Architects Work From Home: Des. Zahabia Taherbhoy’s takeaway from the pandemic
“It may take the design industry months to stabilize ourselves and work with the same pace and efficiency as before. On the other hand, we are looking at the lockdown period as an opportunity to re-evaluate our business strategy. We’re considering low-maintenance spaces, well-sanitized and contact-less interior solutions made from locally-sourced and sustainable material/products.”
— Des. Zahabia Taherbhoy, Principal Designer, The Urban Ensemble, Pune
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the architecture and design industry and 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. Zahabia Taherbhoy, Principal Designer, The Urban Ensemble, Pune.
“By now, we’re well-acquainted with the repercussions that the pandemic has had on the world economy. It may take months for the design industry to stabilize ourselves and work with the same pace and efficiency as before. On the other hand, we are looking at the lockdown period as an opportunity to re-evaluate our business strategy. We’re thinking low-maintenance spaces, well-sanitized, and contact-less interior solutions made from locally-sourced and sustainable material/products.”
“The design industry has also become more digitally-advanced in terms of virtual conferences, meeting rooms, screen sharing, and online lookbooks for our furniture and lighting collections. These have been our major steps to maintain social distancing and reduce carbon footprint at the same time.”
“Our projects and imports have been significantly delayed, but we’re trying to compensate for the lost time by using various communication mediums to complete the design and approval process, material selection, quotes, and other details so as to resume work as things normalize. Our industry is largely import-driven, and the travel ban has affected material sourcing; fortunately, we have stocked up on furniture, lighting, and other accessories that will speed up project completion. Keeping our clients financially and logistically prepared months in advance has helped them plan better as well.”
“In the future, we shall focus on in-house manufacturing to cope with the transforming business landscape and the only way is to remain innovative and positive. Change is inevitable, and we must strive to find new ways to adapt to the situation.”
