As part of the Universitys COVID-19 Preparedness Committee, a host of personal protective equipment is being 3D printed and fabricated to safeguard medical personnel.

Looking like something right out of a Hollywood horror film, smoke billowed from the patient simulators mouth and nose, filling a pyramid-shaped acrylic chamber that encased the mannequins head.

Standing nearby was Dr. Richard McNeer, an anesthesiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The chamber, he observed, was working flawlessly, preventing the smokein this case, theatrical fog used to mimic COVID-19 respiratory particlesfrom reaching him and the team of other health care experts who had gathered to test the device as part of a mock intubation procedure.

But then, McNeer had one of those aha moments. He discovered that a Yankauer, a special suctioning tool used in many medical procedures, could actually evacuate most of the aerosol particles if it were positionedprior to intubationstrategically near the opening of the mannequins vocal cords.

It was a serendipitous discovery, McNeer recalled. Suction has been used to remove everything from stomach contents to blood. But this is perhaps the first time its been considered for use in suctioning out aerosols. This is something that can be done upstream of just about any of the other strategies and safety measures to prevent exposure to the virus during intubation.

A formidable one-two punch, the chamber, or intubation box, and suction tubing are part of a broad University of Miami initiative to 3D print and fabricate devices and personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical personnel on the front lines of the war against COVID-19.

From low-cost ventilators and powered air-purifying respirators to surgical helmets, filter caps for N95 masks, and even nasal swabs used to test for the coronavirus, a multitude of products are either in the design and testing phase or, as is the case with the intubation box, in actual use.

Departments and divisions from across the University are involved in the endeavor, helping to ramp up stockpiles of medical supplies at a time when demand has outpaced supply.

Were responding to the needs of all those in the health care field who are caring for COVID-19 patients. Thats our guiding principle, said Jean-Pierre Bardet, vice provost of strategic projects, who is spearheading the Universitys COVID-19 Preparedness Committee.

Doctors and nurses still need better PPEs. And when the crisis subsides, the public will need more effective personal protection and more testing, Bardet said. How will we address those challenges? How will we deal with the second COVID-19 wave? Ventilators are no longer in short supply in the U.S., but what about other parts of the world like South America? Our goal is to produce badly needed supplies and equipment that will be used, not squandered.

Global pandemics, said Jeffrey Duerk, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, require local responses and quick action by the entire community. It has been impressive to see the mobilization of faculty, student talent, and institutional leadership in responding to emerging and evolving needs.

Of all the fabrication projects now underway, the intubation boxes are at the most advanced stage, with physicians and nurses at Ryder Trauma Center, Jackson Memorial Hospital, and Nicklaus Childrens Hospital already using them as protective shields during certain medical procedures.

Made from acrylic, the reusable, clear enclosure covers a patients head and has two circular ports through which an anesthesiologist inserts his gloved hands and arms to perform an airway procedure.

We knew that anesthesiologists were at risk of being exposed to splatter and respiratory droplets when performing intubations, so we were trying to find a way to protect them, said Suresh Atapattu, a biomedical engineer at the Miller Schools International Medicine Institute. Were not anesthesiologists, but we wanted to come up with something to help those physicians at the tip of the spear in this fight.

As Atapattu and cardiologist Eduardo de Marchena, associate dean for international medicine, searched for a solution, they found inspiration from half a world a way. A physician in Taiwan, they learned, had constructed and used a clear barrier device to protect health care workers when intubating COVID-19 patients.

So Atapattu quickly sprung into action, designing a version of the box and then driving to a local Lowes home improvement store to buy the acrylic to build it. He constructed the first prototype in the garage of his Plantation, Florida, home, using Crystal Clear Gorilla Tape to attach the sheets of acrylic, and a Dremel tool to create the ports.

It was a learning process from the very beginning, Atapattu recalled of building the first box. The design had to be clean, which meant we couldnt use screws to attach the sheets because there couldnt be any places inside where the virus could hide.

He initially built two boxes, giving one to Nicklaus Childrens Hospital, where pediatricians praised the functionality of the design, and another to McNeer, who tested the device on a patient simulator at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies Simulation Hospital for Advancing Research and Education (SHARE).

In the latter case, the box turned out to be a bit cumbersome. So, McNeer and two nursing school clinical faculty members, who participated in the testing phase, reimagined the design. They suggested to Atapattu that the boxes be pyramid-shaped and collapsible, so they could be easily stored when not in use.

