Guidance from the Government to date, is that workers should continue to work from home if they can.
However, according to figures reported in PBC Today magazine last week, trade body Build UK, announced that 86% of its members infrastructure and construction sites in England and Wales are now open.
As architectural designers, we work across the construction industry with builders, developers and on larger commercial projects that are steadily ramping up. We know from our own clients in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, that projects are starting to move forward.
In terms of continuing to deliver a service but keeping the health and safety of our team and clients a priority, we are adapting well.
We are currently making every effort to support our employees working from home and are using technology to speak with our clients, attend remote design meetings, and maintain productivity. We’ve actually found that utilising video conferencing more has been very time efficient and received well among our clients. Project managers are also sending us photographs and video of work in progress.
We know that some site inspections are essential and that it is not always suitable to perform a virtual inspection, therefore it is crucial for us to ensure all safety measures are in place before any physical site visit/inspection is considered. The Government has released a ‘Working safely’ guidance document for construction and other outdoor work that outlines the protocols that must be in place.
Considerations for site specific best practice include:
- Will the site visit be contact-free?
- Will staff on site be appropriately social distanced?
- What hygiene facilities are available?
- Are there segregated walkways?
- What processes are in place for PPE availability?
At present, the majority of production can be achieved at our home offices. This means that your projects can keep running and we can continue to advise safely from a distance. Our comprehensive designs, architectural plans, sketches and photography can be shared among your team digitally or in some cases can be mailed directly. While our business is normally so tactile – being in situ, assessing size of space, light orientation and user experience – we continue to find ways to bring your designs to life even with the limitations in place.
If you would like to discuss your project with us, contact Kevin Todd or Derek Stokes on 07732 144917.
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