JL Architects

Lisa Lister

The “Back To The Office” Debate – Stay Tuned!

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“To be or not to be back to the office?” That is the debate question that continues as we progress through the COVID 19 pandemic. Personal and professional opinions span the spectrum from YES, we should return (now, sometime soon, a year from now, etc.) and NO, we should not return to the office (now, next year, ever, etc.)

What lies beyond subjective opinion? A few studies provide a quick look at some objective science. Two early 2022 Owl Labs Studies validated views of remote/hybrid work indicating remote and hybrid employees were 22% happier and stayed in their jobs longer than workers in an onsite office environment. Remote employees also had less stress, more focus and were more productive than when they worked in the office. Better work/life balance and physical and mental well-being of employees also were achieved.

Another study by Ergotron sampled 1,000 full-time workers and found workers have become more acclimated to hybrid and remote office environments. The hybrid workplace model has empowered employees to reclaim physical health, as well as witnessing mental health benefits. A total of 56% of employees cited mental health improvements, better work-life balance and more physical activity. Some major highlights from the study include:

• Job Satisfaction. Most employees (88%) agree that the flexibility to work from home or the office has increased their job satisfaction.
• Physical health. Three-quarters of respondents (75%) stated that they are physical moving more frequently and have a more active work style when working remotely.
• Work-life balance. Seventy-five percent (75%) of respondents stated their work-life balance improved as a result of hybrid or remote working.
• Comfortable work environments. Sixty-two percent (62%) said improved workspaces with comfortable, ergonomic furniture are important and improve company culture.
• Wellness programs. More than seventy-five percent (76%) revealed that their employers implemented wellness programs to support mental and physical health, with 30% of those being brand new since the onset of the pandemic.


A Tallo (student online platform) study indicated:

• The majority of Generation Z prefer hybrid work and 74% noted a job preference that offered both remote and in-person opportunities.
• 86% felt confident they will be just as productive working remotely.
• In 2019, 51% of Gen Z considered location a very important factor in their job search. Mid-pandemic, that number dropped to 39%.

Closing Thought
The aversion to going back to the office is based more on a reluctance to going back to what the physical workplace represents. Workers look to the company culture as the top factor in where they work. A positive company culture is critical to success and well-being of employees and the company.

The work space is transforming from what we used to know. The purpose of the office is being redefined to become a collaborative space. The office will be a kind of space where workers can do in an office environment what they cannot do at home. Creativity and collaboration will happen in that space and will ultimately lead to the redesigning of offices, and repurposing of offices and the office environment.

-Glenn Ebersole, Director of Business Development


The “Great Resignation” and The War for Talent in the AEC Industry – Post Pandemic

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COVID-19 pandemic changed the fundamentals of the economy and multiple sectors of the economy, including the AEC industry. One of the greatest impacts has been on employment, as witnessed by an average of 4 million individuals quitting their jobs in the first quarter of 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The “Great Resignation” is a term used to label this phenomenon that arose from a wide gamut of reasons. Those departing their workplaces stated they left for better pay or remote-friendly working conditions, to start their own businesses or quit with no firm plans but were confident they could find a better job in a rebounding economy.

Focus on Impact in AEC Firms

AEC firms must develop effective strategies to deal with future disruptions to be successful and sustainable. An AEC firm must determine whether to continue only in its core business and adjust or reinvent themselves to respond to the changing market environment. Business agility and competitive advantage are success factors that require attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent.

The AEC industry is and has been vulnerable to employment adversity. The pandemic intensified the shortage of white-collar talent as Baby Boomers retired earlier than expected and others quit for better opportunities. The number of active and passive job seekers increased because they were dissatisfied with how their firm dealt with adapting to the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Lesson Learned About Firm Image or Brand Impact

One of the most impactful lessons learned about retaining and attracting the most qualified skills and experienced talent for an AEC firm is to absolutely ensure the firm presents a highly visible, positive and attractive image or brand to the marketplace. Here are a few ways to achieve that desired brand.

Establish a Strong Positive AEC Firm Brand

Research shows that company culture is one of the most important things a candidate considers when seeking a new job. More than 50% of all job seekers will avoid firms with a poor reputation. Top prospects seek a firm that is already known for its positive reputation as a great place to work by current and prospective employees. A positive culture also is a key factor to retaining talent.

