what about medium to large firms that function as a unit? How have they adjusted?

Cardello Architects is a small to a medium operation where the architects typically work in an open studio environment. We recently designed and built our own new office space in Westport CT, and since RAC just moved into our new commercial building, (custom designed by the same architects that use it), working remotely was the last thing on everyone’s mind. Suddenly, we were all working from home.

Working Hard From Home

Fortunately, our employees have adjusted beautifully to this temporary situation. We video conference 2-3 times per week with the entire staff, reviewing the ongoing projects, and discussing the new opportunities that exist. Client meetings are also conducted virtually as we share screens and review drawings. Even town permitting and zoning is being handled through video conference.

For our projects that are already in the building stage, construction is considered an essential business, (along with engineers, architects, surveyors, and other related operations), so site meetings are still ongoing, but with more physical distancing while reviewing building progress.

How are clients affected by the pandemic while trying to renovate or create a new home?

RAC has found our clients to be resilient and cooperative. People are spending plenty of time in their homes now, possibly more than ever before. It is an unexpected opportunity for clients to reflect on needs and wants while contemplating their future custom home design. The time they devote to their projects while quarantining provides added thought and care to the plan.

Although we all want life to return to normal as soon as it is safe to do so, this situation has shown everyone what is possible, even during a pandemic. Creativity continues. The design portion of your project can be done efficiently, even while social distancing is observed. Focus is at a premium and everyone has plenty of time on their hands.

Thinking of renovating or building a new home? Robert A. Cardello Architects is at the ready to help you get started on your very personal journey. As you spend days, weeks, even months quarantined in your house, imagine how you really want it to look. Think ahead to the days when you can once again entertain your friends and family. Give us a call and get started on your project.