Turning the Page On Our
COVID-19 Design Impact Series
|
|
It's been a year since we made the decision to dedicate our newsletter to addressing industry and MEP design questions, concerns and considerations brought to light during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, we went with the title "COVID-19 Design Impact Series" because series itself was open-ended.
Honestly, we didn't know how long we'd be talking about it.
But as we geared up for this edition, and looked around, we were struck by two things. First and most joyfully, the world seems to be returning to some semblance of normalcy. As a society, we've weathered the worst of the storm, and are enjoying getting back to...life.
That being said, we will never truly be finished with the A/E/C impact created by this pandemic. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. While challenging, the changes and growth we as professionals, our company as a whole, and the global industry adopted were transformational. Circumstance forced everyone to pivot (as the marketing folks like to say), and we're excited by the new direction before us.
We're ready to turn the page and close the book on this special series of Plains Talk. But first, we want to say a few final words about lessons learned, and share some insight on what the future might hold. Scroll on for a few high-level observations from our firm as a whole, and perhaps more importantly, personal perspectives and thoughts directly from our team members.
|
|
We've observed several trends emerging in the A/E/C industry, both in terms of mechanical and electrical system design, as well as contract delivery and project management. It remains to be seen where these trends will lead, if anywhere at all, but we're ready to be part of the conversation. |
|
IAQ
Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been shoved to the front of our minds in the built environment. Our Mechanical Engineers will tell you it's always been critically important, but going forward, expect clients to be more educated than ever on this topic, and expect proven results. Balancing those results, with energy savings, could be a discussion point on many projects.
Creativity
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. During the pandemic, the entire human race was forced to invent new ways of doing things out of sheer need. This was true of the A/E/C industry as well. For example, when hospitals and care facilities were overrun, we started looking at other existing spaces and considering how we could realign them to care for patients. This meant looking at hotels, convention centers, empty office buildings, etc. to find creative solutions for quickly turning them into makeshift healthcare units. We expect (and hope) this kind of creative problem-solving continues, and we start to be part of conversations that begin with "Hey, have you thought about this? We did some of it during the pandemic..."
Construction Costs
Many of us didn't expect the construction industry to rebound so quickly, or quite so robustly as we're experiencing now. But nobody anticipated the sharp increases in construction costs that have landed on the industry over the past several months. Depending on the project type, size, and schedule we are seeing year-over-year increases anywhere from 35 to 100 percent as compared to 2020. We've recently seen lumber futures start to decline, so hopefully, that means other supply chains will start to fulfill their orders and more prices will return to pre-pandemic levels. The labor shortages will likely remain for some time to come though as we all struggle to fill open positions.
|
|
IDIQs
We are already seeing a noticeable increase in the use of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contracts for a variety of owner types. In 2021 alone, WPE has been selected for five new IDIQs lasting anywhere from one to five years each. It could be that owners are experiencing a backlog of small to medium size projects that couldn't be addressed during COVID-19, and are now looking to streamline the procurement and project execution process to get them off the books...fast.
M&R
To that point, we also see a renewed urgency to address Maintenance & Repair projects. This is true across industries, but particularly noticeable in K-12 and Healthcare, two areas that found themselves scrambling to assure their facilities were safe for some of society's most vulnerable - patients and children. Many owners are now working proactively to review their building systems and make the necessary upgrades so they are prepared for future challenges - whatever they may be.
Here...Or There?
With many in the workforce going remote for some amount of time, many are likely to remain at home. Others will return to the office, and yet another group may work some hybrid combination of the two. Knowing where those we work with are may not be easy to determine, but we do know that they will always be within reach when we need to discuss our work thanks to...
Technology
One of the biggest changes in the industry appears to be in how we embrace technology, particularly as it pertains to communication. It seems everyone (present company included) became Teams experts overnight and for the most part, the reviews have been good. Our ability to connect and share ideas and documents, without spending billable hours in the car, is good for the budget, and our time management.
|
|
|
As you may remember, our team shared their perspectives working remotely and in the office in 2020. (Follow us on Facebook to read those stories.)
As we move forward, we again asked our staff to share their firsthand accounts, but this time focused on what they learned, how they changed or experienced a change in the profession, and what they see as the long-term impact for the A/E/C industry. Here is what a few of us had to say.
|
|
|
|
Nick Carr, Mechanical Designer, Sioux Falls |
"When work slowed down a little bit during the pandemic, it allowed for more time for me to focus on why we design things the way we do, especially the details that don't pop up in every project. It was nice to be able to dig into those details. I was also able to work with some of my colleagues to improve WPE's workflows by creating some standardized documents.
