The challenges left in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as they relate to the ways in which we design and construct the places where we live, work and play, will continue to demand innovative and forward-thinking solutions.
The pandemic and the ensuing period of recovery and return to normalcy will usher in a new era of building design – one centered on health and safety, holistic solutions and integration, sustainability and more.
The visions for these buildings will flow from the minds of architects and designers, but they’ll need an experienced technology partner to help bring make that inspiration a reality with effective design consulting, technology master planning and a keen eye for evolving technology trends.
With that in mind, here are some of the challenges building designers are likely to face in the coming year and beyond, as well as the attributes they should prioritize when selecting a technology partner to help them meet those challenges head on with innovative solutions.
The Challenges Facing Building Designers in 2021 and Beyond
After nearly a year of the pandemic wreaking havoc on the world’s industries, commercial construction is still feeling its effects. Though there’s hope that an end to this unprecedented period is on the horizon in the form of emergency approvals for multiple vaccines, the obstacles placed in front of commercial building designers aren’t going to disappear overnight.
Building designers will still have to deal with a shortage of skilled labor and widening labor gaps, as well as a reduced backlog of on-hold projects that have been keeping many companies busy while new construction projects dried up.
Commercial contractors will also need to continue to reckon with declining construction costs, further restricting revenue, and price increases that threaten to make those falling costs more impactful than they would perhaps otherwise be.
Finally, the supply chain hasn’t fully recovered from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, and logistical puzzles are sure to exist well into 2021.
These are just a handful of the issues that building designers, architects and commercial contractors are staring down as the calendar prepares to flip to 2021, and the critical need in the face of these challenges can be distilled to a simple one – these professionals need ways to ensure the projects they take on are efficient and cost-effective without sacrificing powerful, lasting results.
The Role of an Experienced Technology Partner
Experienced technology partners are ready to step in to help building designers meet that central goal, guiding them toward the most optimal, holistic technology solution for their unique building and desired outcome.
The right partner can help building designers address each of those aforementioned challenges. A well-connected and global partner can leverage supply chain efficiencies and relationships to ease some of the tension created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring that the exact right suite of technology is crafter for a space helps eliminate excess spending that threatens to derail projects and operations.
The list goes on. Expanding your horizons with more technological capabilities unlocked by a powerful partner can drive new business as backlogs shrink, and the right technology can help you do more with less in the face of the widening labor gap by bringing years of experience and expertise to the table to take some of the burden off of the building designer and their organization.
Outfitting a newly constructed building and delivering on initial promises is about more than stuffing the premises full of the latest innovations. Those innovations need to talk to one another and work together, forming a forward-looking suite ready to evolve alongside the changing technology landscape and ensure the finished space is ready to help its inhabitants be engaged and productive for years to come.
Regardless of whether you’re building a corporate headquarters, theme park attraction, museum or any other modern, connected space, technology is a necessity for competing in today’s rapidly shifting global landscape.
Immersive, interactive experiences are no longer a luxury – they’re an expectation. But that expectation can’t be met without the right technology in the right places.
Selecting the Right Technology Partner and Building Lasting Relationships
Choosing the technology partner that best fits your goals and operational needs can be a daunting task. The technological landscape of modern construction and experience design has led to an almost endless sea of options, many of which do incredible work – but how can you be sure it’s the right work for your project?
There are a number of qualities that building designers can look for in a technology master planner, each of which provides a measurable benefit to both the overall relationship between designer and technology planner and to the spaces the partnership brings to life.
As an architect or building designer, you should look for a technology partner with…
Contact Electrosonic Today
Electrosonic has more than five decades of experience bringing powerful and lasting experiences to life, and our proprietary Technology Master Planning™ methodology gives us the roadmap to continue doing so for decades to come.
Our Technology Master Planning™ process helps you develop a well-crafter plan that helps you not only get the most out of today’s solutions, but prepare to take advantage of the evolution of technology as our exciting and rapidly advancing future unfolds.
In today’s landscape, building designers, architects and commercial contractors need technology partners that can engage in thorough technology design consulting to assist them in getting their acoustical design, security, surveillance and access control, information and communications, audio, video and control systems, and overall integration exactly right the first time.
Electrosonic is ready to be that partner. To learn more about how we can help you ensure your project exceeds expectations and achieves your unique goals, contact us today.
Morgan Rottinghaus, Vice President, Strategic Partners at Electrosonic, recognizes the critical role that partners play in delivering added value to clients. She writes about the importance of connecting complementary value-added services through partnerships as a way of accelerating innovation and maximizing the benefits of technology investments.