Optimizing Remote Work Strategies for Architectural Firms
Architecture involves physical touch, hands‑on effort, and teamwork. That makes it hard to do from a distance. But with so many people suddenly working from home, bosses need to learn how to run their remote teams well.
Despite the challenges, there is a positive side for design firms. According to Todd Heiser, a principal and co‑managing director at Gensler’s Chicago location, “We’re actually the best group to get through this. We’re innovation experts.”
Heiser’s crew started testing working from home setups a few weeks earlier, when their Asian colleagues began isolating during the early days of the Covid‑19 outbreak. You do not need to be a massive firm with worldwide reach and huge budgets to keep operations flowing.
Begin with whatever is easiest for you. The key is to avoid quitting, says another expert, LuAnn Nigara, a business coach and podcaster for the design industry. She also owns Window Works, a company that makes custom window treatments.
Her advice: “Don’t overreact, but don’t not act.”
Being ready for problems is essential, but there is also reason for optimism. Gensler’s Beijing office has already started reopening.
Meanwhile, follow the suggestions below from industry veterans who are successfully making remote work happen right now.
Organize your Digital Toolkit
You likely already use various online file‑sharing tools. If not, now is the moment to start.
Options like Google Drive, G Suite, and Dropbox save time and prevent multiple document versions. Microsoft Teams (which works with Apple products too) lets you share your screen to show documents, photos, and files.
Other popular collaboration and project management platforms include Mentimeter, Miro, Basecamp, and ClickUp. A newer tool called StyleRow is designed specifically for the design industry.
The best method would be to use a Gantt chart maker, as it can be highly customizable and visually appealing.
Launch Virtual Meetings
Staying in touch with your team is vital.
Get comfortable with video calls. Skype, Zoom, and Google Hangouts offer various ways to connect, including video chats. (Pro tip: learn several platforms so you can also match client preferences.)
You should try to keep your staff informed and give them a feeling of responsibility. The one thing you don’t want is your team to lose sight of your vision.
Try to hold daily team calls plus more frequent individual check-ins. Try to maintain weekly all-staff meetings, even if some have hundreds of participants; working hard here pays off later big time.
The aim is not only to keep projects on track, but also to keep our culture intact.”
Maintain Morale
Heiser advises allowing staff to be relaxed during team meetings. But keep cameras on and ensure everyone gets a turn to talk.
Check in with people, ask how they are adapting, and encourage virtual lunches or happy hours. Within a few weeks, you will begin to notice that the vibe of the team has become more positive.
This personal connection that you will foster in the workplace will also keep everyone in high spirits while facilitating your design process. According to him, this personal connection will “keep the energy of your designs moving forward.”
This sense of camaraderie is really helpful. When everyone around you is working towards the same goal and putting in effort, you will notice more drive and enthusiasm in employees.
Daily interactions also open a window towards your employees’ personal lives. Manage the workload of someone who had a rough week, or ask someone to put in a few more hours if they are recharged from a holiday.
Managing your team members to get the most out of them is always going to be hard, but if your employees are happy and actually want to work, it makes the job a whole lot easier.
Managers frequently say there’s a new energy and excitement about being together, even if it’s unprecedented. The peek into people’s lives is very useful.
Remain Adaptable
Always remind your team to expect small issues, especially with video calls. Build flexibility into your schedule to handle tech glitches and personal situations, and remember that many people are balancing numerous tasks and emotions at all times.
People are going to make mistakes; there can be miscommunication about a deadline, and someone might forget to upload a file to your project management tool. These things happen at every establishment.
It is recommended to have a few fail-safe measures at hand, which can easily tackle these predicaments.
Solve Problems Creatively
Design offices are usually custom-built spaces for specific needs. But most home offices lack dual screens, adjustable desks, or high-end printers.
Here is a simple solution to the problem: providing HDMI cables to connect laptops to TV screens. Other employees have used ironing boards as makeshift height-adjustable desks. Encourage people to be creative, and you will notice true ingenuity is born out of a challenge.
Physically touching materials is essential for designers and their clients. If you cannot visit your usual materials library or a showroom, consider mailing samples to both yourself and the client.
If that is not practical, explore online materials libraries and showrooms. Many have become very advanced, with virtual features that closely imitate textures and finishes.
Morpholio Board, Substance by Adobe, Fuigo, and StyleRow offer various materials and showroom options that can help keep projects progressing.
Stay Updated and Be Clear
Ask peers or a business coach for help if needed. Be honest with clients, vendors, and your own staff. (Pro tips: You can record a podcast with solid economic advice for navigating a crisis; Many communities hold free virtual conferences each month.)
Some trades are still active; others have stopped. Workrooms are closing, and clients are postponing installations.
In short, schedules are disjointed, shifting, or paused. The key is to keep team members and clients in the loop.
Clear communication among everyone involved is essential for staying calm, staying focused, and moving forward—just at a slower pace.
Establish a Routine, But Also Set Limits
Creating routines and sticking to them helps build a sense of normalcy. Get dressed. Take lunch breaks. Avoid working all night.
While some flexibility is important, remember that some employees work best on a fixed 9-to-5 schedule, while others will make themselves available around the clock. To prevent burnout, remind them to switch availability settings to “offline” and encourage relaxation, time outside, exercise, or learning new skills—whether industry-related or not.
For example, you can always ask team members to take a virtual museum tour or other creative break, then capture and share three inspiring images.
Be Relaxed, Not Bossy
Give up micromanaging when it comes to how and when workers complete their tasks. Try to prioritize the work being done rather than fixating on whether your employees are clocking in 8-hour days.
A code to live by for bosses: always be reassuring, flexible, and compassionate, and express appreciation up and down.
Work Strategies for Architectural Firms
Managing remote work will always be tough, no matter the industry. But these expert tips will surely make your life a bit easier and make work a little more manageable.
Remember to always have the necessary resources that your team might need. That is very important.
Also, do yourselves a favour and use Gantt charts to update project instructions and set deadlines; it will give your employees an interactive way to tackle milestones, reducing monotonous everyday exchange.
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I also use Artificial Intelligence Image generators to create some of my images. These are to show you examples of my ideas and inspiration when I cannot produce the real images myself.
