An Increased Demand for Home Offices

Lisa Pendley Calder has been working with Highland Homes for the past 12 years. She specializes in new design and construction in the construction and demolition sector. These include remodelling and post-construction activities. She began her journey with Highland as a senior architectural project coordinator and worked her way up to project management architect.

What are the latest developments in your field of expertise?

When it comes to design, there is an increase in demand for home office space due to the increasing work-from-home culture. In particular, the design field has seen a shift in emphasis towards the home office and study rooms. These developments are a result of the ongoing pandemic.

How has the work-from-home culture changed the sector? What were the steps taken by Highland to cope with the pandemic?

Many of Highland’s clients also practice work-from-home culture. From a personal standpoint, the work-from-home culture has saved time since most of us are no longer required to commute daily. At times it can get very stressful with all the commotion happening. Therefore, there is a need for a distinction between home and work. So the clients’ most common demand is for a home office space.

Highland Homes has always promoted an employee-friendly work culture. As a response to the disruption caused by the pandemic, the company has incorporated both digital and manual processes.

The company has given the employees access to AutoCAD software, which has greatly simplified designing. The software allows 2D and 3D drawing and also comes with cloud integration. Employees can save files to their cloud accounts for remote access and additional backup security. It comes with worldwide accessibility and can be accessed from anywhere with internet access on any device, like a desktop, web, or mobile, in case of natural calamities and other emergency events. AutoCAD is also reliable as cloud storage providers manage and distribute backups over numerous servers in various locations. The files stored in the cloud will have multiple versions with protection against intrusion and loss.

The most significant benefit of online working has come from technology. It is now possible to hold meetings from anywhere worldwide because of software like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and other similar programs. Highland Homes host face-to-face meetings with the employees once every three months to ensure that there is both online and in-person communication within the team.

Our company has always been open-minded to technological innovations in the office. Strategic decisions taken by Highland to cope with the pandemic have helped the employees maintain a work-life balance.