An Invitation to a National Survey of Architects
In 2021, Real Estate Bees invited Margine Biswas, Principal at Archiphy Architects and Interiors, onto an expert panel. The panel formed part of a national survey of architects working across the country. They asked her one question: how was the COVID-19 pandemic reshaping U.S. architects and their firms?
The publication later shared the panel’s comments and insights on the Real Estate Bees website. Real Estate Bees is a leading platform for real estate professionals who want to grow their business. In addition, the survey drew practitioners from every region rather than one market. As a result, the findings carry real weight.
The Immediate Shock, and the Opening It Created
The panel agreed that the industry felt a slowing economy immediately. Clients put new design projects on hold, and some canceled them outright. Nobody knew what was coming, so businesses simply stopped spending.
Ms. Biswas pointed out a simple chain reaction. If her clients lost their own customers, they no longer needed help with growth or expansion. Still, she reminded the group that the shock did not hit every segment equally. Difficult times also create openings.
Those openings included new ways of working inside firms, plus entirely new client needs. In fact, the pandemic accelerated trends that have stayed with architects ever since.
Panel members described how clients rethought the way they use office and retail space. The best firms treated that shift as a chance to add value. Instead of waiting for the next ground-up project, they advised clients on alterations and improvements. Much of that thinking later matured into full office-to-residential conversions in urban centers. It also fed a broader appetite for adaptive reuse.
Ms. Biswas used the disruption to expand into new segments of the market. Archiphy already handled both commercial and residential work. The firm also supported clients across multiple locations. Because of that range, adjusting to a shifting economy proved far easier.
What the Survey Found
Among the architects who responded, 54.6% saw a negative impact on their business. However, 70% also reported new opportunities from the same disruption. Both answers held true at once. Firms that recognized this early recovered fastest. The pipeline did not vanish. It moved. Work shifted from new construction toward renovation, reconfiguration, and reuse.
The panel also considered how they could have prepared better. One answer came up again and again: in-house technology. It shaped every interaction with clients and staff alike. Margine summed up the consensus well. Clients and employees need seamless connection, she stressed. Communication suffered first when personal contact disappeared. As a result, firms upgraded their tools, and that upgrade keeps paying off today.
Marketing drew similar attention. The consensus was clear: architectural and design work runs on relationships. Referrals from clients, builders, lenders, and networking contacts still drive most growth. Ms. Biswas credited strong customer service and a thorough focus on client goals. That foundation generates word-of-mouth endorsements. Finally, the panel urged firms to master modern marketing tools, including social media.
What Held True
Several years on, the lessons that stuck had little to do with crisis management. They had everything to do with capability. Each one started as a reaction. Over time, each became a method. Four of them changed the way we practice.
First, we embraced remote digital collaboration. Reviews, walkthroughs, and consultant coordination once demanded a single room. Now they work just as well across time zones. That shift also lets us serve clients far beyond our home market.
Second, we began to prioritize healthier indoor air and ventilation. Ventilation used to sit quietly in the mechanical specification. Today we raise it early, alongside daylight, materials, and the occupant-health measures behind biophilic design for the workplace.
Third, we design flexible, multi-use spaces. Clients no longer want a room that does one thing well. Instead, they want square footage that shifts as the business shifts, without a second construction budget.
Finally, we learned to adapt operations quickly to market shocks and supply chain swings. We specify alternates early, sequence long-lead items differently, and keep schedules honest with clients. Those habits became a durable advantage rather than a temporary workaround.
None of this sat on the agenda in 2021. All of it counts as standard practice now.