MG Architects Adapt to Virtual Bid Meetings, Remote Working & More
Muhlenberg Greene Architects is a leading architectural firm based in Berks County, Pennsylvania. This year MG Architects is celebrating 100 years of being in business! They have 6 licensed Architects on staff, 3 Accredited Leed Pros, and are licensed in 7 States plus DC. MG Architects is a partner and a trusted source of Construction Journals project information. We had the pleasure of sitting down with MG Architects on a Zoom call and interviewing Scott Graham, AIA, Leed AP+, NCARB as well as James Sarro, AIA, Leed AP+ and dive into some of the recent challenges due to COVID-19 and how they have adapted + tips for contractors and other members of the AEC community to adapt.
Do you feel like work has slowed down in the public sector?
Public projects tend to have a lot of inertia behind them, schools were given the green-light to move forward despite the COVID-19 shutdowns. Due to bonding requirements, many public sector projects had construction timelines that they had to meet. We are seeing uncertainty around supply chains and getting our materials on time.
How much of your firm is in the commercial/private sector?
Public work is about 40% of our work, depending on any given year. We do a fair amount of institutional work in the private sector as well. It’s a fortunate thing that we have a public work aspect to our workload.
How have pre-bid meetings, site visits, changed since COVID-19?
The pre-bid meetings have been done virtually since the shutdown, and by using video conferencing it was a pretty seamless transition. Around June time-frame, things have loosened up and pre-bids moved to on-site meetings where masks and social distancing practices were used. Additionally, we have done several bid openings over Zoom hosted by ourselves or our clients. I think this medium will stick around and become a permanent part of our operation, especially for clients who are at a distance.
Do you feel this transition to a technology-first approach will be the new normal?
I think so, we were already heading in that direction. We had begun setting up virtual conferencing equipment prior to this pandemic. Besides just getting a few more webcams, we were fortunate to have much of this equipment and infrastructure in place.
What are some pieces of technology that have helped you excel during this time?
Online cloud file sharing sites, screen sharing, and BIM modeling tools.
Do you feel Virtual Reality experiences will become more prevalent due to these changes?
That is the direction we are moving in, we have already demoed a VR program that integrates with our BIM program and enables VR through an Oculus headset. One of our initiatives for our office space is to develop a permanent VR installation space that clients can have an immersive experience in their model.
How can contractors on the receiving end of these bid invitations be more prepared moving forward?
Be very well-versed and comfortable working with the online file-sharing programs. Some contractors are still a bit old-school. We are trying to train our contractors to not use email, but rather communicate through these collaborative programs. Be willing to collaborate directly on the file-sharing platforms.
How have you adjusted to the remote working situation in your office?
We had already implemented a VPN in the office to reserve the ability for people to work from home. The biggest challenge was the VPN provider took several weeks to add the additional licenses for remote workers. We had to expand our remote working capacity, but we are fortunate that we had a jump start on that initiative. The tricky part will be getting people back in the office full time.
How do you feel about the current Economic Outlook?
We are optimistic, much of our work is in the public sector which is cyclical based on the bonding cycle. Right now we have clients with a few years of work on the books.
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