Did COVID-19 finally push us to completely paperless projects?
September 01, 2020
New technology has helped us reduce waste and increase project outcomes¡ªand we¡¯re getting closer to completely paperless projects
So much has happened?over the last couple of years¡ªand especially these last few months¡ªthat?it¡¯s?sometimes hard for me to acknowledge?some of the?progress?we¡¯ve?made?in the?design?industry.?As an urban planner,?I¡¯ve seen?that drones, virtual reality, and?online engagement?have been increasingly part of project discussions?over the last few years?and have helped reduce use and waste of paper.?More recently, with social distancing and working from home,?I think?we¡¯ve?hit a point where?a lot of us can visualize working with far less paper use in our workflows.
At Â鶹´«Ã½,?we¡¯re?a multidisciplinary design firm with offices around the world¡ªit¡¯s?extremely?important?that we have?clear, constant communication. We constantly?have to?find innovative ways to reduce project costs while maintaining a high level of excellence.?Our teams rely on digital means to coordinate and communicate with each other, our partners, and the public. With the?pandemic,?we have?been pushed?even harder?to rely on?virtual means?while?phasing out?the?use of paper.??
While?we¡¯re?not?completely?paperless yet, the last couple years have surely shown us what it looks like to advance in that direction. The business case for?digital tools?is an?easy?argument?to make?because?these tools?increase speed of communication, enhance?availability of data, and ultimately reduce project costs. Plus, the pace at which we can turn a thought into a concept and communicate that concept can dramatically improve project outcomes?while reducing?paper?waste.?
Old vs. new
To design in the past, we?often?had to create a sketch, draft that sketch into a set of documents,?get feedback, and return to the drawing table¡ªgoing through a ton of paper in the process.?Today, we can create iterations upon iterations, layering new attempts over old and creating?better designs on digital platforms without?having to throw old versions into the recycling bin.?
In the past, we also had to travel to?project?sites?a lot more than we do now. It was the only way for us to get?in-depth and?on-the-ground information?we needed to inform our projects.?We¡¯d?have to bring drawings?along, take notes, and update drafts accordingly. Now, we have 360-degree cameras, drones, satellite imagery,?street-view imagery, and georeferenced photos to help us get?a sense of the?site right from our desks. While we?hopefully still get to visit the sites physically at times, the support of these virtual tools?reduces?costs and waste while getting the information we need to inform?design?decisions.?
Virtual reality tools allow us to get in-depth information that was once only possible by an on-site visit.
Public engagement
Just like?getting on-the-ground knowledge,?there is?no replacement for face-to-face?interactions. One thing?that¡¯s?become clear through the pandemic is just how much we crave, and rely on, genuine interactions with human beings. Such interactions are also incredibly important for designing a product that meets the needs of our clients and the end users.?While we?still rely on?in-person engagement?to inform our project, another way?we¡¯re?increasing productivity?while maintaining social distancing?is by?moving engagement online.?Rather than plotting (and revising and re-plotting)?large layouts for public engagement?events,?we¡¯re?likely to find?ourselves using virtual means to share project?progress and solicit community?feedback for the long-haul, meaning less paper waste.
We know how to?create attractive and?exciting?virtual engagement?platforms that reach more people than in-person engagement alone.?While I?don¡¯t?think?virtual engagement will fully?replace?critical face-to-face engagement,?it will?likely?supplement our efforts moving forward without requiring?the same amount of paper as in-person events.
We know how to create attractive and exciting virtual engagement platforms that reach more people than in-person engagement alone.
Information gathering
We often use?virtual data?to give?us baseline information so that we can focus on gathering more detailed information once?we¡¯re?at the?project?site.?We sometimes prepare georeferenced site plans to allow us to see our physical location?compared to plans?on a tablet or phone?while?on-site. For some projects, we use drones?and satellite imagery?for pre-visit?inspection,?allowing us to review conditions ahead of time and predict obstacles?before we get there.?With virtual field tools, we can send?notes and mark-ups back to the office to be addressed while we travel back, or even receive feedback to take a closer look at something before leaving?the field. When we do make site visits,?we¡¯re?better informed?and more productive as a result of?our virtual toolbox.
Communications
Communications is critically important for?our?Company. Clear and consistent communication,?both internally and externally?with clients and subcontractors, is?how?we¡¯re?able to mesh worldwide experience with local?familiarity.?For a lot of projects, we invest time and?resources into developing 3D models instead of static images?alone?so that?our internal and external partners can view and critique?our projects?more easily.?With 3D models,?we¡¯re?better equipped to develop a shared understanding of project opportunities and constraints?with our partners.?
3D models allow clients and the public to understand how a project will take shape better than static images alone.
Future of paperless
The process of going paperless?is?timely as we grapple with?our contribution to climate change. While we may not be totally paperless,?we are taking the direction toward?being more mindful about the paper we do use.?The virtual tools we use in replacement of paper also help us reduce waste related to site visits.?While some clients and partners may still require paper documents, we can make a big?difference by reducing paper waste where we have control.?
Turning all projects paperless?doesn¡¯t?happen overnight. But for many, working?from home has?caused us to adapt away from paper?more quickly.?By overcoming the challenges of going paperless,?we¡¯re?better able to help our team, our clients, and our communities.?