We're aware of how the Covid-19 pandemic has brought us the new normal, sending us from our work desks straight into our home.
Requiring us to adapt to our home environment and set up a home office that could help us answer all work challenges, equally as if we were at work.
On the other side, architecture is well-known for its teamwork. It requires collaboration between engineers, constructors, architects, and designers. And sometimes, it can be hard to control everything even under normal circumstances.
However, the future is now, and it challenges us to try and modify our office into a virtual architecture office.
If you're wondering whether the challenges in working from home are worth the try, here are some key points you need to pay attention to. Especially before setting up your remote team of architects.
Prepare The Ground
Always remember that the road to success is paved with some top-notch organizational skills.
Nowadays, everything takes place on the Internet, and a good connection is vital for a spotless workflow.
Working remotely doesn't require anything new or unknown. It just demands implementing everything we already know and putting it online.
Before you prepare your remote work schedules, be sure to enable easy access to all your files, presentations, and other details for all of your employees.
Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
There's no perfect formula on how to manage your team with flying colors.
At first glance, architecture doesn't seem like a profession that can be easily managed from home, on the same level as it can be done in a regular office.
That's not a reason to give up on the idea of setting up your remote team of architects. Knowing the weaknesses of modern working from home, always keep in mind not to overwhelm a single person with too many different types of tasks.
Make a list or spreadsheet, and analyze which categories you'd need. Separate the team into departments in which every one of them would be responsible for just a single part of the project.
Employee Management Is The Key To Success
Architectural work is teamwork. If you want to have astonishing results on your projects, you need to keep in mind that communication is crucial and inevitable.
Communication is key. And how you set up your options for online communication will affect the later work.
Engage Your Team
Of course, communication is something that comes naturally when working in a physical workspace. One of the biggest disadvantages of virtual architecture offices would be the lack of this face-to-face moment.
But everything can be easily fixed. You'll just need to encourage your employees to use platforms for video conferencing to stay up to date with all details around current work.
Try focusing more on obtaining regular productive online meetings in which you could point and highlight all possible issues about a certain project, and avoid further problems.
Engage With The Clients
Communication between employees is important, but let's not forget clients and their needs.
One of the many challenges with remote architecture jobs is staying up to date with your clients' needs while keeping the communication mainly online.
Remote work will require developing some new workflow models, which can help you in staying up to date with the latest changes. Try focusing on what works best for you and your clients, and don't be afraid of asking too many questions.
Keep Things Calm
It's not easy to work from home. If you're working internationally, time zones can be challenging and stressful.
Honestly, anything could get out of control if you overlook some of the details. These things can and will happen sometimes, but remember that everything can be figured out.
Always try to keep it cool. At the end of your shift, ask yourself if there was any progress today with your current project. If your answer is positive, then you're on the right track.
Explore Your Options
Don't hesitate to ask for help from your team. Be open-minded, and keep your thoughts open. You'll never know when someone would come up with another great idea that you'll become fond of.
Meanwhile, practice your listening skills. Keep in mind that if you make listening and understanding your occupation, you will gain much more than you can only by talking.