With the design now finalized, Atapattu turned to the School of Architecture, where Maxwell Jarosz, architect and manager of the fabrication lab and model shop, employed a precision laser cutter to build more intubation boxes. The lines are now cleaner, and the design is more prism-shaped, Atapattu said. But the key elements are still thereacrylic and Gorilla Tape.

Six of the boxes were recently delivered to Ryder Trauma Center, where McNeer works as an anesthesiologist, performing airway procedures on patients who are brought in with serious and often life-threatening injuries.

Sometimes, we have to intubate them because of the injuries theyve sustained, not knowing if theyre COVID-19 positive or not, he explained. Weve intubated patients who have subsequently been shown to have the virus. Were trying to protect ourselves as much as possible. But its different than what a lot of the frontline caregivers are experiencing, where they know that a patient is COVID positive. In our situation, we have to prioritize. If a patient is febrile, we treat them like theyre COVID-19 positive.

A total of 30 intubation boxes will be fabricated, with the College of EngineeringJohnson & Johnson 3D Printing Center of Excellence Collaborative Laboratory donating additional acrylic to complete the construction phase.

A lot of architects have skill sets that are valuable, knowing about 3D printing for one, Jarosz said. Doctors can do a very good job describing what they need, but because of their clinical obligations, they arent always able to make it. So, weve been able to contribute in that regard. Its been a very interesting collaborationone I thought Id never be in but am happy to be a part of.

As for the suction tube to be used in tandem with the intubation box, Jarosz is working with McNeer on a design that is more ergonomically friendly. Once the design is finalized, the tubes will be 3D printed in mass quantities at the School of Architecture.

Were exploring some modifications so that were able to perform the suctioning while staying out of the way of the person who is inserting the endotracheal tube, McNeer said. And we want to make sure that were better able to place it in the proper position before the intubation is attempted. The aerosol is generated once you start to look for the vocal cords. So, the actual suctioning has to be started before then.

A prototype will be ready soon. Im anxious to see how it performs in the simulation hospital, McNeer said.

The intubation box and use of periglottic suctioning, as it is formally called, are applicable not only to anesthesiologists, but to anyone in the medical field performing intubations, said Jeffrey Groom, professor of clinical and associate dean for Simulation Programs at SHARE, who participated in the simulations.

From paramedics in the pre-hospital setting to emergency department personnel to physicians and nurses, as well as the anesthesia and ICU folks, it has implications across the health care setting, said Groom, a former City of Miami paramedic for 12 years. Beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic, the routine use of barrier boxes and periglottic suctioning should be considered for use with all endotracheal intubation procedures where there may be an exposure or infection risk.

Nichole Crenshaw, assistant professor of clinical and director of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, who performed the mock intubation procedure at the nursing school, recognizes the critical need for health care workers to protect themselves as the pandemic continues to rage.

Being a part of this project has been a way to make sure were all staying safe, said Crenshaw. Theres been a heightened sense of taking care of each other during this crisis. And, thats what has stood out to me more than anything.

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Engineers, architects, nurses, and doctors team up to protect health care workers - University of Miami

Project Manager with Revit (5-7 years experience)

The Architects Collective (TAC) is a group of designers working collaboratively to enrich the lives of people through the practice of architecture. Each member of the collective applies their unique perspective, skills, expertise, and creative approach to the process of analysis, design and implementation of projects. By working in a collective, both the design process and results are rich and multi-layered. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

TAC works with project owners to design mixed-use and multi-family projects including both affordable housing and market-rate. We apply decades of design and construction experience to studying, testing, and enhancing the qualities that make successful built environments.

We are looking for an experienced Project Manager to help support the firms continued growth. As a self-directed and independent member of our team, you will:

Requirements:

TAC is an equal opportunity employer. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, and the opportunity to grow with our team in a collaborative studio environment. All applicants should submit a portfolio with CV and references to info@thearchitectscollective.com. Please specify job title in the subject line. No phone calls, please. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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The Architects Collective is hiring a Project Manager in Los Angeles, CA, US - Archinect

Oliver Chapman Architects has added a garden room to a house in Edinburgh, combining an Arts and Crafts approach with smart-home technologies.