"Going forward, I think our industry will have a greater focus on IAQ and there will need to be a balance between energy savings vs. ventilation rates for IAQ."
|
|
|
|
Rob Armstrong, P.E., Office Manager, Casper |
"I think as a company, we worked to overcome the challenges. We may not always have had the best answers at first, but as engineers, we worked the problem and tried to develop the best path forward.
"The hope now is that we as an industry can learn from this experience and create better communications methods, and a better awareness of the built environment that our communities depend on."
|
|
|
|
|
Daren Beckloff, P.E., Power Division Manager, Rapid City |
"It struck me how easy it was for the world to be affected drastically by a global event. I think it caused us to rethink how we work (in the office or at home, how we use technology for project delivery to building client relationships).
Having had COVID myself, it was an eye-opener to realize that you need a good team to cover you if anything happens. I'm grateful to have had that kind of team.
|
|
|
|
Rick Ames, Mechanical Designer, Sioux Falls |
"One of the ways the experience changed how I work is that I now take my computer home with me more. During the pandemic, I took it home every night because you just never knew if the office would need to close. As computer upgrades are needed, I see WPE purchasing more laptops so we have the technology in place to handle more of our staff working remotely.
"For the industry, I expect more interest in building ventilation/mechanical systems to limit exposure to viruses. Likely we'll see new industry standards for building ventilation systems."
|
|
|
|
|
Chris Haman, Electrical Designer, Cedar Rapids |
"During the pandemic, I was able to study and pass my FE exam and learned to develop code in Dynamo that allows automation in Revit. It taught me working from home works for me and is a nice avenue to have.
"I think going forward the industry won't necessarily change, but what clients care about might. I expect we'll see an increase in health-focused design options in regard to HVAC and automatic devices like hand dryers, soap dispensers, etc."
|
|
|
|
Jonathan Kennedy, P.E., Electrical Engineer, Sioux Falls
"Change was not an option during 2020. There were uncomfortable moments and we learned what not to do. But overall, we were forced to learn how to not only work differently but how to interact differently.
"We learned that technology can help with that interaction AND save us money. Case in point, I was part of a virtual meeting where one individual was on a jobsite hundreds of miles away and made time to walk around the site with his smartphone, in video mode, to act as our eyes and ears. The experience wasn’t quite as detailed, but at that particular stage of the project, it provided the information we needed and avoided many hours of windshield time.
"For our industry going forward, we'll need to make it a point to continue to implement these new tools often. Ok, so maybe don't schedule an entire day of Zoom meetings, but there will be times when that is absolutely the best way to communicate and coordinate effectively and efficiently."
|
|
|
|
Jeff Reinhart, P.E., Electrical Engineer, Cedar Rapids |
"During the pandemic, I learned working from home is possible, but a lot different. I worked at home for 3 months and found that I personally got less done in more time, so I had to work longer hours at home.
"As a company, I think WPE is in a position to react better to unforeseen changes now. As an industry, I'm sure more meetings will be conducted online, which means it will be easier to schedule more meetings, but travel will be less. That could be both good and bad."
|
|
|
|
Marty Christensen, P.E., Building Services Division Manager, Sioux Falls |
|
"I learned so many things through the year...oh so many things learned!
"I learned that while I could function well at home, I did not want to spend 24/7 there for very long. I learned that you can get a lot of work done when there are no distractions or doors opening/closing to remind you that it is lunchtime or even time to go home. My family did slide a sandwich under the door for me from time to time.
"I learned that when workload is down, take the opportunity to attend virtual seminars. Many of our trade partners and vendors were gracious enough to host live online training sessions throughout the year which made it convenient to get some additional education.
"I learned that answers to questions were hard to come by and that through it all, trust what you learned in Kindergarten!
"As a firm, we had started making a shift in how we do things prior to the pandemic and continued to build on that. Some of what we went through last year confirmed the need for those changes and helped to both inform and propel the decisions we made. Providing greater flexibility and options for our staff, our operations, and our clients will ultimately be enhanced by what we learned and began implementing over the past 18 months.
|
|
"As an industry, I think our region will continue to work predominantly from the office, but with virtual meetings becoming much more the norm. I do believe that there will be other parts of the country where staff will not fully return to the office. Some may work hybrid or with firms providing for a “hoteling” station for staff to share their space with co-workers.
