I'm looking for a new position and want the option to telecommute once/twice a week to cut down on commuting time as we have a young child in daycare. I keep getting the "we have a collaborative environment so working from home on a regular basis isn't that easy" response."
If arch firms have such a collaborative environment, then why do 90% of all people sit at their desks with headphones on?
I think it's total BS and an excuse for project managers to have something to do (i.e. go to meetings and talk to other PMs).
Technology makes it so much easier to actually design collaboratively, (i.e. Revit) and tools like Skype, Gchat, gotomeeting and googledocs can take the place of weekly conventional meetings.
Background: Before the "oh you kids don't know comments start to fly", I'm not a young kid out of school, but a second career type with a previous experience in the corporate world (i.e in my mid-30s). It's unfathomable to me that architecture firms have been so slow to adapt communication tools and technologies when they always espouse how cutting edge and visionary they are with design.
Have others encountered this issue and how did you successfully work around it?
i agree it's bs. i had a temp job telecommuting and it was nice, worked just fine. you can redline drawings in acrobat, pdf them and send them out as emails. skype or the good'ol fashioned cell-phone work just fine for meeting as well. some larger offices do offer telecommuting, and i believe there is a small office in seattle which functions entirely in this way. "collaborative environment" is just a buzz word that architects like to use to describe themselves without any comprehension of what it actually means, like most other things architects say about themselves.
telecommuting isn't a bad model for an office either as it eliminates a huge source of overhead.
The office I'mworking for is about 4.5 hours away and I worked there for about a year prior to moving to the home office.
I do quite a bit of conceptual design work for my boss as well as rendering, drafting, etc--the usual office stuff.
It works out relatively well because I am willing to work in the evenings and sort of 'go with the flow' which frees up my boss to have time to set me up or take care of other stuff.
The main disadvantage I see is that it's a little more difficult to bounce ideas around on your own. You're sort of stuck with yourself. Although in a way its good because you have to finish a thought before presenting it via email, so communication has to be succinct, clear, and to the point and so do the ideas.
First of all, if you haven't already noticed by the laptops from 1999 and AutoCAD 2004 your firm probably still runs, architects don't have the FUNDS for new technology. Second of all, I'm not sure how many years you've put into architecture at this point, but it and the entire construction industry is slow to adapt to ANYTHING, not just communication technologies.
That said, very few days do I feel I even need to be physically in the office. And my own personal laptop is 3X as powerful as anything my old firm has. I see no reason why we shouldn't all be able to telecommute more as long as we're getting the job done.
Thanks for the s-e-r-v-o recommendation. Wasn't familiar with their work.
Yeah, I might end of staying at the same firm for now because at least they gave me a crackberry, a laptop, Revit 2011/Autodesk 2011 and the full Adobe Creative Suite to work with...all of the other places are shocked that I would ask for any of these things.
Laptops and mobile phones are standard in the business world. Architecture firms are businesses which sell design, creativity and time; they need to realize that giving their employees mobile tools can enhance creativity and design, not hinder it.
i live about 100 miles from my office and somehow it works. i have a laptop, an unlimited train pass and a small, second apartment (which my office pays for). I'm only working from home about 2 or 3x a month, but i also put in an hour when i'm on the train, which makes what would be a very long day somewhat manageable. it's actually very inconvenient - i'd kill to just leave my house and walk to work - but it's the only way i could work for this office, since they're located in a city which is a dealbreaker for me.
telecommuting is definitely possible in an architecture office (depending on your position). it sounds like you're just working for people who aren't comfortable with it. the key i think is that they want me enough to allow me this exception (one other guy in the office commutes from Vienna but he's not an architect) and, more importantly, i produce what they need and by when they need it.
I've telecommuted on some level at most of the places I have worked...after a year or so. BUT In all of my interviews I asked about telecommuting and the response is always the same: no.
I think the thing with telecommuting is that firms are open to it as long as it is seen as a "special case" and are reluctant to make it a standard.