Flitch House is an extension to an end-of-terrace family homein Trinity, built in 1895 by prominent local architect Alexander Hunter Crawford.

To respect the house's architectural character, the extension is designed by Oliver Chapman Architects asa contemporary interpretation of the Arts and Crafts style a movement that promoted traditional craftsmanship and honest use of materials, rather than mass production.

The garden-room extension celebrates its construction, with brick walls visible both inside and out, a pattern of ceiling beams exposed overhead, and custom furniture elements dotted throughout.

However unlike the Arts and Crafts houses of the 19th and early 20th century, the building also embraces technology, with integrated gadgets including wireless lighting and automated blinds.

The architects describe it as"Arts and Crafts without the bell pull".

"Many of the ideals of Arts and Crafts materiality, craft, open and connected spaces scaled to different uses are virtues that continue to be highly valued in architecture today," explained project architect Nick Green.

"The movement initially arose as a rebellion against mass production and a wave of industrialisation," he continued, "but in today's world it is modern product developments that are allowing us to maximise the performance of our building elements and create details that make the most of the materials we use."

Digital devices are not the only use of technology in Flitch House.

As the project name suggests, the design includes Flitch Beams, which are dual-beams with steel ribbons sandwiched into the centre.These give additional strength to the roof structure, allowing it to lift up at the edges, to preserve views over the Firth of Forth.

In line with the Arts and Crafts approach, these details are left uncovered and visible.

A pale Danish brick was chosen for the walls, to contrast but complement the original red brick.

"Our approach at Flitch House was to choose materials which could be both structural and aesthetic," Green told Dezeen.

"While the new walls and roof are necessarily not as simple as they appear, with insulation and waterproofing membranes hidden from view, they nevertheless allow the basic construction of the building to be read and understood clearly."

A split-level floor divides the extension into two rooms. On the upper level is a dining space, connected to the family kitchen, while the lower level is more of a conservatory space.

Architectural details help to give these rooms extra character. Steps integrate upholstered seating areas and storage, while a projecting corner creates a reading nook, furnished with a bookcase and sofa.

There's also a mini recessed kitchen, lined in Douglas fir joinery, which provides a space for preparing drinks.

"Intimate spaces, or nooks, are characteristic of Arts and Crafts houses, and we were keen to develop this idea in a contemporary approach," explained Green.

"Our clients enjoy entertaining and so we designed this nook as a discreet bar area off the new dining area, allowing the main space to be as open as possible," he said."It references the existing panelled alcove around the fireplace in the kitchen."

The space is finished with a micro-concrete floor, which matches the colour of the garden terrace beyond.

Previous house renovation in Edinburgh include architecture studio Archer + Braun red sandstone extension to a Victorian villaandIzat Arundell conversion of a former blacksmith's workshopinto a compact apartment.

Photography is by Angus Bremner.

Project credits:

Architect: Oliver Chapman ArchitectsStructural engineer: David Narro AssociatesQuantity surveyor: Thomson GrayMain contractor: Ballina Construction

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Oliver Chapman Architects combines technology and craft in Flitch House - Dezeen

Miller Architects & Builders recently started construction on Encore On The Park luxury apartments in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The community features 105 luxury apartment homes with modern features and convenient access to many of the city's amenities.

The community features 105 luxury apartment homes, will be situated close to nearby retailers with convenient access to many of the citys amenities. Located next to Heritage Park, Encore On The Park will feature three stories of upscale apartment homes surrounding a courtyard with a walking path and access to Heritage Park. Also, two attached enclosed parking garages with a car wash, and one 18-stall detached garage.

Encore On The Park will consist of studio, 1-, 2-bedroom apartment homes and offer views of Heritage Park. The three levels of wood-framed apartments will wrap around a courtyard with a patio, barbecue area, sport court for basketball and pickle ball, and a dog park. The ground floor will include a beautiful two-story lobby with fireplace, a mail center, community room, 3-season porch, and fitness center. The second and third floor will also include a resident business center, yoga room, and game room.

Interiors of the pet-friendly apartment homes will be equipped with modern features such as energy-efficient stainless-steel appliances, in-unit washers/dryers, granite counters, tile backsplashes, luxury vinyl flooring, patios or balconies. Included in the apartment homes, the community will feature one guest suite.

Encore On The Park will open in the summer of 2021.

