Turnabout is fair play

For over 5 decades, Teitsch-Kent-Fay Architects, P.C. have been helping our clients improve their properties. The end result is (hopefully) beautiful, functional, and efficient. However, getting to the end result can often involve some disruption to the existing building and their routine.

Whether a residential reconstruction where the family has to live with the dust and inconvenience of construction, or an office rebuild where people are dislocated from their normal work areas, improvements to the built environment involve some significant inconvenience.

Teitsch-Kent-Fay Architects, P.C. recently experienced this situation first hand. Early in July, the carpet in our main office space was replaced with LVT, and some HVAC improvements were made. We were all very excited to be able to have some of the materials we specify for our projects in our own spaces.

The irony of this was that in order to make this happen, everyone in the office either had to move, or have their space temporarily packed with displaced furniture and equipment. After so many years of planning renovation projects, and working out temporary accommodations, there was a certain poetic justice in our spaces being impacted.

Everyone coped reasonably well with the move. Brian ended up working out of an alcove adjacent to the fish tank, Keith found himself “on display” in the conference room, Courtney ended up in a space that looked more like a furniture warehouse, and Dan and Julia doubled up in a greatly reduced office. Fortunately our interns were off for a few days, as Sam’s space didn’t exist at all for a while. However, the July weather did not cooperate particularly well, and the noise and dust levels were significantly magnified, however, we all muddled through, and the new space looks terrific. Hopefully this process has made all of us a bit more compassionate towards our clients, and the trials and tribulations they face during (much more extensive) construction interruptions.