As explained in Regulatory Notice RN.12 Unauthorized Use of Architects’ Unregistered Offices, “the architecture profession is well-suited to working remotely. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many practices had already implemented the technological infrastructure needed to enable employees to work from home, or other locations aside from the office. Firms continue to evolve and pivot toward technology-based solutions to ensure personal supervision and direction of projects, accommodate collaboration, and support project delivery.”
With respect to offering services in a virtual environment, OAA members should be mindful of the legislated requirements related to their Certificate of Practice (standards of practice set out in Regulation 27 sections 47 and 49 under the Architects Act). These standards were clearly set out in consideration of a physical office space; however, practices would need to review the mandated criteria, and ascertain if their work environment (hybrid or virtual) is complying with the legislation. Items to consider would include:
- Would there be adequate accessibility to clients and members of the public?
- Would there be adequate direct supervision of staff if it is all virtual?
- Would legal notices be deliverable with adequate certainty of receipt?
- Would there be adequate maintenance and storage of records, and file-keeping?
- Would staff have all the required instruments of service reasonably necessary for the performance of architectural services?
This article goes on to explore other factors beyond these questions. Practices considering a permanent or partial transition to a virtual or hybrid work environment should always keep in mind the factors explored below, and review their plans against the regulatory criteria as set out in the Architects Act. It is up to each member who is a holder of a Certificate of Practice to determine the best way to meet their professional obligations within the OAA’s regulatory context.
Maintaining Personal Supervision and Direction (PS&D) in a In-person, Hybrid or Virtual setting
When the preparation of a design is carried out in a location other than the office of a holder, then a higher degree of personal supervision and direction by a member is required due to the problems related to immediate access and control. This may result in more frequent virtual meetings or use of collaborative tools/platforms. It is important to build that time to project timeline and maintain P&S and D. It is also important to bear in mind that these tools may be more secure than others. Before adopting collaboration, check where the data is stored in case cyber issues occur.
Suggested resources:
Maintaining confidentiality of the work prepared for your client and cybersecurity considerations
In the context of offering services to a client, members manage confidential information on a regularly basis. OAA members have a duty of care to our client to maintain this confidential information and takes all means necessary to do so. Members are reminded to also review their contracts for any specific clauses as it pertains to protecting files that may be beyond what would be expected by law. This also is true with respect to conversation with clients.
A practice may want to consider reviewing security policy, which would include specific consideration to practising in a remote or hybrid setting.
Suggested resources:
- Architects Act and Regulations 27 Section 42 (44)
Not losing track of your project files / archives while working remotely
Consistency and rigor as it comes to file management, adapting your IT framework as required may prevent the loss of important files as well as maintain standards of practice as laid out in Architects Act and Regulations 27. Staff should be reminded of the importance of proper file archiving and timesheet management (useful for tracking corporate memory and in the case of lawsuits). One should consider updating file management policy or reference documents accordingly.
Suggested resources:
Supervision of Intern Architects and setting expectations on use of communication tools with the studio
The purpose of the internship employment period is to ensure the Intern Architect or Student Associate is provided with sufficient hands-on architectural experience to meet the standards of practical skill and level of competence required to engage in the practice of architecture in Canada. The Intern Architect or Student Associate’s Supervising Architect is personally responsible for providing daily supervision and direction, facilitating the transition between architectural education and practice, and providing the practical architectural experience required for licensure. Similarly, the Intern Architect or Student Associate’s Mentor acts as an independent guide/advocate available for regular reviews of experience progress, as well as discussion of career objectives and broader issues related to the profession.
As an Intern Architect or Student Associate gains experience toward their Internship in Architecture Program (IAP) categories, the Supervising Architect provides detailed and frequent direction, supervision, and guidance on the work and learning experience of the Intern. Direction and supervision can occur either through in-person meetings that follow health guidelines as well as remote communication (e.g. via email, online markups, and videoconferencing), provided the Supervising Architect maintains oversight of the Intern Architect or Student Associate’s work, and has sufficient professional knowledge and familiarity with the IAP to determine the competency of their performance.
Practices, Supervising Architects, and Mentors should examine how to support Intern Architects and Student Associates while working in a virtual workplace. Open communication and frequent check-ins will be necessary to ensure all parties are aware of experience category progress and also areas that need more work. It might be wise to consider schedule recurring virtual meetings.
On that same note, it would be beneficial to consider creating a meeting schedule, both for the entire office and for specific project teams, as well as one-on-ones with those reporting directly to you. These conversations become opportunities for both pointed questions and general small talk. It is important to keep in mind that it is best for all these meetings to be done through a video platform while encouraging all to maintain healthy work schedules.
If your team has shifted to a virtual work environment, it may also be helpful for everyone to agree on shared expectations on how these communication tools should be utilized, including the type of messages and speed of responses.
Lastly, one should never assume everyone has a shared understanding—it is always helpful to be explicit about the purpose and needs right from the start.
Updating your business continuity protocol and futureproofing in case of technological emergency
The pandemic has taught us to consistently pivot and deal with unforeseen situations. We can benefit by reflecting on those lessons learned to better equip the practice with guidelines and policies in the event unforeseen circumstances occur, such as server issues, internet access problem, and sudden incapacitation of a senior member of the practice.
One should consider listing possible risks related to practising in a virtual or hybrid mode and communicating a plan to your employees. For example, cyberattacks are unfortunately happening more frequently, so discussing with IT support staff how to mitigate risk to your practice ultimately helps clients. Additionally, consider updating tools and software, and reviewing your cyber insurance coverage and your general liability insurance policy.
Contingency plans should be implemented to ensure drawings and all other important files are retained as backups, and one should actually check that the backups can be restored. Refer to CHOP’s Chapter 3.7: Technology Systems.
As well, one should consider reviewing CHOP’s Version 3 - Chapter 3.2 - Appendix A Succession Challenges in the event of a Sudden Unplanned Closure of a Firm