Miller Architects & Builders, LLC, St. Cloud, MN, is a full-service architectural and construction firm providing design/build, architectural design, pre-construction, construction, and construction management services for commercial projects in the upper Midwest. More information about the firm can be found at http://www.millerab.com.

Originally posted here:
Miller Architects & Builders Breaks Ground on Encore On The Park Luxury Apartments - PR.com

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Architect and educator Jennifer Yoos, FAIA has been named as the new Dean for the University of Minnesota School of Architecture.

Yoos is the principal and CEO of Minneapolis-based architecture practice VJAA. She is also an alumna of the University of Minnesota and the Architectural Association in London.

Throughout her career as an educator, Yoos has taught at the Cooper Union, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Minnesota. Additionally, Yoos studied at Harvard University in 2013 as a Loeb Fellow in the Harvard Graduate School of Designs Urban and Environmental Studies department. Yoos was elevated to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2013, as well.

Yoos comes to Univesrsity of Minnesota to replace the schools previous Dean, Blaine Brownell, who was named as the new director of the School of Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlottes College of Arts + Architecture earlier this year.

In a statement highlighting her selection, Yoos made the following remarks: I am honored to return to the University of Minnesota as the head of the School of Architecture. The school and its graduates are critical to the success of the architecture community and to the region. I am indebted to the School for providing a solid foundation for my academic and professional career, and look forward to working closely with faculty and students to further the Schools success and increase its influence.

Yoos is expected to take up her new position at the University of Minnesota on June 8, 2020 following formal approval of her selection by the schools Board of Regents.

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Architect Jennifer Yoos selected as the new Dean for the University of Minnesota School of Architecture - Archinect

Swedens unique strategy to deal with coronavirus will ensure it has only a small second wave of cases unlike other countries that could be forced to return to lockdown, according to the architect of the contentious policy.

Anders Tegnell, Swedens state epidemiologist who devised the no-lockdown approach, estimated that 40 per cent of people in the capital, Stockholm, would be immune to Covid-19 by the end of May, giving the country an advantage against a virus that were going to have to live with for a very long time.

In the autumn there will be a second wave. Sweden will have a high level of immunity and the number of cases will probably be quite low, Mr Tegnell told the Financial Times. But Finland will have a very low level of immunity. Will Finland have to go into a complete lockdown again?

Sweden and Mr Tegnell are under the global spotlight as their response to the pandemic has made them a global outlier.

Primary and secondary schools, restaurants, cafs and shops are mostly open as normal in Sweden, with health authorities relying on voluntary social distancing and people opting to work from home. Schools for over-16s and universities are closed and gatherings of more than 50 people are banned, but it is still the most relaxed approach of any EU country.

Swedens virus-related death toll on Thursday reached 3,040. This is significantly higher than Nordic neighbours Denmark, Norway and Finland, which have registered fewer than 1,000 between them.

Mr Tegnell said it would take about one to two years to know whose strategy had worked best and at what cost to society. He stressed that Swedens approach was to look at the wide public health matter in which an important consideration was that people should be able to keep a reasonably normal life.

The epidemiologist has become something of a cult figure in Sweden, with reports of people having tattoos done of him.

Public trust in Swedens public health agency has increased during the crisis, which Mr Tegnell in part attributed to his efforts to communicate openly, answering the same questions hundreds of times. He said he found the attention on himself rather absurd, such as his daughters laughing hilariously about a fashion magazine analysing his dress sense.

Mr Tegnell argued that nothing [to do with lockdowns] had a scientific basis, particularly decisions to close schools, because there was no evidence that children were a major cause of transmission.

He believes European leaders, fearful that their health systems would be overwhelmed, felt they needed to copy Chinas approach, the first country to lock down because of the disease.

About a quarter of people in Stockholm had the virus at the start of May, according to a mathematical model by Swedens public health agency, which Mr Tegnell said was part of the reason the number of cases in the capital had fallen recently.By contrast, tests this week in Norways capital Oslo suggested that under 2 per cent of the population had been infected.

But Mr Tegnell said uncertainty about how long virus immunity would last meant it was unlikely Sweden would reach herd immunity, a level of the disease where so many people are infected usually about 80 per cent that it stops spreading. I dont think we or any country in the world will reach herd immunity in the sense that the disease goes away because I dont think this is a disease that goes away, he added.

