Covid-19 has affected some industries faster than others. While social and food businesses have taken a hit, e-commerce and gaming businesses are on the rise. As a landscape architecture firm belonging to the construction industry, we have experienced a mixed impact.

Here is how Fiona Environs have been affected by covid-19.

Delays and distance

Concerned clients: To limit exposure, clients are anxious about their project’s timeline, hoping to have it completed as soon as possible.

Delay with the delivery of materials: Imports have been halted during this time. This could lead to a delay in project completion, and a spike in overall cost, with the price of materials being raised as well.

The challenges of working from home: Fiona Environs is in a mobility-driven business. From site visits to necessary time in the office, this halt on movement is pushing us to think outside the box. Unlike most companies, our team relies on technology at the office, that we simply can’t access at home. However, we ‘re trying to come up with a systematic approach to this.

Our team has been briefed on the importance of frequent sanitization and social distancing – and we are now all in quarantine, working remotely. We have reviewed ongoing construction projects and have also briefed workers, site managers, designers as well as the client on protocols to be followed.

Client deadlines have also been a top priority or paused for the time being, with respect to material delivery, and trying to maintain as little contact as we can. We have also restricted visitors and supplier drop-ins to the office, and have placed sanitizers in every room, with a deep clean after each meeting.
Technology has come to our rescue during this time, enabling us to coordinate with our team, clients, and international collaborators.

Fiona Environs is keen to see the end of covid-19 but we can’t help but wonder how this will shape the future of our industry and the way we work.