ArchEL and COVID-19

The Covid-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented disruption to office environments across the country. As work has evolved and more individuals are fulfilling client needs from their home office, workplace design has changed drastically. Our team at Architecture Environment Life Inc. (AEL) is continually adapting to new needs driven by changes in the way people work and communicate. The AEL team is able to adapt our own work environment as well as provide our partners and clientele with design that addresses the ever-changing needs of the post-Covid workspace.

At the office of Architecture Environment Life Inc., changes were made to our office environment fairly quickly upon the notice of the Massachusetts Covid-19 restrictions for businesses. The office efficiently transitioned to remote work for a year.  Technological changes and support allowed the team members to safely work from home without interruption in productivity.  As restrictions began to ease these past few months, the AEL work environment responded. We installed partitions between desks to decrease the risk of exposure. When separation of reception, personal work spaces, conference and common areas were taken into account, it was initially determined that the practical maximum occupancy of the AEL office space was 3 or 4 persons at a time. Schedules were created to allow every team member to be in the office 2-3 days per week and work remotely on other days. At present, we are now back to full-capacity and enjoy the flexibility to work remotely when needed. At the moment, we do not have this drastic change implemented anymore. 

AEL is committed to continuously trying to surpass the current safety standards, making it a comforting and safe environment for all employees upon return to the office. Our team will constantly assess arising needs and new standards while abiding by the mitigation features, sanitation checkpoints, natural ventilation, antimicrobial materials, perspex screens, and layouts necessary that protect our team members and encourage social distancing. High touch zones have been considered in our office and sanitizing these areas will continue to be a priority.

Covid-19 created a multitude of challenges for businesses in the last fifteen months.  Unfortunately for too many, these challenges proved insurmountable.  Architecture Environment Life Inc. held true to its name throughout this past year.  We were able to adapt our work environment to prioritize the safety and health of our team while continuing to provide our high standard of service to our clients. We were consistently productive despite a very fluid work environment and that is a testament to the professionalism of our team. Covid-19 has changed the way many do business and some of that is for the better. We are now certain we can work remotely without any loss of productivity and this has actually helped achieve an improved work-life balance. One thing that is certain, we are happy to be back together having collectively weathered a dark time in history and we are stronger and prepared to meet the needs of all our clients!