Learn and Understand What is Important to Top Prospects

It is imperative to learn and know what is important to top prospects. Many employers still mistakenly believe that money is the most important consideration to a candidate. The truth is that research shows company culture is the number one consideration and that compensation ties at a distant second behind a desire for strong leadership and a clear vision for the future.

Continuously Monitor and Proactively Manage the AEC Firm Brand

The ubiquitous nature of the Internet requires a firm to ensure their reputation is untarnished by actively managing it online. This means combining SEO and digital PR strategies to help distribute content demonstrating good corporate citizenship and positive accomplishments.

Final Thought

The new reality or “The New Abnormal” continues to evolve as we move through the pandemic. The Great Resignation trend demonstrates a changing employment dynamic where talent must adjust to a new way of working. NOW is the time to look at this as an opportunity rather than strictly as a challenge!

-Glenn Ebersole, Director of Business Development, JL Architects

The Importance of the AEC Industry to Economic Growth in 2022 and Beyond

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Why is the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) industry so important to the U.S. economy? The AEC industry represents planning, designing, constructing and maintaining the building blocks of our communities. Buildings, roads, bridges, airports, railways, ports and all of our infrastructure would not exist without the AEC industry. It also means that there would not be any offices, factories, stores or warehouse/distribution centers. These and other buildings constitute the fundamental foundations of a strong economy. 

The importance of the AEC industry economic impact will be even greater post pandemic. The outlook for the industry in the U.S. is positive growth for 2022 and beyond. One major factor for this positive view is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684), which is a five-year, $1.2 trillion package providing historic levels of infrastructure funding.  

Indeed, 2022 may identify as the start of several banner years, since much of the monumental new federal infrastructure spending is not expected to reach markets until later this year at the earliest. Yet, it is wise to recognize that pressure from labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and high prices materials prices could moderate growth.  

The AEC industry is expected to benefit from an improving broader national economy. The economic outlook remains quite optimistic, according to several economists’ forecasts of a projected overall economic growth rate in 2022 of between 3.5% to 4.5%.  

Initial funding allocated by the recently signed infrastructure bill is anticipated to start impacting civil engineering firms in late 2022. Civil engineering firms will benefit from initial engagements requiring the study and design of infrastructure projects. 

Architecture has always been a mirror of the creative, engineering and technological expertise of a community over a period of time. The enormous pressure of our growing U.S. population has escalated the value of land as a commodity. The type and scale of development planned on a valuable piece of land is driven by maximizing the economic potential of that land. Therefore, architecture can be a useful tool for economic growth in a region.  

Historic architecture has helped produce a significant source of revenue from tourism which improves the economy. People travel far and wide to see relevant places with historical backgrounds. Tourism also creates a need for maintenance and repair of historically important structures.  

The architectural practice of retrofitting or adaptively reusing spaces means restoring a building’s character in an historically accurate way, but then it is used as a different space than its original purpose. This translates to increased revenue from the building, as well as achieving the recognition it deserves from people who visit from around the world. 

A bullish long-term economic outlook for construction work is associated with infrastructure that will depend upon the infusion of new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, according to sources from Dodge Data & Analytics 

However, the reality is that the outlook for the AEC sector is not all smooth sailing in 2022. Supply chain disruptions will continue to interfere with project schedules and contribute to price inflation of various construction materials during 2022 and likely into 2023. 

Supplies of many critical materials, including many needed for construction, have experienced shortages that resulted in spiking prices in such materials as softwood lumber, oil, natural gas, or other inputs in production. 

Trucking shortages and logistical congestion at ports continue to contribute to the supply chain problems and the resulting inflated prices for construction materials. Higher prices are now pretty widespread across most materials that are used in the construction space. There is a feeling that materials prices will moderate, rather than decline in the future.  

A critical shortage of skilled labor continues to be a chronic problem in the AEC sector. It has been reported that there are currently just under 350,000 unfilled positions in the construction industry. This is a systemic problem rather than a temporary phenomenon and could certainly dampen construction starts in 2022. 

The architecture and engineering professions are also being impacted by the skilled labor shortage and possibly more serious than it is in construction. The current scarcity of architects and engineers results from a combination of factors. A large number of baby boomers are retiring. These older, more experienced professionals are departing from the work force and architecture and engineering firms are struggling to replace them.  