"I also feel that the industry will be more mindful than we had been of well-being in our design as we continue to push toward healthy spaces. We confirmed that the design philosophy and technology we have been touting for years is still the best practice for the indoor environment."
|
|
|
|
|
Kelli Crouse, Marketing Director, Rapid City |
"One thing that's been reinforced for me is the essential nature of good old-fashioned communication. Especially in stressful situations - be they a pandemic, or a project deadline - our ability to share information with one another openly and quickly changes the game.
"The marketing channels we use may go through a throw-back period of sorts in the near future. For years, things like direct mail have been shunned as "junk mail" as marketers shifted to virtual platforms like email, social, video, etc. But with the online burnout so many of us are experiencing now, we may find that printed communications are a refreshing change. (And yes, I see the irony in saying that in an electronic newsletter!)"
|
|
|
|
Isaac Anderson, P.E., Mechanical Engineer, Sioux Falls |
"I see long-term that online meetings will become the norm because it cuts down on travel time and disruption to the day. I think the entire A/E/C industry will start to embrace technology more, from online meetings to digital plan sharing.
"Mechanically, I also think that indoor air quality will be more of a focus including increased filtering, UV lights, and increased outside air rates.
"Personally, I definitely learned I could never be a teacher!
|
|
|
|
|
David Dowling, Mechanical Designer, Rapid City |
"What I took away personally was that isolating one's self is not a healthy way of life. I also became more compassionate, because you never know what struggles others are experiencing.
"I'm not sure how to say how the industry will change, because of how quickly we all tend to forget. For example, we all remember the concern with Y2K. But it will be interesting to see."
|
|
|
|
Matt VonHaden, P.E., Electrical Engineer, Rapid City |
"I learned that I'm more productive in the office and working with people, together.
"On Zoom calls, it's sometimes tough to get information across or breeze by topics of discussion.
"I think moving ahead there will always be a Zoom meeting or video conference calls, but I hope we also recognize and embrace the importance of meeting face-to-face."
|
|
|
|
|
Doug Feterl, P.E., President, Rapid City |
"We at WPE learned a great deal about ourselves and the business as mentioned above. We have great employees, I already knew that.
"WPE learned to adapt to what seemed like a never-ending stream of changes. Communication methods, work location, internet bandwidth issues, supply chains, etc. It taught us patience as well as the importance of being proactive.
"Personally, I am more productive while in the office, periodic work from home is ok but far from optimal for me.
"One of the best parts of 2021: The buzzwords and phrases of the pandemic are behind us!"
|
|
|
|
Taking Care of Business.
It's a phrase we adopted during the pandemic. Call it a tag-line (or a 70s song lyric), but it rang true for us.
Whatever was thrown our way, we knew the one thing we could control was how we cared for those around us. Our clients, staff, communities and families - what's always been most important to our business is taking care of people.
As many of us return to our offices, we hope you're well and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Take care of yourselves, take care of your business, and reach out if we can help with either.
If it's been a while, check out the links to the right for more information on our firm services and capabilities.
|
|
|
West Plains Engineering News |
|
National Guard Holds Ribbon Cutting for New AASF |
|
Our team was honored to be on hand for the official ribbon-cutting of the new South Dakota Army National Guard Army Aviation Support Facility Readiness Center in Rapid City. The $20 million facility was celebrated by some of South Dakota's top leadership, including Governor Kristi Noem, Representative Dusty Johnson, Major General Jeffrey Marlette, and several other members of the National Guard.
The building features an assembly hall, unit storage, arms vaults, catering kitchen, administrative offices, learning center, classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, locker/restrooms, physical training space, break room/patio, and a general-purpose work bay. The site modifications also provided a secure new access control point with a guardhouse and gate system to meet anti-terrorism and force protection requirements.
Learn more about the facility, including the use of geothermal HVAC and a solar wall, and view additional photos by visiting our website.
|
|
Rapid City Office Manager Mike Sigman and Architects David Clark and Carol Coover-Clark (Coover-Clark Architects) got the opportunity to discuss some of the features of the building with Governor Noem. |
|
The 58,700 square foot facility serves 163 personnel and was designed in accordance with LEED V4 criteria with the goal of attaining LEED Silver Certification. |
|
Welcome Nate Reynhout!
Please join us in welcoming Nate Reynhout to the WPE team! Nate is a graduate of South Dakota State University and came on board in our Sioux Falls office in June as an Electrical Designer.
|
|
|
|
Welcome (Back) Dalton Buck!
We're also pleased to welcome back SDSU Mechanical Engineering student Dalton Buck in the Sioux Falls office as a summer intern. Dalton spent the summer of 2020 with us, and is back for more!
|
|
|
|
Rapid City, SD | Sioux Falls, SD | Casper, WY | Cedar Rapids, IA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
