From the Desk of an Architect: Aarohi Pilankar, AIA
Aarohi Pilankar, AIA, shares some of her tips and tools for working from home with her husband and their children for this week's, "From the Desk of an Architect!"
What is your favorite/most meaningful object at your workspace?
I love my mug that says “the mind is everything, what you think is what you become” it’s a constant reminder to be optimistic and think positive even in these times.
What are your tips for staying productive while working from home?
It's controlled chaos! We have a timetable for our family where we balance my work, my husband’s work and the kids homeschooling, of course there are occasional slips and we just have to make it up another day. I tend to carve out 1-2 hours late evening when is quiet, to make up for the time spent with the children during the day.
How are you staying connected to your team? To your clients?
We use Microsoft Teams, Skype and Zoom a lot. I find MS Teams very convenient to call teammates and clients to share things via desktop or phone.
How would you manage complex projects with large teams remotely?
We have daily check in calls AM and PM, to convey goals and follow up on what’s accomplished that day. I am always available via, text, call and Facetime to the team if needed during the day.
If you had a problem when the rest of your remote team was offline, how would you go about solving it?
I recently facetimed a colleague because I was having internet issues and we had a 30 minute conversation, aiming our phone cameras at screens and drawings and made it work!
What’s your biggest concern about working remotely?
Not having access to a large printer and scanner at a moments notice. Collaboration with the team was concern, but I am finding that online tools have helped in streamlining this greatly!
What would be on your playlist of top 5 go-to songs for work? Have a favorite Spotify playlist for work?
If I am not on calls, I enjoy playing Buddha-bar in the background. I also enjoy jazz, especially love playing Louis Armstrong tracks and sometimes, depending on my mood, play a Bollywood playlist from Spotify.
How do you unwind after working from home?
There is not much time to unwind because where working ends, parenting begins. I enjoy bedtime /story time and snuggles with the kids followed by dinner and re-runs of the Office. A refreshing glass Guinness on occasion and my aromatherapy candles help me unwind too.
How are you staying active?
Walking everyday with the kids and dog. Occasional barre workout using an online subscription.
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