Many countries hope is that they can keep the virus at bay until a vaccine is found. But Mr Tegnell said that, even in the best-case scenario, it was likely to take years to develop one, before it could be administered to an entire population.

Its a big mistake to sit down and say we should just wait for a vaccine. It will take much longer than we think. And in the end, we dont know how good a vaccine it will be. Its another reason to have a sustainable policy in place.

Swedens approach has been to have a strategy that could last for months, if not years, without the need for big changes. That contrasts with nearly all other European countries, which are grappling with how to reopen their societies without sparking an increase in transmission.

This has led to some criticism from those who say Sweden should be trying much harder to curb the number of Covid-19 deaths. Per-capita death statistics show that Sweden is behind only the UK, Italy, Belgium and Spain at this stage of the pandemic.

The Financial Times is making key coronavirus coverage free to read to help everyone stay informed.Find the latest here.

One area where Sweden has done poorly is in trying to keep the virus out of care homes. Mr Tegnell, who suggests the higher infection rate in such homes in Sweden is the main reason why it has had more deaths than its neighbours, said: Its something that we deeply regret.

He made the point that care homes in Sweden like in the rest of the Nordic region were for the very old and the very sick, as most elderly people live at home, and that there were known quality problems with care providers, often private companies.

Unfortunately those quality problems have proven to make the elderly very vulnerable to infection, Mr Tegnell said, adding that an investigation had begun.

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Architect of Sweden's no-lockdown strategy insists it will pay off - Financial Times

You can always find light in the darkest of places, but it can be depressing to search for it when you are working from home and realise that yours is a gloomy, chilly house. The point of recognition can hit you like a cold wind on a sunny day, when the light leaves the home office if it was ever there in the first place and you have to pop on an extra layer of clothing or turn on the heating. If Ciara Murray and Sinad Bourke, of Newmark architects in Dublin, have one mission, it is to bring as much light into Irish homes as possible.

A well-placed mirror brings light into a courtyard

MARIE-LOUISE HALPENNY

The pair have been in business together since 2017 and, recently, one of their projects reached

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Ciara Murray and Sinad Bourke, the architects who make light work of dark homes - The Times

A patchwork of wood shingles and stone form this Toronto home that local practice Batay-Csorba Architects has extended and renovated.

Located in Toronto's residential neighbourhood Baby Point, the two-storey house was built in the early 1900s with stones from the city's Humber river, stucco and wood. The homeowners sought to preserve the characteristics of the home, and enlisted Batay-Csorba Architects for the renovation.

The original house was a mixture of Arts and Crafts-style and Tudor Revival, as seen in the exterior details that Batay-Csorba Architects left intact.

When developer Robert Home Smith created the garden suburb of Baby Point in 1912, he had many of the homes designed in this aesthetic, the studio explained.

"The Baby Point district is currently under study as a heritage conservation district in Toronto," said the studio. "The clients for Baby Point Residence had an interest in the Arts and Crafts movement, and preserving neighbourhood character."

The team cut a large, double-height slice in the west side of the home and added a gabled roofline on the back facade that features ample glazing and views of the back garden's ravine.

The result is a home that has three pitched rooflines of similar proportions, two of which run alongside one another on the back facade and a third that cuts across them. The home's front facade showcases new windows, wood shingles and masonry.

In addition to building the extension, Batay-Csorba Architects renewed the existing home structurally, reorganised the layout by tearing down walls and refurbished the interiors.The team sought to understand the underlying principles of the Arts and Crafts movement to design the house.

"Beyond medieval motifs, ornamentation and nostalgia for hand craftsmanship, we also interpreted the Arts and Crafts movement spatially," the studio added.

The ground floor is centred around a built-in storage volume that provides a pantry and a coffee bar in the new kitchen, and a bar nook in the adjacent dining room. A living room and separate sitting area round out the main level.

Custom furniture was built by local designer Heidi Earnshawand includes a wood banquette in the kitchen whose aesthetic is designed to be reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts movement. Minimal, built-in cabinets in pale and dark wood feature throughout the home for added storage.

A stairwell with glass railings cuts through one of the home's pitched rooflines and accesses three bedrooms with ensuites. Measuring 5,200 square feet (483 square metres), Baby Point Residence is square-shaped in plan and is complete with a bedroom, living room, and two bathrooms in the basement.