You have to prove that you are reliable and that the work you do for the organization is of a high quality and value. Basically, if you can show up to work on time, do good work, are a good communicator, etc. then the place is more likely to trust you to work from home...most firms have the required technology for telecommuting..
I've been telecommuting from a couple of (large) states over for several years. I use Logmein to work directly from my computer at my home office. We Skype occasionally, (although I don't see much benefit from it over a phone call), email, etcetera, I have an office type phone with speaker so it's all hands free. I do have to travel every month to jobs but am rarely visiting the office.
There are definitely some drawbacks in terms of my involvement with new projects. There are times where I’ve felt disconnected from the “team”. Although, I believe that may have more to do with particular management styles. I’ve also found it more difficult to direct anyone just because it’s more difficult to point to something. We do utilize the Logmein so we can look at the same computer screen and use the curser but of course not all things are on the computer.
I do miss the comradery of the office, going to lunch and all that. There is also the pajama’s factor. I sometimes have to force myself to remember to brush hair and get dressed like an adult. I can also go several day without leaving my house or yard. After several years that aspect has grown old.
Of course the benefits are many. I rarely drive my car, my commute time is about 4 seconds. I don’t feel have a problem with “loafing off” to the contrary I often feel like I can get more done because I don’t work in the open office type environment (and all it’s distractions) that most architects enjoy. Also, my hours are somewhat more flexible.
I agree that it would definitely depend on what you do day to day. I tend to work on a lot of more independent projects and tasks so it works pretty well. I think if I ever had to direct more that one or two people it would not work.
telecommuting + collaborative environment response
I'm looking for a new position and want the option to telecommute once/twice a week to cut down on commuting time as we have a young child in daycare. I keep getting the "we have a collaborative environment so working from home on a regular basis isn't that easy" response."
If arch firms have such a collaborative environment, then why do 90% of all people sit at their desks with headphones on?
I think it's total BS and an excuse for project managers to have something to do (i.e. go to meetings and talk to other PMs).
Technology makes it so much easier to actually design collaboratively, (i.e. Revit) and tools like Skype, Gchat, gotomeeting and googledocs can take the place of weekly conventional meetings.
Background: Before the "oh you kids don't know comments start to fly", I'm not a young kid out of school, but a second career type with a previous experience in the corporate world (i.e in my mid-30s). It's unfathomable to me that architecture firms have been so slow to adapt communication tools and technologies when they always espouse how cutting edge and visionary they are with design.
Have others encountered this issue and how did you successfully work around it?
Become a spec writer. You can do your work from the toilet.
Rest of design professionals will slack off all day given half a chance.
Spec writing ... I guess that is an option. I'd prefer to stay on the project design side though.
You can use a laptop anywhere...that's why I don't understand why firms are so fixated on keeping butts in seats.
telecommuting.
Just wanted to type it on my own, and give it a feel. Telecommuting. Just did it again. Doesn't feel right. You either commute, or you don't.
Telechubby. Telecaster. Teleos.
Sorry, have nothing else to add but wanted to refer to S-E-R-V-O as one office that tries teledesign.
i agree it's bs. i had a temp job telecommuting and it was nice, worked just fine. you can redline drawings in acrobat, pdf them and send them out as emails. skype or the good'ol fashioned cell-phone work just fine for meeting as well. some larger offices do offer telecommuting, and i believe there is a small office in seattle which functions entirely in this way. "collaborative environment" is just a buzz word that architects like to use to describe themselves without any comprehension of what it actually means, like most other things architects say about themselves.
telecommuting isn't a bad model for an office either as it eliminates a huge source of overhead.
I've been working fromhome for about 5 months.
The office I'mworking for is about 4.5 hours away and I worked there for about a year prior to moving to the home office.
I do quite a bit of conceptual design work for my boss as well as rendering, drafting, etc--the usual office stuff.
