Apr 16

Apr 16 Five offices turn into 50-plus: Legacy design firm shifts to remote workforce

Partnered content | 2020

As a full-service firm made up of architects, engineers, and interior designers — plus support staff — TSP, Inc. gets the job done through collaboration.

Since joining the Rochester business community more than 50 years ago, TSP has relied on the latest tools to design legacy buildings that can be found around the Upper Midwest and beyond. Team members work together daily across the company’s footprint, from its local office here in Rochester to its three South Dakota locations (Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Watertown) and its site in Omaha, Neb.

TSP’s lengthy experience in long-distance collaboration is proving invaluable as changes in the business world occur daily during the global pandemic of the Covid-19 virus. For a regional firm such as TSP, that means keeping up to the moment on directives from governors across several states and local responses from mayors.

“We just want the community to know we’re here and we’re operating as we always have — it’s just a little different in terms of how we interact with them,” said Architectural Designer Mike Young. “Our work isn’t stopping, and I think communication becomes that much more important. We are a critical industry in Minnesota because we have a major role during construction and in how we support what contractors are doing. In fact, we have some construction clients with a lull in their business, so they’re keeping their people busy and employed by making improvements to their own spaces. They’re pushing on and eager to keep moving.”

Early in the effort, CEO Jared Nesje and TSP’s executive team quickly decided to give people the option to work from home, and most staff members have chosen to do so. Those who do come into offices are closely following recommended health guidelines. Whenever possible, onsite client meetings have been shifted to virtual meetings. Human Resources Manager Kari Kiesow said the technology TSP already had in place allows the firm to “provide the same great service to our clients, just from a different seat.”

Even within that framework, TSP’s local office is uniquely positioned to rise to the challenge. Architect Justin Sorensen has worked from his home for the past year, keeping in close contact with his Rochester teammates via digital means and phone calls. “On top of that, Rochester staff is coordinating every day with our engineering staff in Sioux Falls and other offices,” Sorensen said. “Our office is accustomed to handling internal and external long-distance work.”

Team members are adjusting to a temporary new normal with laptops in home offices and on kitchen tables. In the past few weeks, firm leaders have encouraged employees to bring home computer monitors, office chairs, and other workplace tools to help them be more comfortable and productive.

Interior Designer Loretta Haugen is adapting how she approaches her work, too. She’s made a few trips into the office to refer to her tactile library of flooring, upholstery, and wallcovering samples. But she’s relying more on the internet than she has at any time in her nearly 20-year career. “It’s not just looking at one element — it’s also considering how it relates to the other colors and finishes and textures,” she said. “It’s a collective effort, and that can be hard when you’re looking at flat images on a screen.”

Communication throughout the day often takes place on Microsoft Teams, which offers chat, video, and voice tools for meetings and daily opportunities to share. TSP’s virtual private network, or VPN, allows team members to send and receive data across shared networks as though their computers were connected directly to TSP’s private network, with all the security needed.

More than ever, coworkers are using technology to remain productive: sharing files, updates, and computer screens, video-chatting while getting answers to questions. The ability to temporarily take over a coworker’s screen enables team members to clarify the finer points and make sure there is no confusion on the subject matter.

Rochester Office Leader Von Petersen is intentional about focusing on the people aspect of remote work. “I work on making frequent contact with the team to ensure everything is going OK,” said Petersen, who also is a senior architect with the firm. “It takes a bit different mindset on how you structure your day and integrate work and life even further where the ‘edges’ are even more blurred. Sometimes it is as simple as calling someone up and having a nonwork conversation for the extroverts and touching base with the introverts to make sure things are still on course.”

Staggered blocks of productive time are the new normal for those working from home in any industry. Prioritizing those all-hands-on-deck meeting times helps TSP stay on top of interim project deadlines for clients. During one recent virtual discussion, the primary contractor was unable to access the client’s own videoconferencing app. The group used TSP’s system instead to get everyone connected and back to work.

“I thrive on face-to-face collaboration, so the hardest part for me is having to wait a little while sometimes,” said Design Technician Chris Kenow. “We’re used to getting a more immediate response. But just having Teams, Bluebeam Studio, and other apps means we can still work on things together at the same time when schedules match up.”

For years, TSP has used Building Information Modeling (BIM) software such as Revit and Lumion to design building renderings for clients to view. The clash-detection software Naviswork allows engineers to determine any issues with structural, mechanical, and engineering designs long before the buildings come together. Another design software, Enscape, allows designers to turn out renderings in a matter of minutes. Clients who want to see different colors of bricks, for example, easily can view the different options.

“Necessity is the mother of all tool purchases, and it’s also the mother of all efficiency,” BIM Coordinator Paul Nesburg said. “We’re having to predict the next steps without the ability to pop our heads up over desk dividers and talk. This is forcing everyone to be even more efficient with time management but also showing us what we can do.”

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