COVID-19, Design, and How We Are Dealing With It
John Sparano working from home during a less stressful time; photo by Dustin Askland
At the very start of this year, only a mere three months ago, we don’t think there could have been any way to anticipate just how drastically things have changed globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As our staff have begun working remotely we have encountered some challenges, but also opportunities to rethink how we work as individuals and as a team.
Earlier last week, founder and principal of Sparano + Mooney architecture, Anne Mooney virtually ‘sat down’ with design journalist David Sokol to discuss some of the ways SMA is dealing with and adapting to our new world order. In an article for Architectural Record, “Architects Share Best Practices for Working from Home,” Mooney shared that her most immediate challenge after getting the at home work stations operational, has been maxed-out Internet connectivity, “with all our neighbors also working at home, along with the kids tackling online school.” In the same article, Eric Höweler from Höweler + Yoon Architecture reported, “For us, everyone is on Remote Desktop. We have 22 workstations that seem to be working without operators—like the studio is possessed.” With the SMA staff working from home in both Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, there is a similarly eerie of feeling in the studios.
SMA’s Salt Lake City office during a normal workday pre-quarantine.
On top of dealing with technical difficulties and lack of usual, daily interaction with colleagues, what to do about the halting and delay of projects? In another article by Sokol for Architectural Digest “What to Do If Your Project Is Put On Hold or Canceled,” Mooney discussed the option of potentially diversifying revenue streams, and working on in-house projects that may have been on hold because of lack of time and attention due to the demands of other projects and deadlines.
For SMA, this could be the time to start working on turning some one-off designs including furniture pieces from the studio’s various architecture projects into a collection. “With an online shop, we can share these with the world and move into production and manufacturing,” Mooney predicted. “And if we have even more time on our hands, we could develop a little more depth in the line.”
Although the times are uncertain at best, SMA remains committed to maintaining our track record of best practices, excellent design, and continual support of our colleagues and clients.
Los Angeles Principal Ludwing Juarez practicing social distancing on SMA’s Loop Bench design, installed on The Strand in Manhattan Beach, CA