Working creatively during COVID-19 — LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AOTEAROA

For the last few months, Xteriorscapes Landscape Architects have enjoyed the shift to a new, spacious office. The team of five landscape architects were just getting used to spreading themselves out comfortably when the COVID-19 lockdown came into force

So now they’re having to squash themselves into whatever parts of their homes they can.

Chris Owen reads up on the laws around child labour as Elise (5) and Paddy (4) get down to business.

For Chris Owen it means his already-short three minute commute to work has become even shorter. “I've got a little spare room in our house with sunny windows, and I’ve just discovered a key to lock myself in, away from my kids!” he says.

While it’s early days he says Xteriorscapes hasn’t noticed any major changes, except the lack of social interaction under the same roof.

Louise Overtoom can literally roll out of bed and into her office (not that we’re suggesting she does).

“We are chipping away at our projects in isolation,” he says. “The hard one is having to use a bit of lateral thinking as to how we share information.

How are we going to natter away or fuss over a drawing and play around with our designs as a team?”

Photos, mark up tools, hand marking drawings and scanning are the answer, and lots of conversations. He says they’re a tight knit team and really good at staying in touch and talking to each other about life in general, not just about what’s on their minds work wise.

Hayden Stark (the boss) has the luxury of a whole room.

“People throwing their normal work routine out the door and taking it home - that can be a real spanner in the works on top of all the other stuff currently going on,” says Owen. “I’m really proud to be part of a team that really looks out for one another.

“We know how important it is to focus on the lighter side of life right now, so a bit of banter is a pretty important. We send each other funny emails, and when we ring each other, it’s an unspoken thing but we naturally talk about the situation (lockdown) first. Then we plug in a bit of work at the end.”

Owen says being cognisant of others mental health or anxieties is important, and company directors have shown real leadership around it.

“The boss has helped create a culture where if one of us is a bit stressed about the situation then it’s OK to share it. We will try and help each other out - ‘yeah me too, but here’s an angle I’m looking at it from.’”

Chris Owen is closing in on a 20 metre wheelie.

Owen’s set himself a personal challenge during this time. On smoko or lunch breaks “I pedal myself into the ground” on a 400 metre bike sprint outside his house, using Strava to record his progress.

And if he can’t be bothered doing that he works on his wheel stands, using marks every two metres along the centre line of his street. “So far I’ve got 12 metres but I’m gunning for 20 by the end of the week.”