Companies are struggling to find adequate replacements for retiring senior staff members. It is not possible to replace a 65-year-old architect or engineer with 40 years of experience with a junior architect or engineer right out of college. A disconcerting question has been raised about whether firms will even be able to perform the work because of the shortage of talent. 

AEC industry wages are rising faster than they have for many years because of the shortage of talent. So, architectural and engineering firms find themselves in a quandary. If the firms do not increase pricing, that will put a significant crunch on profits. Professional fees have been artificially low for years in the AEC industry and perhaps now there is some headroom to increase pricing. 

Architecture and engineering firms must be diligent to ensure that they have the necessary staffing levels to keep pace with the growth in job prospects. The emphasis may shift to finding people to do the work rather than finding the work over the next year or two. 

Overall, the AEC industry can expect to enjoy significant gains in 2022 and beyond. Business profitability in the sector is expected to remain on an upward trajectory. However, it is essential to watch for disruptors that may occur to alter expectations. 

Limited resources and the impact of development on our environment and society present ongoing challenges. Sustainability factors are paramount to successful project outcomes in the AEC industry, from exceeding performance requirements to improving cost control. Sustainability must be “Front and Center” within the AEC industry to produce positive outcomes for the social, economic and well-being of our world and its people.  

-Glenn Ebersole, Director of Business Development

Warehousing and Distribution – Post Pandemic Impacts

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Warehousing and distribution have experienced an enormous level of positive and negative impacts from the COVID pandemic. Various vaccines are being rolled out and some countries are beginning to make progress to get the coronavirus under control. So, now may be an appropriate time to start turning some attention to the recovery from the pandemic and entering a “new normal.”

Certain COVID impacts like wearing masks, keeping a 6-foot physical distance from others and remote learning still may be with us a while longer but on a temporary basis. However, the impact of COVID on warehousing and distribution is going to have long and lasting effects throughout the world.

The supply chain has stabilized somewhat, and short-term adjustments have been made to warehousing and distribution to meet customer demand as best as possible. What will warehousing and distribution look like post pandemic? What impacts are expected that will reshape the supply chain in the near and long term? Here are some thoughts on some of those impacts.

Continued Physical (aka Social) Distancing

Physical distancing will continue even after COVID is no longer a threat and mask mandates go away. It might not be 6-feet, but warehouses will continue to keep workers spread further apart than they were pre-COVID. This distancing could include keeping and maintaining one-way traffic aisles, sanitization stations and designated work areas. Some form of physical distancing is here to stay to ensure the overall health and safety of the workforce and to prevent the spread of a future pandemic, as well as the common cold or flu viruses.

Accelerated eCommerce Growth

The COVID pandemic did not initiate the eCommerce boom, but it undoubtedly is responsible for the surge in demand. Forbes reported that COVID accelerated eCommerce growth 4 to 6 years. One example statistic shows that total online spending in May 2020 was up 77% year over year. Warehouse and distribution centers are not new to eCommerce, but they are struggling to keep pace with the rapid increase in demand.

Some consumers are looking forward to return to in-store shopping, but the data suggests the eCommerce boom will not diminish when COVID subsides. A recent Bizrate Insights survey found “60% of shoppers reported buying product online instead of in-store due to COVID-19, and 32% expect to continue to shop online”.

The sustained impact of increased eCommerce orders has caused warehouses to pivot from case picking to pallets destined for retail locations to picking individual pieces into boxes to be shipped direct to the end-user customers. This represents a major impact for material flow, processes and storage technologies as the warehouse makes the shift from full case to split case picking.

Increased Omni-Channel Distribution

The eCommerce boom is here to stay and so is omni-channel distribution. Omni-Channel includes responding to customer demand and letting the customer purchase from anywhere (in-store, online) and delivering the product where they would like (ship to home, pickup in store, curbside pickup). This also includes the return of the product (ship to return or return in-store) known as reverse logistics. This leaves warehouse and distribution centers looking for advanced processes, technologies and software to support omni-channel distribution.

Mini-Distribution from Stores

Customers are demanding faster shipments and retail businesses will need to look to leverage existing brick and mortar locations as mini-distribution centers. They will aim to build a larger distribution network without a large investment.

