Anderson Brulé Architects is checking in with the team as they work at home. Get personal insight on how we’re coping, working, and staying sane. In this post, read how junior interior designer Rachel Quach goes about her day.
What's your day like?
It’s not much different from before to be honest: wake up, work, eat, chores, then sleep. I’ve enjoyed being able to work uninterrupted but have found that if I don’t set reminders to take breaks from time to time, I tend to keep going until the day is long gone since there’s always something else to do.
What's changed (other than the obvious)?
Since I don’t have to be anywhere, I get a lot more done now, whether it’s work or personal projects.
What's stayed the same?
Organizing my schedule and creating an established routine for myself is still challenging. Before the shelter in place, it was typically external factors—such as work, friends, social gatherings—that determined what I did and when. With the quarantine, I’m now in charge of my own time. It’s nice in a sense that I have the freedom to do more of what I want, but daunting in now having too much opportunity at hand.
How are you working?
I have a personal laptop that I use as my main workstation. My laptop, iPad, and phone all have Outlook, Teams, and Zoom downloaded, so I’m online and available at all times if anyone from the office needs to get in touch with me. Communication is important to keep things moving during this period.
What was a must have from the office?
Having multiple screens to work with. Being able to refer to several documents and work in different programs at the same time without needing to open and close various folders or tabs was a convenience I took for granted at the office.
How are you adjusting to the change of pace?
I miss the active hobbies of my life, like exercising at the gym or playing sports with my friends, but I’ve been keeping busy in the meantime with my more sedentary pastimes, like knitting and sketching. I have quite a few side projects I’ve been neglecting, so it's nice to have the time to pick them up again.
