Architects work from home: Des. Rohit Suraj explores the new normal
“We are rethinking and realigning our business goals and strategies in the absence of the requisite cash flow. We predict demand in self-conservation architecture in the short and medium-term as well.”
– Des. Rohit Suraj, Founder, Urban Zen, Hyderabad
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the architecture and design industry and has resulted in a delay in ongoing and future projects. No sourcing of materials, no physical inspection and missed project deadlines in many cases have incurred huge losses. Today, we share the insights of Des. Rohit Suraj, Founder, Urban Zen, Hyderabad. He believes that architectural firms should use the buffer time after the lockdown to complete their deliverables.
He says, “We must support our clients and do whatever we can at an organizational level to ensure the well-being of our team members, their families and ourselves. The major challenge within the design fraternity is that our projects are at a standstill which means we would be months behind schedule when we do return to office. Though working from home is a new experience for us, we have seen a boost in productivity caused by the absence of client meetings and site visits. However, I foresee serious challenges as our work is construction-based. With the sites at a standstill, the added pressure of cash flow and a poor economic market, we will see a lag for the next three to six months in the industry. Architectural firms should utilize that time to complete design-related deliveries so that we return a complete design for project monitoring once the market resumes.”
“Our team members are available on call and mail to attend to every query, clarification or milestone. We have set up communication channels with sub-consultants to ensure no wastage of time with deliverables, both existing and committed. We ensure constant communication via mail, messaging and calls for seamless coordination. Reporting formats and constant motivation are a priority in our workflow.”
“Our resources are ready so that we can resume functioning on sites once the lockdown is removed, despite the uncertainty. In the absence of requisite cash flow, we are forced to rethink and realign our business goals and strategies. We predict demand in self-conservation architecture in the short and medium-term as well.”