Equipping existing retail store locations with distribution capabilities can be more cost effective than partnering with a 3PL (third party logistics) or establishing additional warehouses. The deployment of right inventory management software and a compact storage device makes it possible and cost effective to transform an existing back storeroom into a mini-distribution center.

Just In Time (JIT) Changing to Just In Case (JIC)

Most manufacturers had adopted lean manufacturing as a best practice prior to the pandemic. Receiving goods just-in-time (JIT) for manufacturing kept inventory costs down and utilized space more efficiently. COVID hit and this lean strategy left many manufacturers with inventory shortages and in some cases caused production to stop completely.

Lean manufacturing will remain a best practice, but manufacturers will keep more inventory (Just In Case – buffer stock) on hand to prevent future inventory shortages leading to production shutdowns.

Increased Cold Storage Demand

COVID’s impact caused some sectors of eCommerce to grow at a faster rate than others. One of the fastest growing eCommerce sectors is grocery. Consumers fought online for grocery pickup times when COVID first hit. Today, many consumers are not headed back into the store, preferring online pickup to an in-store visit.

Increased online grocery demand, the decline in dining out, along with a growing need for storage of flowers, poultry, berries, beef and pharmaceuticals has increased the demand for cold warehousing. Cold storage adds significant costs to a warehouse, so warehouses will look to use automation to manage smaller, more efficient temperature-controlled storage warehouses

 Increased Warehouse Automation

Warehouse automation has increased and has been gaining steady traction for years. COVID will increase the speed of its adoption. Warehouses will turn to automated storage and retrieval systems to help reclaim floor space and improve the efficiencies of their workforce.

Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) can recover up to 85% of existing floor space when compared to standard shelving. Warehouses need this additional capacity to meet post-COVID challenges. Combined with pick to light systems and integrated inventory management software, ASRS can help warehouses solve labor challenges and manage unpredictable spikes in demand.

Smaller Decentralized Warehouse Locations

Customers are expecting same-day or next-day delivery and manufacturers will seek to decentralize their warehouse locations. Being closer to the customer decreases transportation costs and reduces the risk of supply chain disruption if there is a delay/interruption in one part of the country, but not another.

Some manufacturers will look to establish these decentralized warehouse facilities in key locations while others might seek to utilize established 3PLs. When new satellite distribution centers are established, warehouses will seek to use high density automation to keep the warehouse footprint small and limit the initial investment and ongoing required labor costs.

The Bottom Line

Change has been happening at an exponential rate. Dr. Peter Diamandis, international pioneer in the fields of innovation, incentive competitions and commercial space, reminds us that “The only constant is change, and the rate of change is increasing.”

Now, companies are creating contingency plans for their contingency plans. An unpredictable future means warehouse and distribution centers will look to be as adaptable and flexible as possible. Their main focus will be on agility and how to best utilize space and efficiently manage labor, their biggest expense.

-Glenn Ebersole, Director of Business Development

How Will Demountable Walls Benefit Your Office?

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As most people know, big changes are happening in the office space due to the pandemic. What does that mean for corporate interior projects? As more people include working from home in their weekly schedule, offices are not holding as many people at one time as they previously were. This can lead to empty desks and underutilized space. With demountable partition walls, an office can easily adapt to the changing needs of the company that occupies it.

JL Architects has enjoyed learning from COFCO and Allsteel about how they can accommodate the everchanging needs of our clients. Their demountable partition walls run along a track attached to the floor and/or ceiling. Solid, glass, and acoustical panels are placed within the tracks and can be removed and replaced easily. The versatility and flexibility of demountable walls allows companies to change their interior layout from individual offices into a conference room or a break room into a flex space, all over one weekend or even over one night! Panel options include material type, color, mullion and track profile, door frame profile, and door type. This creates opportunities for companies to easily upgrade their appearance and provide attractive functional space that will help draw staff back to the office.

Customizing your office space has never been easier than with demountable walls. The freedom to change interior layouts to fit the needs of companies and their employees will be an advantage for the corporate world, now and into the future.

