It occurs to me that we are all sharing a common experience, “we” being a worldwide experience. The surroundings may be different but we are all at home more than usual and the family is together more than usual. As I experience this personally, it has me thinking about what homes will become as working remotely becomes business as usual and remote learning becomes more prevalent as well during this period of home isolation.
For what it is worth, in my personal experience I’d prefer that the family is social in a common space. That is the case for reading, watching, recreation and meals. However, that may not be the best setup when everyone needs to isolate for virtual meetings and online learning. We find ourselves in this unique situation, but it has me thinking about the homes we are designing and how they will serve their owners in the next era.
As architect partner, Bryan Jones always says to our clients, “where is your place?” Where is everyone’s comfortable spot to be alone, to decompress, to self-assess, to work? Everyone feels comfortable in a different spot, whether it be a bright reading nook with soft cushions, a breezy spot outside or a more formal, traditional setup like a desk and chair.
Either way, productivity at home is based on how comfortable we are in our place. Is your place by design or is it just where you landed? I remember home office situations that weren’t very comfortable. They felt isolated, the lighting was bad, the space was forced. Those were the times when I found myself working over a $5 coffee way too often.
I find myself in an interesting situation as I’m going through this with the rest of you. We are designing a personal home, so this time at home is proving to be an opportunity to make a list of things that are working well or not. I hadn’t really considered my place, but I am now as are my other family members, and it’s exciting.
Perhaps you’ve had similar thoughts over the past few days and considered your own list. There is a bit of lemonade at the moment in that interest rates are extremely low, and the market has cooled. The cooling market means that vendors and subcontractors will be more available and offer better customer service. Something to consider as we spend this collective time at home.
Reach out and let’s talk through how your list can become your new reality via our new panic-driven online meeting platform. Then, I’ll look forward to meeting in-person and shaking your hand when this is all behind us.
– Frank Wickstead Project Delivery Director Frank@JonesPierce.com www.JonesPierce.com
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