Round two of FLoP at Project Luong had a bit of a twist this year. Stephen and I were given the chance to play guinea pigs and experience FLoP during July. This timing was my preference, as December in the office is typically quieter and comes with a steady stream of seasonal treats. Though my original FLoP plans were disrupted by Hurricane Beryl and a few other unexpected events, I still committed to spending the month working remotely—albeit with a regular home-based routine.

I’m not going to feel guilty about taking it easy during FLoP. It wasn’t exactly like 2020, but it was interesting to gain a new perspective on the extended work-from-home experience. With the extra time saved from not commuting, I had more moments to spend with Juan-Pablo and Dylan, and to enjoy some leisure, like cooking and relaxing.

By now, most of us are no strangers to working from home for extended periods. Many of us were thrown into that world in 2020. While a good number have returned to "normal," others still benefit from the flexibility of a work-from-home lifestyle.

Many industries have leveraged the potential savings from smaller office spaces and the work-life balance it offers employees. However, in the world of design, those benefits might not be as immediately apparent—at least for now. Architecture has long been a hands-on, collaborative industry. We’ve always gotten more done when everyone is around the table, hashing out design issues or other challenges. While we’re busy helping other industries redefine modern offices and how they use their spaces, our own industry has been slower to adapt. We’ve been, for the longest time, a pencil, trace paper, and big table kind of field.

But, as with everything else, the pandemic changed things—though not in the way you might expect. Many designers, especially the younger generation, eventually found themselves back in the office. That’s what we know. And some in leadership positions might not fully grasp how newer designers work. It’s hard to imagine resolving issues through virtual meetings when, back in the day, those resources simply weren’t available.

That said, we now have a generation of designers who spent a significant part of their education in lockdown. They’ve developed the skills to work independently, solving problems without always needing a full team around the table.

All our deadlines were met, and any fires were put out quickly. In fact, FLoP at Project Luong is a solid proof of concept: a hybrid schedule works, and the occasional absence of face-to-face time won’t spell doom for our industry.

While Dylan might be happy I’m back in the office a few days a week, I know at least Juan-Pablo will miss me.

Oh, and I went to a lighting convention!

#lighting #WFH #architecture

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