Springfield Business Journal_2020-11-02

PEOPLE & PURPOSE SERVING SPRINGFIELD SINCE 1977 L O O K I N G A H E A D Let us help you make an easy transition back to the workplace. We understand that priorities have shifted and sights are set on creating a safe space for people to return to work. We’re here to help you create those spaces, where people feel comfortable and can focus on what matters most. Y O U R E N V I R O N M E N T M AT T E R S Let’s embrace the new normal and create spaces that are safe and healthy, but still intuitive to how people work. Retrofit a current layout or cultivate new ideas. The spaces we thrive in serve us well when they are designed with purpose and inten- tion. We are ur est selves when we feel confident and secure. M O R E T H A N O F F I C E F U R N I T U R E Better workplace interiors starts with understanding what people need from their space. Furniture does not redefine your job or the tasks that work involves. But it can create a better l for you to work. Focused on real people doing real work in real buildings it’s time to align our needs with the settings around us. 1 family 42 years 12 states 1,867 projects www.snydercg.com | 417.887.6897 BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS THAT L AST. FeaturedProject: MissionRidgeSeniorLivingCommunity-Springfield,MO 18 · SBJ.NET NOV. 2-8, 2020 SALUTE TO CONSTRUCTION Building the Future COVID-19, telecommuting and how we build homes In case you didn’t know, the world is still in the throes of an unprecedented global pandemic. COVID-19 has funda- mentally changed every aspect of our known lives and every industry imagin- able. I was surprised how many of my clients chose to build a new home in the imme- diate wake of the pandemic. I expected people to be hesitant to jump into any level of change – but no, my clients were eager to build. For years, the demand for high-quality, single-family housing at an affordable price has driven market trends, and that remains true. Space is a huge priority to families. That, combined with a short- age of homes on the market, leads people to build their homes in- stead. Springfield may not have many open lots for building, but areas around the city do and people are in- creasingly making the decision to live outside of the city be- cause of building opportunities. This abundance in land coupled with low interest rates was attractive to fami- lies who had been considering building a home, so the months between March and September looked like an ideal time to build in the Springfield area. Accord- ing to Reuters, in May 2020, nationwide home building increased by 17%, and the Midwest accounted for a large number of those buildings. However, some- thing several fami- lies do not consider is the growing price of building mate- rials. The price of supplies is increas- ing all the time, and because of CO- VID-19, manufac- turing slowed down and caused delays in delivery, which further increased the cost of building. Still, building is a priority to many families. The level of customization is the most attractive element to most of my cli- ents. I have seen people build what seem like small-grade resorts, complete with their own spa, gym and bowling alleys. These days, however, a home office is the central piece of more new home builds. When lockdown went into effect back in March, we collectively had to restruc- ture our offices, our schools and, yes, even our homes. Many workers had to stop to carve a workspace from among their normal lives. Kitchen tables became desks, stacks of books became laptop stands and closets became offices – which have since been nicknamed “cloffices.” As a result, single- family home builders simply want a space with capacity to support their careers and home lives. They want a quiet office with good lighting, a presentable background for Zoom calls and a door they can close at the end of the day when their work is done. While the transition to a work-from- home-friendly company is intimidating to some executives, remote work is actu- ally good news for employers. There are myriad benefits to allowing employees to work from home. According to Global Workplace Analytics, employers can save an average of $11,000 per half-time tele- commuter per year. They see lower real estate costs, higher employee satisfaction and can enjoy a wider pool of applicants when hiring. As far as nationwide trends, multifam- ily developers are reporting more demand for public workspaces in their plans. That means young professionals who work from home will have space outside of their apartments to get work done, but it also could bring about security challenges re- lated to using public Wi-Fi and working around strangers. Regardless, this is a mas- sive trend that indicates that working from home is not just a fad – builders are hearing that tenants are looking for a work-life bal- ance in their homes. Business owners are well accustomed to paying attention to public sentiment. Likewise, they should do the same for their employees. Business owners and HR man- agers should keep their ears open and pay diligent attention to what is happening in the home building industry, as many people are predicting that working from home will not disappear anytime soon. The trend in home office add-ons is just one indicator of that sentiment. In fact, people may even grow more accustomed to being able to work from home as quarantine continues. Debbie Bills is a vice president/consumer lending sales manager for Arvest Bank in Springfield. She can be reached at dbills@arvest.com. INDUSTRY INSIGHT Debbie Bills Kitchen tables became desks, stacks of books became laptop stands and closets became offices.