COVID-19 and Light House
How is Light House Architecture and Science dealing with the COVID-19 situation and ensuring our continued service and value for clients at every stage of the design and build process?
We are all about efficiency, sustainability and health, not just in our home designs, but also in the running of our business. The Light House team is committed to flattening the curve but the lights are still on at Light House (just not at our usual office space).
We are continuing to work, and we plan to keep providing our interdisciplinary services throughout this period. We are well positioned to do this, in part because we have been using innovative, user-friendly, cloud-based project management and communication tools for nearly a decade. As a result, we can quickly adapt. We already have plenty of experience working with remotely based clients, from Geneva, Lebanon, and Laos to PNG, the Solomon Islands and beyond! It’s only a small step to do the same thing for clients who live much closer and, under normal conditions, would visit us in person.
Over the last few weeks we have been setting up remote work capability for everyone on the team and this week we activated our fully-remote, home-based, pandemic plan and I’m incredibly pleased to report it has been a big success.
It is still a very challenging time for everyone and will continue to be for many months to come. Below I will address some of the concerns you may be having, depending on which stage of the process you are at.
1. Concept design - initial site meetings
We are confident we can still do this in innovative ways that don’t involve physical contact with clients or their homes. We will be doing two of these semi-physical, semi-virtual site visits this week.
Last week we presented a Concept Design for a new home in Ainslie and had a mid-Concept Design stage meeting for a new home in Chifley. The older clients in Chifley had no previous experience with Zoom and everything went really well.
Communication is the key. Your project architect will be in touch to discuss the exact process with you in detail.
2. The rest of the design process
No dramas. We’ve been doing it for years with OS clients and now the entire team is well set up to work remotely. We’ve already presented three very successful client design meetings this week via Zoom and also had a great virtual meeting with the consulting engineers on another project, via Teams.
The highly collaborative Light House team continue to meet regularly to ensure you are still getting our innovative and powerful ‘hive mind’ and that our quality assurance steps are being followed for each project.
3. Tendering and signing a contract
The tried and trusted builders we work with are still operating and keen to keep doing so (the government is also very keen to see the construction industry continue to function). The group of builders who regularly tender on our projects are good business people, and good humans, trying their best to navigate through this. We encourage you not to give up.
Talk with them and your bank. Clear communication is they key. We have been impressed by their willingness to brainstorm in these unprecedented circumstances. Many of them are already implementing innovative ways to provide more clarity and surety to you when it comes to tendering and signing building contracts.
4. Construction
The builders, broader housing industry, banks, and government are as keen as you to see your project completed. Stay in communication. The truth is nobody knows for sure what is going to happen. One thing we do know is that it is in the interests of everybody (here and OS) to keep manufacturing happening, and supply chains open, as much as is possible.
Our senior architects are actively in touch with advisory industry bodies such as the Association of Consulting Architects and the Australian Institute of Architects to remain proactive about advising clients on building contracts and construction timelines during COVID-19.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has a dedicated COVID-19 page that you may find useful to refer to.
When it comes to physical health and safety on site, the HIA is providing guidance and the regular Light House builders have been implementing strategies like these for the last few weeks.
In Summary
COVID-19 is not shutting Light House down.
Let’s keep communicating. Don’t hesitate to contact me or your project architect if you have any questions or concerns. Also, please understand if we simply don’t have all the answers.
Stay safe and well. Stay at home if you can. We very much look forward to seeing you at our office, or in your wonderful new home, down the track.
Be well. Be kind.
Jenny Edwards & all of the Light House Architecture and Science team.