A Month in Lockdown
As we look back over the weeks since we temporarily closed our offices following the Government advice issued on 23rd March 2020, we reflect on how we have adapted to the changing environment we, along with many other businesses find ourselves working in.
Whilst the construction industry has been severely impacted by restrictions, forcing temporary site closures, many of our clients are pushing ahead with their projects through the design phases to ensure their schemes are ready to progress once the restrictions ease.
We remain fully operational in these challenging times and with the hard work and dedication shown by all our staff who quickly adapted to working from home, we are endeavouring to deliver projects to our normal high standards. With the support from our IT department we were in the fortunate position that remote access to all networks and software was already in place prior to the Government advice to work from home which ensured the smooth transition to remote working.
Communication is a key element when working remotely, both internally and externally and we continue to collaborate with our clients and design team colleagues by using alternative methods. Regular design team meetings which were once face to face have now become virtual meetings using software such as Microsoft Teams and Skype and sharing screens enables us to allow clients and colleagues to visualise our schemes and provide their input.
Our teams continue to keep in touch daily with project and workload VC meetings using Microsoft Teams. Creativity has even become a little competitive between our staff with their background choices, giving a little light hearted humour and putting smiles on everyone’s faces.
We received some fantastic news earlier this month, Louise Gifford (Mechanical Engineer) and Ryan Tough (Senior Electrical Engineer) have been shortlisted for the Generation4Change North East 2020 Awards. Louise has been shortlisted in the Higher Education Student of the Year category and Ryan has been shortlisted in the New Professional of the Year, Mentor of the Year and G4C Future Leader categories. We are extremely proud of their achievements and wish them luck for the awards evening later in the year.
As public gatherings have been suspended, understandably awards evenings which were due to take place in the coming months have been rescheduled for later in the year. However, shortlists for the awards have continued to be announced and we are delighted to see so many of the projects we have been a part of recognised and shortlisted:
- BCO Regional Awards – Benton Park View, Newcastle
- BCO Regional Awards – Tombola’s New Headquarters, Tombola House, Sunderland
- BCO Regional Awards – Science and Innovation Centre for Reckitt Benckiser (RB), Hull
- Constructing Excellence North East Awards – The Beam, Sunderland
- Constructing Excellence North East Awards – The Catalyst
- Constructing Excellence North East Awards – Life Kitchen at the Lodge
- Constructing Excellence North East Awards – National Horizons Centre, Teesside University
- Constructing Excellence North East Awards – The Frederick Douglass Centre
- Planning Awards 2020 – The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust’s Oak Cancer Centre, Sutton
- RIBA North East Awards – Student Life Building, Teesside University
- RIBA North East Awards – Tombola House, Sunderland
- RIBA North East Awards – The Beam, Sunderland
- RIBA Yorkshire Awards – Nexus, Leeds
- Planning Awards 2020 – The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust’s Oak Cancer Centre, Sutton
- RICS Social Impact Awards North East – Life Kitchen at the Lodge, Sunderland
- RICS Social Impact Awards North East – National Horizons Centre, Teesside University
- RICS Social Impact Awards North East – Student Central, Newcastle
- RICS Social Impact Awards North East – Sutherland Architecture and Built Environment Building
- RICS Social Impact Awards North East – Student Life Building, Teesside University
- RICS Social Impact Awards North East – The Beam, Sunderland
Rather than re-scheduling, the RICS Social Impact Awards have instead chose to move to a digital platform. We will be logging in to the virtual “ceremonies” live at midday on Friday 1st May to see the winning projects announced.
All staff can still be contacted via their existing mobile numbers and email addresses and everyone has access to Skype & Teams to initiate and facilitate virtual meetings. If you don’t have an alternative contact number to the office, please send an email to information@desco.uk.com and we will connect you.
Stay at home, Protect the NHS, Save lives!