It works out relatively well because I am willing to work in the evenings and sort of 'go with the flow' which frees up my boss to have time to set me up or take care of other stuff.
The main disadvantage I see is that it's a little more difficult to bounce ideas around on your own. You're sort of stuck with yourself. Although in a way its good because you have to finish a thought before presenting it via email, so communication has to be succinct, clear, and to the point and so do the ideas.
First of all, if you haven't already noticed by the laptops from 1999 and AutoCAD 2004 your firm probably still runs, architects don't have the FUNDS for new technology. Second of all, I'm not sure how many years you've put into architecture at this point, but it and the entire construction industry is slow to adapt to ANYTHING, not just communication technologies.
That said, very few days do I feel I even need to be physically in the office. And my own personal laptop is 3X as powerful as anything my old firm has. I see no reason why we shouldn't all be able to telecommute more as long as we're getting the job done.
Thanks for the s-e-r-v-o recommendation. Wasn't familiar with their work.
Yeah, I might end of staying at the same firm for now because at least they gave me a crackberry, a laptop, Revit 2011/Autodesk 2011 and the full Adobe Creative Suite to work with...all of the other places are shocked that I would ask for any of these things.
Laptops and mobile phones are standard in the business world. Architecture firms are businesses which sell design, creativity and time; they need to realize that giving their employees mobile tools can enhance creativity and design, not hinder it.
i live about 100 miles from my office and somehow it works. i have a laptop, an unlimited train pass and a small, second apartment (which my office pays for). I'm only working from home about 2 or 3x a month, but i also put in an hour when i'm on the train, which makes what would be a very long day somewhat manageable. it's actually very inconvenient - i'd kill to just leave my house and walk to work - but it's the only way i could work for this office, since they're located in a city which is a dealbreaker for me.
telecommuting is definitely possible in an architecture office (depending on your position). it sounds like you're just working for people who aren't comfortable with it. the key i think is that they want me enough to allow me this exception (one other guy in the office commutes from Vienna but he's not an architect) and, more importantly, i produce what they need and by when they need it.
I've telecommuted on some level at most of the places I have worked...after a year or so. BUT In all of my interviews I asked about telecommuting and the response is always the same: no.
I think the thing with telecommuting is that firms are open to it as long as it is seen as a "special case" and are reluctant to make it a standard.
You have to prove that you are reliable and that the work you do for the organization is of a high quality and value. Basically, if you can show up to work on time, do good work, are a good communicator, etc. then the place is more likely to trust you to work from home...most firms have the required technology for telecommuting..
I've been telecommuting from a couple of (large) states over for several years. I use Logmein to work directly from my computer at my home office. We Skype occasionally, (although I don't see much benefit from it over a phone call), email, etcetera, I have an office type phone with speaker so it's all hands free. I do have to travel every month to jobs but am rarely visiting the office.
There are definitely some drawbacks in terms of my involvement with new projects. There are times where I’ve felt disconnected from the “team”. Although, I believe that may have more to do with particular management styles. I’ve also found it more difficult to direct anyone just because it’s more difficult to point to something. We do utilize the Logmein so we can look at the same computer screen and use the curser but of course not all things are on the computer.
I do miss the comradery of the office, going to lunch and all that. There is also the pajama’s factor. I sometimes have to force myself to remember to brush hair and get dressed like an adult. I can also go several day without leaving my house or yard. After several years that aspect has grown old.
Of course the benefits are many. I rarely drive my car, my commute time is about 4 seconds. I don’t feel have a problem with “loafing off” to the contrary I often feel like I can get more done because I don’t work in the open office type environment (and all it’s distractions) that most architects enjoy. Also, my hours are somewhat more flexible.
I agree that it would definitely depend on what you do day to day. I tend to work on a lot of more independent projects and tasks so it works pretty well. I think if I ever had to direct more that one or two people it would not work.
Bossman, what small office in Seattle is it?
i can't remember, although i attempted to look it up. there was an article about them somewhere in early 2010
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