The Association of Consulting Architects Australia (ACA) has released the findings of its Pulse Check no. 6 report, which indicates the way forward for the profession post-pandemic.

The survey was conducted between 18 July-1 August, with 352 practices and 7,000 staff taking part. The report aims to gain knowledge on the profession’s response to the pandemic, and informs future resources, advice and advocacy programs developed by the ACA.

Activity in most sectors is now at pre-COVID levels. The ACA found that there has been an increase in practices working across all types of housing, while there is less practices involved in aged care and retail. There is increased practice involvement in the likes of cultural builds, heritage and conservation, community and health.

In regards to staffing, 60 percent of respondents reported their practice’s had taken on new employees, which adds up to 960 people. Only 14 percent were forced to let people go due to the pandemic, with 51 percent seeing staff leave of their own volition. 70 percent of respondents recorded a difficulty in finding staff, with the main reason people gave for leaving their former workplace being the opportunity to undertake different work, with increased salaries in new roles the second listed.

Flexible and hybrid work has become increasingly prevalent, with 73 percent experiencing a change in office attendance, 51 percent altering times when work is undertaken and 72 percent increase in online meetings and collaboration.

The use of hybrid working can be split into three groups. One third will maintain flexibility in the long term, another third has been working flexibly well before the pandemic, with the final third believing hybrid work is a short-term solution. According to the report, flexibility is desired by employees, with respondents aware of the challenges faced by employers to support collaborative cultures.

Unfortunately, many respondents have reported a decline in their overall wellbeing. Common feelings of exhaustion, fatigue and uncertainty have been recorded by respondents, with a quarter of those surveyed of the belief that mental wellbeing is better, down 40 percent from the previous Pulse Check. 47 percent believe it to be similar, with 28 percent considering it as worse.

Informal catch-ups are the most common type of support for mental wellbeing. The survey enquired about types of support that would most help workers, with the popular choice being practical guides, followed by regular discussion forums around wellbeing. The findings will be shared with the Australian Architects Mental Wellbeing Forum, as well as the Wellbeing of Architects project.

As for levels of work, most practices are either very busy (44 percent) or moderately busy (33 percent), with 4.8 percent responding that work has been ‘very quiet’. 32 percent of those surveyed have six months of work, 28 percent have more than six months, with 22 percent having three months of work in the pipeline. 8 percent have an immediate work shortage, which is down compared to 12 percent in Pulse Check 5 and 20 percent in Pulse Check 4.

To read the report in full, click here.

Architecture & Design Team

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