Technology in Architectural Practice

Over the last 18 months, the world has seen a massive transition of its workforce from office environments to remote work. With necessity being the mother of all invention, we managed to survive from home and persevere. The use of virtual collaboration tools allowed us to not only connect with our clients, but as distributed project teams. Cloud-based storage platforms replaced office servers to allow employees to access the large files associated with our projects. Several studies show that productivity increased during the pandemic.

While the pandemic continues to impact us, there has been a "return to normalcy" for some that involves going back to the office. Leadership seems happy to dust off the welcome mat and encourage workers back to their desks. Certain professions such as architecture benefit from the ability to collaborate and share ideas in person. While remote, you lose out on the opportunity to participate in the chance design reviews that are so important to our studio culture. 

I've heard claims that seasoned practitioners are not able to provide mentorship to younger staff via web-based meetings. For those that wish to remain at home, there is a risk that if you are out of sight, you are out of mind. Leadership may not notice how hard you are working. 

Mandating a return to the office has resulted in threats of resignation. Is it possible to strike a balance that allows us to benefit from the positives of remote work as well as being in the office?

Over the last 18 months, the world has seen a massive transition of its workforce from office environments to remote work. With necessity being the mother of all invention, we managed to survive from home and persevere. The use of virtual collaboration tools allowed us to not only connect with our clients, but as distributed project teams. Cloud-based storage platforms replaced office servers to allow employees to access the large files associated with our projects. Several studies show that productivity increased during the pandemic.

While the pandemic continues to impact us, there has been a "return to normalcy" for some that involves going back to the office. Leadership seems happy to dust off the welcome mat and encourage workers back to their desks. Certain professions such as architecture benefit from the ability to collaborate and share ideas in person. While remote, you lose out on the opportunity to participate in the chance design reviews that are so important to our studio culture. 

I've heard claims that seasoned practitioners are not able to provide mentorship to younger staff via web-based meetings. For those that wish to remain at home, there is a risk that if you are out of sight, you are out of mind. Leadership may not notice how hard you are working. 

Mandating a return to the office has resulted in threats of resignation. Is it possible to strike a balance that allows us to benefit from the positives of remote work as well as being in the office?

Over the last 18 months, the world has seen a massive transition of its workforce from office environments to remote work. With necessity being the mother of all invention, we managed to survive from home and persevere. The use of virtual collaboration tools allowed us to not only connect with our clients, but as distributed project teams. Cloud-based storage platforms replaced office servers to allow employees to access the large files associated with our projects. Several studies show that productivity increased during the pandemic.

While the pandemic continues to impact us, there has been a "return to normalcy" for some that involves going back to the office. Leadership seems happy to dust off the welcome mat and encourage workers back to their desks. Certain professions such as architecture benefit from the ability to collaborate and share ideas in person. While remote, you lose out on the opportunity to participate in the chance design reviews that are so important to our studio culture. 

I've heard claims that seasoned practitioners are not able to provide mentorship to younger staff via web-based meetings. For those that wish to remain at home, there is a risk that if you are out of sight, you are out of mind. Leadership may not notice how hard you are working. 

Mandating a return to the office has resulted in threats of resignation. Is it possible to strike a balance that allows us to benefit from the positives of remote work as well as being in the office?