How Will Architects Play a Role in the Recovery?

As the industry deals with massive disruption, architects and designers are finding that they will play a new role in the recovery. According to Nadel Architecture and Planning leadership, architects and designers will be tasked with finding innovative solutions to the challenges facing CRE. The firm recently transitioned its leadership and ownership team to position the company for growth, but also sees a clear role for their industry in the post-pandemic world.

“CRE architecture and design firms today are tasked with creating innovative solutions to an array of challenges that our clients are facing,” Greg Lyon, chairman of the board and principal at Nadel, tells GlobeSt.com. “We must be game-changers and problem-solvers as well as thoroughly comprehend the time, energy, and financial costs involved in every project we design. It is our obligation to also have the foresight to anticipate future challenges based on the global and local trends we are noticing today and build solutions to those challenges into today’s projects.”

Specifically, the firm’s clients are reaching out looking for perspective on how real estate could change and solutions for those changes. “Our clients are relying on us to help them be successful and profitable in their developmental endeavors,” says Lyon. “The risks for them are very real, so our job is to mitigate those risks to the best of our ability and lay the groundwork for beautiful environments that will please tenants and visitors for many years to come.”

Already, Nadel has seen an increase in new projects—even during the pandemic. “Over the last several months, Nadel has been pleased to add two new Southern California projects to our roster, one in Indio and one in Camarillo,” Patrick Winters, president for Nadel, tells GlobeSt.com. “We have also completed architecture and design work on Jordan Downs Freedom Plaza in Los Angeles and a multifamily project in L.A., and we are near completion on another Los Angeles-based multifamily project.”

Winters says the new additions are a sign of the firm’s ability to tackle these new challenges in the market. “We consider the ability to be awarded new projects and move existing projects forward during the pandemic to be a major feather in our cap,” he says. “This progress is also a testament to our positive reputation in the industry as a firm that understands what L.A. owners and developers need right now and are able to deliver it on time and within budget, even during a serious global health crisis.”

These new projects as well as the change in leadership will ultimately ensure that Nadel weathers the storm. “Although the pandemic was definitely a Black Swan event, our company has weathered many storms in its long history and will continue to rise above them,” says Winters. “The ownership transition that we just completed was significant to our founder Herb Nadel, who has now taken on a business development role with the firm. We are thrilled to continue working with Herb, and we eagerly anticipate a strong industry recovery once the economy is fully reopened after the pandemic. With the team we currently have in place and the projects on our plate now, we look forward to an exciting and fulfilling 2021.”