CREJ

Page 44 — Multifamily Properties Quarterly — August 2021 www.crej.com Perhaps the most impactful piece of hindsight came from the observed and felt deterioration of general well-being with increased isolation and heightened anxiety. Affordable housing operators echoed this as well. The casual connections of our prior lives no longer happened inci- dentally. Many of the structures and institutions that provide connection and care were suspended. Even when out and about, we were blocked from even the most simple social connec- tions by our masks. Both at home and in our office the imperative to be intentional about fostering con- nections and community rose to the forefront. Built architecture is a passive yet strong and pervasive influence on our social connections and livelihood. But the design of architecture is an active extension of caring for people. If architecture is a machine for liv- ing, we were forced to ask ourselves how well that machine is serving us. COVID-19 sharpened our resolve with regard to what true sustainability of the built environment really requires. Architects are advocates and vision- aries striving to put the appropriate building blocks in place for the thriv- ing livelihood of the residents and occupants of our structures. In the ever-changing landscape of social pressures and technical possibilities, our practice of architectural design continually strives to thread the nee- dle – providing cost-effective, holisti- cally sustainable environments for human flourishing. But buildings are not the only – or even the best – tool to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around us. Each of us, in every sphere, does well to heed the imperative to be intentional. s Hall Continued from Page 42 2020, the project had progressed into schematic design, and a general con- tractor was selected. Then COVID-19 hit. The pandemic had a chilling effect on everyone. Although design and construction were considered essen- tial businesses, we had to adapt to a remote working environment, like many other organizations. Recent technological upgrades allowed for the majority of staff to work from home right away, but there still were some bumps in the road. After struggling with a spotty internet connection, my wife, Lisa, the firm’s proposal writer, and I opted to work from the now completely empty office in order to ensure that we were still able to meet clients’ design needs. Our group survived by cutting staff and expenses, with two Pay- check Protection Program loans, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and a personal loan to the business. Meanwhile, Savio’s only option was to throw all its resources to support the families it served in the face of rising unemployment, increased iso- lation and extreme stress. Funding sources for projects like Savio’s hous- ing project were paused as meet- ing the immediate needs stemming from the pandemic took center stage. Development projects had to be put on hold or canceled. Savio was able to make it through the pandemic through persever- ance and is now looking at how it can best support its clients, families served and community which are all working to move forward from the challenges of the past year. This means refocusing on the innovative multifamily collaborative develop- ment that will help families remain together while receiving addiction treatment – The Family Residential Program. This project, conceptualized before the pandemic, is now more critical than ever. Substance use surged dur- ing the pandemic, demonstrated by a 59% increase in fatal drug overdoses in 2020. Savio will seek both public and private funding to cover the $5 million construction costs. Funding opportunities have expanded, and the project is moving ahead with construction beginning as early as June 2022. Our firm has seen a resurgence in project opportunities in 2021. Much like the Savio project, factors are returning that are allowing delayed projects to move forward. In addition, construction costs that spiked dur- ing the pandemic seem to be leveling off. The spigot seemingly has been turned on! s Abo Continued from Page 43 able housing goes through the roof. We also found improvements in the way we collaborate with our co-hous- ing and affordable housing clients. A big part of our process, especially for co-housing communities, is to host a series of design workshops with key stakeholders. Typically, a project involves four in-person meetings. We fly to the location, pack as many meetings and workshops into as few days as we can, and then fly back to Colorado to execute the design. But the pandemic meant that we had to con- vert those in-person design sessions to virtual meetings.We discovered that not only could we do this but also that virtual sessions actually allowed us to meet a greater range of learning and participation styles – and of course, it wasn’t lost on us that we lessened our carbon footprint significantly by not hopping on the plane so frequently. Even with the world reopening, we will probably not return to so many in-person, on-location workshops. We may do a site visit for the initial gathering and then follow up with virtual meetings after that. We also have deepened our already strong commitment to collaborating with architects who are local to the com- munities where we are designing projects, and we are actively looking for ways to bundle projects in one city or region. Our team has returned full time to our new office. It’s wonderful to be working together again face-to-face. We learned many lessons during the pandemic that we hope to carry for- ward. s Bowen Continued from Page 43