19/07/2020
How architects in Pakistan are working during Covid-19?
Lets find out...
In Conversation with Architect Rana Atif Rehman (CEO RDC).
Archi Afsanah: So how is your work life going during COVID-19?
Atif Rehman: Our work routine has been affected at different levels during the COVID-19 situation. We have been working quietly on the design development and construction drawings of several projects that has kept us on our toes and we regret to have taken a vacation in this phase.
Also there were multiple Architectural Photography projects that I had done just before the lock down began so I utilized the time in post processing and handing over.
Archi Afsanah: How often do you visit the office? Or are you working from home.
Atif: Our office is based at our home on a dedicated floor. We keep our office and private life routine restricted through a proper time table.
When a client visited our office based at home in the past, they took us very casual. They would drop by anytime, even come after our working hours or on a Sunday, stretching our working hours till night and weekends. That mindset has been disrupted to some extent during the COVID-19. As most people are now put to 'work at home' scenario and they seem to realize our situation better.
Working from home is only successful if there is a designated space kept separate from the rest of family and given a designated time.
Archi Afsanah: How many employees do you currently have and do you all follow SOPs?
Atif: As a CEO at RDC(Rana Design Consultants) I have been observing various trends in business and forecasting alternative options of survival. For that in the first month of the lock down we observed staff behavior and their commitment to work for the firm from their home. Based on that finding we have reduced the staff to 4 now.
In office, for staff coming for work now, we are following the SOPs and we are taking the necessary precautions based on our knowledge and understanding of the viruses.
Archi Afsanah: How the office hours have changed for you?
Atif : Not much I would say. Working time has been reduced due to decrease in work load. However we are not compromising our daily office schedules.
Lack of hourly, daily, weekly schedule results in slackness and procrastination. This is the perfect time to rethink over pending and fore coming issues /trends. So there isn't a major change as such.
Archi Afsanah: How has COVID-19 changed your perspective towards life?
Atif: The COVID-19 scenario seems to bring back the soul into body. We have been too much obsessed and trapped in a mechanical and superficial life. The virus made a very clear statement by removing the veil over many aspects that were undermined by us. It has made us a little humble than before making us value things that matter the most in life and that fake things will have a temporary addiction without which one can definitely live a quality life.
This pandemic has given us a hint that we should now work on our options of survival. This is the make or break phase. The worse is yet to come. Only our wise actions today will help us survive the unknown scenarios of tomorrow.
Pakistan -19