Walls are white in sharp contrast to the existing stone fireplaces, and pale wood covers the floors.

Batay-Csorba Architects was founded in 2010 by Andrew Batay-Csorba and Jodi Batay-Csorba.

The studio has designed several apartment complexes in Toronto, including a building with a brick screen exterior and two townhouses linked together, as well as Milky's coffee shop.

Photography is by Doublespace Photography.

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Batay-Csorba Architects expands Arts and Crafts-style house in Toronto - Dezeen

As life under the COVID-19 becomes an experience measured in months, designers and architects are finding new ways to adapt. Interior Design, as part of our continuing series of dispatches documenting our communities resilience under unmeasurable stress, checks in with three designers who have found ways to keep themselves and their industry as healthy as possible.

Editor's note: This storyis the eighth installment in a series of conversations with designers, industry leaders, and architects around the globe, examining how our community is staying connected, inspired, and proactive about solutions during the current pandemic.

Hagy Belzberg, Belzberg Architects, Los Angeles, U.S.

The office is doing really well, considering the situation. Im saying that with a tremendous amount of apprehension, humility, and empathy. Its not doing well in the sense of this is a great time to be an architect. Given those circumstances, Ive been really blessed to work with a group of professionals who have come around and helped each other to really make this transition. Its been extraordinary, the energy we get from each other.

We are thirty architects and designers who normally work in one large space, and now were constantly on conference calls and video chats. The excitement of physically solving a problem together is very different even with the best cameras and all the funny things we try to do to make it seem more natural. You miss that connection and Ive never known how much Ive relied on it until now.

Weve tried a few ways to help foster community. The first one is a virtual happy hour, which everyone is trying. Its been fun, weve played games. It lightens up the mood for people who feel disconnected. And it helps people who have families, who normally find relief in work, to have more focus when theyre juggling a lot of things. Its an outlet.

Another thing weve tried weve dubbed BANTER (B.A.-nter). Once a week we all get on a call and all we talk about are problems. The cocktail hour is about having fun, but this is an hour or two just to talk about problems and theres no limit. It doesnt have to be about technology or projects or clients or construction; it can be any kind of problem. Its basically group therapy and it works really well. Ive noticed that people are forced to listen attentively and theres very little interruption.

Whats come out of BANTER has been about strengthening our community and providing opportunities for problem-solving ideas to emergeincluding sharing ideas theyve heard from partners and family members. That kind of therapy really helps out. And its been gut-wrenching. Some people look at the camera and say: Ive never worked so hard in my life. I dont understand, its supposed to be work-from-home and yet I cant do anything but this. You hear them really struggle, and you hear somebody give them encouraging words of advice about what theyve been able to do, and it becomes a somber, very quiet, but supportive place. Ive got to tell you, its really interesting.

Overnight, weve transformed from thinking of the phrase our industry to our community. Its not an industry, though it was. The division between manufactured and design has been removed. We are all part of the same community. I am not saying that optimistically, Im saying that with quite a bit of assurance. It feels like we are doing this together versus being competitive about getting rates, etc.

Everyones starting their conversations with: Are you safe? Are you healthy? We start our emails with asking if everything is OK, and if it is, then we can move forward. We are a community now and it happened overnight and I love it. The recovery is not only going to be dependent on this, the recovery is not going to happen without it. I dont think we can go back to the way things were. This is our way of reimagining a humanity that should always be there.

Julio Braga, IA Interior Architects, New York City, U.S.

Were coping pretty well, with a few minor technical glitches due to the abrupt transition to total virtual work. Our teams were already working partially virtually for a while, so the transition to 100 percent remote was smooth. But among the hardest activities to transition were the brainstorming sessions. No software can match the experience of everyone in a room full of white boards to sketch on, and material samples to touch and smell.

A very small number of projects have been put on hold, but many of our clients are looking at the current environment as one in which to increase the volume of design work awarded to design firms, since the development of those phases can be easily monitored and directed virtually by the clients with their architects and designers. Everything seems a bit volatile. It will take some time for everything to even out.

Events of this nature highlight what our profession does, because so much is interconnected within the built environment and this is something that can be often underestimated. Its critical to consider how different the world will be. How are architects and urban planners going to think about how people move through indoor and outdoor spaces? This is going to impact tremendously the way places are shared and designed to be shared, not just in terms of cleaning processes but also air filtration, for example.