-Sydney Hitchens, Architectural Designer

AEC Firms Need Agile Office Environments For A Multigenerational Workforce

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The AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) industry is witnessing the multigenerational workforce expanding with the Z Generation preparing to move into the workplace and the Millennials increasing their presence to become the largest segment of the total workforce in the United States. Competition for new talent and retention of existing talent keeps increasing and AEC business leaders recognize they must focus on providing a workplace that will attract and appeal to the new majority of workers in a multigenerational workforce without negative effects on the more established Gen X and Baby Boomers.

Conversations abound about generation gaps, generational differences and maximizing business development, marketing strategies and talent acquisition across the generations. A strategic analysis is essential to comprehend and plan for the differences between the generations and the impacts these differences will have in various aspects of people’s personal and professional lives.

Look at the composition of the multigenerational workforce and some general characteristics of each generation.

Traditionalists (born before 1945). They are still represented in today’s workforce for a variety of reasons. They tended to stay at a job for life, had a slow and steady career path and looked at work as an obligation. The numbers of traditionalists in the workforce represent 2% of the workforce,

Baby Boomers (born between 1946-65). They are hard workers often characterized by a sense of stability, formality and responsibility. They expected to work and valued a sense of loyalty to their employer with an upward mobility career path. They now represent 25% of the US workforce, as compared to 50% in 1994.

Gen X or Next Gen (born between 1966-77). They view work as a difficult challenge. They want work – life balance, understand what options they have for their career path and when to change jobs for more compensation. They now represent 33% of the US workforce.

Gen Y or Millennials (born between 1978-95). This group views work as a means to an end. They frequently change jobs and are career multi-taskers. They want to be connected with more senior coworkers that are leaders and mentors. They are “technology natives” having grown up with the Internet. They now represent 35% of the US workforce.

Gen Z or Generation 2020 (born after 1995). Millennials are comfortable with technology, while Gen Z is totally integrated with technology. Major concerns are expressed about this generation’s lack of interpersonal skills. A high rate of home schooling and one stay-at-home-parent has led to a strong work ethic, as well as the desire for structure, order and predictability.  They currently represent 5% of the workforce, as they are just beginning to enter the workforce as workers or work/study program participants and their impact is still to be determined.

In 2022, four or five generations could be working in the same AEC office. Planners, designers and developers must design and provide office space to accommodate a multigenerational workforce rather than limiting the office design parameters to Millennial preferences, which are constantly evolving and often based on stereotypes.

Facilitating meaningful connections and collaborations between employees in AEC firms helps bridge the information gap between more seasoned employees and new talent. Spaces that are designed to encourage informal connections bring people together and enhance the type of social learning that builds culture and transfers knowledge from one generation to another.

Baby Boomers may be comfortable with traditional and transitional office layouts. Gen X needs a clear separation or balance between work life and personal life. Millennials are often more comfortable with blurred boundaries and being able to flow freely between work and personal activities. Therefore, workplaces need to have flexible multi-use spaces to accommodate these differences.

Indications are that Generation Z will find more success in the workplace when the intended use of space is obvious. Clarity about the intent of spaces and how to use the tools and amenities will help to set a common understanding across all generations. This will ease anxiety and lessen conflict that could arise from differing expectations.

Different working styles of the evolving multigenerational workforce must also be considered.  Innovative and agile work spaces need to be created for the AEC workplace that support different working styles that allow employees to work the way they want to work.

Agility is a key strategic word relative to the future of AEC workspaces. Office environments must be space-efficient and productive with dynamic, activity-based layouts that appeal to people of different generations and with different job functions.

Today’s agile AEC office environments must offer a combination of open space, conference rooms and private secluded spaces. This environment allows employees to collaborate and work alongside their co-workers while offering a more focused environment for workers that require phone calls or a quiet atmosphere to complete tasks. AEC employees also need access to the space for private meetings or conversations.

“I think we will continue to see an increase in alternative spaces and environments, along with more immersive technology. Technology which is connected to more analog methods of communicating will become even more important as the tools and methods of creating become more varied and personal. There is becoming less and less of a reason for the majority of workers to go to a traditional workplace, so places that offer variety and flexibility will become more important to not only workers and employers but also to cities and neighborhoods.”  Nicolai Czumaj-Bront, Haworth Design Lead – Europe

 –Glenn Ebersole, Director of Business Development