As the world shifts to a work-from-home (WFH) survival strategy, architects and architectural academics have been forced to learn a variety of new tools and methods to keep moving forward in the face of the growing COVID-19 pandemic. While many in our community are already fluent in this approach to work, due to opportunities brought to us with the internet, in a field that often requires travel and on-site work, many are struggling with not just the technology, but also the lack of personal connection with our friends and colleagues.
In this new series of features, Archinect is sharing some stories from members of our community about their own transitions, with personal experiences and images of what their new work environment looks like.
In this first installment, we're profiling Alvin Huang, an LA-based architect and educator. Alvin tells us about the changes he's made to adjust to continuing work with his staff and students.
Before I get into this, I think it has to be said that I am an individual that wears many hats. I am the Principal of a small boutique design practice, Synthesis Design + Architecture, an Associate Professor at the USC School of Architecture, where I teach advanced graduate design studios, and more recently, I was appointed as the Director of Graduate & Post-professional Architecture at USC. To top all of that off, I am a husband and father of two (Semiah 11, & Isaiah 9), and serve on the Board of Directors for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles.
Last week, USC declared the move to online courses and I finished the week doing remote classes and remote desk crits online via Zoom conferencing from my office in DTLA. This past weekend, as the situation escalated and public schools announced their closure, I made the decision to move my server, external hard drive, a monitor and two computers from my office in DTLA to set up shop at my home in Alhambra, a small suburb in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles just east of downtown. I have since converted our dining room table into a makeshift home office, with another workstation set up in the living room for my kids' online distance learning. I have one other full-time employee and 1 part-time intern, and both are now working remotely from home as well.
Working from home in the era of social distancing has been simultaneously surreal, empowering, and a blessing in disguise.
The surreality of the situation is due to the circumstances of its existence (COVID-19), and I suspect that it is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. The inept front office of this country has mishandled the management of this situation (as well as having fueled bigotry and xenophobia), leaving the containment of the pandemic to local governments and the general public, thus creating general hysteria and widespread panic. Unfortunately, this is a situation that Trump cannot lie his way out of. We are all going to have to pay, and the price will be heavy. The new normal that we are all experiencing now is the beginning of a new reality that we still don't understand the full consequences of, but are now having to deal with directly in our daily lives.
Working from home in the era of social distancing has been simultaneously surreal, empowering, and a blessing in disguise
The situation has also been strangely empowering, which may seem a bit ironic given my previous rant. However, as someone who has worked on numerous international projects, where working remotely and coordinating with clients, consultants, and project teams through online mediums is the norm, the transition to doing so for all of the many roles I fill has been relatively seamless. Further, it has given me the opportunity to begin trying to creatively leverage the capabilities of these mediums to maximize the experience.
Right now the primary mediums I use are Zoom for conferencing, Slack for collaboration, and I am beginning to explore other platforms like Miro for infinite space whiteboarding.
If everyone turns on their camera, then everyone is facing one another at all times (instead of facing a wall), which seems to facilitate better discussions
The Zoom platform works great for remote conferencing, allowing screen sharing, screen markups and annotations, breakout rooms, polls, chats, and more. Further, unlike the typical hierarchy of physical presentation formats where there is a clear distinction between presenter and audience - in an online meeting, the presenter and the audience are all peers. If everyone turns on their camera, then everyone is facing one another at all times (instead of facing a wall), which seems to facilitate better discussions - and the web-based format also allows for the sharing of links and references on the fly.
This format is one we are trying to take advantage of at USC, where we have now moved to upcoming public events to become virtual webinars: Generation Next (6pm March 25) & Technology is the Answer (6pm April 01). This move has allowed us not only to continue to hold the events in the face of adversity and uncertainty but also to continue to build a culture for design in this new era of social distancing. The design culture of the school has now expanded beyond its physical boundaries - as with just under 48 hours since we first announced the Generation Next event, we already have over 200 attendees registered from around the globe including current students, faculty, prospective students and the general public. The issue of culture and what that term might mean in an era of social distancing might be the single most pressing consequence of the "new normal" that we are all not only experiencing, but also have the opportunity to define along the way.
The design culture of the school has now expanded beyond its physical boundaries
Meanwhile, the situation has also been a blessing in disguise. It has allowed me to spend more time with both my wife and my kids, and allowed me to condense all of the many different roles into one physical location. I have shrunk my carbon footprint dramatically. Rather than commuting between my home, my kids' school, my office, USC, board meetings, and more....I now do it all from one desk (er, dining table)!! It also lets me take advantage of that Southern California indoor/outdoor living (see photo)...when the weather permits. HA.
Paul Petrunia is the founder and director of Archinect, a (mostly) online publication/resource founded in 1997 to establish a more connected community of architects, students, designers and fans of the designed environment. Outside of managing his growing team of writers, editors, designers and ...
14 Comments
The start of the Classical Contemporary Age wouldn't be complete without the SARS virus igniting the world; history, as enforced by para-aerospace terrorism (who released it, again?), has introduced a large scale societal issue to resolve amidst a bold new emergent/classical formal style.
panspermia much bro...I'm interested..I was thinking it was the machines - get everyone to work from home...bing bang boom...the Matrix.
The answer is people before business!!
As long as it doesn't lead to layoffs like in 09', I had to put up with that, 1 year out of work and 5 years after that as 1099 at 12 different offices, until, 2015 when I got my first direct designer position.
At the same time, these quarantines need to end soon before we are in really deep shinola - a balnaced approach is needed to not cause a recession or depression
recession/depression is exactly what the media wants. this explains the hysteria that's been created.
/\ Yellow Journalism at its finest. We should sue the media for libel when this is all over.
...apologies...and tort. libel for damaging our economies reputation and tort for the suffering. I read ratings have gone up for cable companies. All these people sheltering-in-place viewing the world through the lens of narcissistic gossip queens - the media.
I'm so glad we haven't run out of Reynolds Wrap.
can Reynolds wrap be used as toiler paper?
Meh. As long as I have two hands, I'm good.
humor is good at time like this. good one Beta!
Alvin your house looks super nice! Not a bad place to work and see outside. Stay safe!
Thank you! I have to say, I wrote the piece quickly on a whim after an email from Paul - so didn't get a chance to fully collect my thoughts....and am now realizing just how fortunate I am in terms of having the ability/flexibility/job security to work from home...and to have a family, home, and job in this difficult time. There are many without some or all of those things. Be well, keep safe...and stay sane Donna!!
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.