This is an inflection point in how companies use office space. We are going to have to design in ways that are conducive to including virtual participants in much more holistic ways. We are going to have to create a space for in-person interactions that are traditionally the center of the industry, and imagine environments, protocols, systems, and procedures by which we can still enjoy each others company in person as we did before the pandemic.

Our firm has been increasing our own virtual connections, and our offices have more frequent touchpoints which we feel give a greater sense of engagement. We participate in many charitable causes as a group, notably DIFFA, and this will be crucial to our psychological supportcontinuing our tradition of community-giving throughout this crisis and beyond. There is something in the nature of most architects and designers that makes us positive thinkers, even in the most difficult, scary, and unknown contexts.

Jun Aizaki, Crme/Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design, Brooklyn, U.S.

Our offices are closed temporarily, the team is working remotely, and we are all relying heavily on technology to stay connected with our clients and friends who have been affected the most. I see there is a communal effort to get things going in the design world. And yes, of course, we rely on video meetings, morning calls (and even night calls since were working with Asia), and were submerged by texting. Ultimately, were using Zoom to organize office Happy Hour and give ourselvesa momentof fun.

Since most of our clients are in the restaurant and hospitality industry, they have been deeply affected by the crisis. I do think it may take some time, but I have faith we will be able to recover when thisis all over. From a long-term perspective, this moment is going to really challenge us to reconsider the way to live, travel, and eat, which is tied into every aspectof our work. I think we should be ready for drastic changes and to create new patterns, but with change comes innovation.

Ive been so proud of everyone who has come together to help support each otherduring this difficult time, from sewing masks, 3D-printing face shields, and donating resources and time, tohotels that are partnering withlocal government officialsin the more affected COVID-19 locations to offer a place for those on the front lines to stay. We are grateful to technology for being able to stay this connected in a time where we are physically isolatedfrom one another.

Even during a pandemic, the design world doesnt stop. Companies are even rethinking their logosto convey messages that encourage people to stay home. Im seeing that a lot of solutions to our current issues come out of the design industry, like shipping container hospitals and self-inflating isolation pods for coronavirus patients. 3D printing has also been a godsend. This whole experience has definitely given me more of an appreciation for the moments we share in person but, at the same time, we are actively learning to communicate in new ways and do our work without the ability to work as closely with materials as we normally would. In certain ways, we now feel closer as were paying more attention to accurate communication. We can see things from a different vantage point.

> See our full coverage of COVID-19 and its impact on the A&D industry

ThinkLab, the research division of SANDOW, is gathering information about our industrys response to COVID-19.Click here if youd like to participate.

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Designers and Architects Find New Ways to Adapt - Interior Design

Today well look at Heerim Architects & Planners Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:037440) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, were going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.

First of all, well work out how to calculate ROCE. Second, well look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Then well determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.

ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. In general, businesses with a higher ROCE are usually better quality. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since No two businesses are exactly alike.

Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets Current Liabilities)

Or for Heerim Architects & Planners:

0.10 = 6.6b (162b 97b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019.)

So, Heerim Architects & Planners has an ROCE of 10%.

Check out our latest analysis for Heerim Architects & Planners

ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. We can see Heerim Architects & Plannerss ROCE is around the 8.8% average reported by the Professional Services industry. Setting aside the industry comparison for now, Heerim Architects & Plannerss ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Investors may wish to consider higher-performing investments.

You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Heerim Architects & Plannerss past growth compares to other companies.

When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. You can check if Heerim Architects & Planners has cyclical profits by looking at this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Current liabilities include invoices, such as supplier payments, short-term debt, or a tax bill, that need to be paid within 12 months. The ROCE equation subtracts current liabilities from capital employed, so a company with a lot of current liabilities appears to have less capital employed, and a higher ROCE than otherwise. To counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets.

Heerim Architects & Planners has current liabilities of 97b and total assets of 162b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 60% of its total assets. Heerim Architects & Plannerss current liabilities are fairly high, making its ROCE look better than otherwise.

Notably, it also has a mediocre ROCE, which to my mind is not an appealing combination. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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What We Think Of Heerim Architects & Planners Co., Ltd.s (KOSDAQ:037440) Investment Potential - Simply Wall St