According to Lodging Econometrics’ (LE) latest analysis, 2024 could turn out to be the greatest year for meetings in the history of the hotel business.

As a result of the world finally pulling out of the pandemic and people convening once again, paired with the ongoing rebound of business travel, visitor bureaus and convention centers have reported that conference space bookings are at an all-time high this year.

Here, we look at some of the key findings from LE’s most recent global insights, which were highlighted in a webinar led by Bruce Ford, senior vice president and director of global business development at LE.

The Q4 2023 report found that there are 15,197 hotels in the pipeline, with a total of 2.368 million guestrooms—making it a peak on guestrooms since LE began tracking the global pipeline in 2008.

The global active pipeline of rooms broken by chainscale (including projects under construction, commencing in the next 12 months, and in early planning) is as follows: 

• Luxury: 230,033 total rooms / 5,922 rooms to open in 2024 
• Upper upscale: 448,175 / 12,903 
• Upscale: 706,248 / 18,108
• Upper midscale: 640,792 / 13,963
• Midscale: 227,007 / 7,533
• Economy: 90,465 / 2,456
• Casino: 25,295 / 2,150
• Unbranded: 277,723 / 11,297

More than half (123,445) of the hotel rooms in the new luxury pipeline are already in the ground, signaling that luxury construction will likely begin to trend down as these hotels open, with LE foreseeing a slowdown in the next two years. The same trend is forecasted for upper upscale projects with 448,175 total rooms in the pipeline, and roughly 230,000 rooms already under construction. 

While luxury and upper upscale construction is expected to slow, other chainscales will pick up the pipeline. This is evidenced by the rate of upscale and upper midscale construction, which comprises a combined 1.4 million guestrooms of the 2.3 million total global pipeline. Midscale also continues to rise as it now has more than 227,000 rooms in the new construction pipeline and is growing the fastest of the chainscales. 

There are already a total of 6,160 projects under construction, with a total of 1,096,748 rooms, across the globe. Broken down by region: 

• United States: 1,118 projects under construction / 141,768 rooms 
• Other Americas: 304 projects / 51, 642 rooms 
• Middle East: 309 projects / 83,308 rooms 
• Africa: 108 projects / 18,202 rooms 
• Europe: 755 projects / 115,300 rooms 
• Asia Pacific: 3,566 projects / 686,528 rooms

Stay tuned for Hospitality Design’s February/March issue (coming out next week!), where we take a closer look at hotel development around the globe.

More from HD:
The Hospitality Development Landscape Is Flourishing
Hybrid Day-To-Night Concepts Make the Most of Their Space
Designer Julien Albertini Shares His Journey

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Venus Williams talks wellness and community, an oversized 3D-printer will soon build a community in Mexico, and a major development on New York City’s West Side opens to the public. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.

SOM unveils Manhattan West

Photo by Jakob Dahlin

Decades in the making, the mixed-use behemoth Manhattan West has been completed in New York. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed three of the six buildings spread across the seven million-square-foot complex, which comprises retail, office, hospitality, and residential facilities. The city’s latest redevelopment effort to transform unused railway spaces, Manhattan West links several Far West Side neighborhoods through its “urban corridors,” beginning at Penn Station and running west toward the Hudson River, ArchDaily reports. In addition to the One and Two Manhattan West office towers, the project includes the 23-story Pendry Manhattan West hotel, designed by Gachot; a 62-story luxury residential volume known as Eugene; the revamped Loft Building; and Five Manhattan West—all of which are fully open. Construction on the project is slated to conclude in 2023.

DesignWell Featured Conversation: Venus Williams

Photo by Kevin Sturman

Available now to stream on demand, tennis champion and V Starr founder Venus Williams chats with HD editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen about her definition of wellness and how it informs her approach to the design of spaces like the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Washington, DC and the spa at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Florida. Register to watch the interview, presented IWBI | International WELL Building Institute, on DesignWell.

Hilton ponders the future of business travel

As many of us ease back into work travel, we’re also reassessing how we feel about it. Business publication Morning Brew polled more than 7,000 of its readers to learn more about what traveling for business means right now. The business publication paired its data with insights from Mark Weinstein, Hilton’s global head of marketing and loyalty. Findings show that 87 percent of respondents miss traveling for work, yet only 40 percent of those polled said they would opt for a job with travel components over one without the benefit. Perhaps most importantly for the hospitality sector, 48 percent agreed that they looked forward to loyalty point programs and rewards when traveling and 78 percent agreed or strongly agreed that using points and rewards was a major business travel bonus.

EU to vote on universal charger mandate

The European Commission—the executive branch of the European Union—has pushed forward proposed legislation that would mandate smartphone manufacturers and other electronics makers equip devices with a standard USB-C charging port. In addition to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, and handheld gaming consoles would each be impacted for the legislation, according to CNBC. The proposal is part of a revised Radio Equipment Directive that will be required to pass a vote in European Parliament before becoming a law. If the law passes, manufacturers will have two years to comply with the legislation.

3D-printed houses rise in Mexico

Photo courtesy of New Story

San Francisco-based nonprofit New Story is using 3D-printing technology for good, as it is spearheading efforts to provide 500 3D-printed homes for residents outside of Nacajuca, Mexico. In partnership with Mexican social housing production company, Échale, New Story is crafting 500-square-foot units with two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, and indoor plumbing. Each unit is composed of lavacrete, a proprietary concrete mixture, and is completed within 24 hours. According to the New York Times, some of the existing units have already withstood a 7.4-magnitude earthquake. Nacajuca may mark the birth of a new revolution. The Times also reports that the 3D printing industry is poised for a major boom. The market is forecasted to yield a value of $55.8 billion by 2027.

More from HD:
Arlo Midtown Is an Ode to Manhattan’s Garment District
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Sells for $5.56 Billion
Behind the Scenes of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project

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Emerald Holding, Inc. (“Emerald”) announced today the launch of the new media brand, DesignWell. A powerful new addition to the Emerald portfolio, DesignWell will offer readers in-depth articles, interviews, reports, webinars, and other curated content in both the design and technology markets to arm readers with the information they need to provide their clients with inventive wellness solutions.

Besides aggregating content from Emerald’s leading brands—including Kitchen & Bath Business (KBB) magazine, Campus Safety magazine, CEDIA, CEPro, Commercial Integrator, EDspaces, Environments for Aging magazine, Healthcare Design magazine, Hospitality Design magazine, ICFF, and TechDecisions—the site will also feature news from other leading sources in the wellness space as well as original stories that delve into this ever-evolving industry. The ideas featured on DesignWell will also be an integral part of the programming at several of the brands’ tradeshows and conferences.

“The wellness market has tremendous growth potential, and we are so excited to be bringing this informational resource to the market,” says Ray Lyons, vice president of connected brands at Emerald. “As the newest member of the Emerald portfolio, DesignWell has the advantage of leveraging a database of more than 500,000 architects, designers, builders, and technology trade professionals. DesignWell will be the go-to resource for the wellness industry!”

“The wellness market is an ever-evolving $4.3 trillion industry that we have been tracking across all of our design brands for some time, and DesignWell is a one stop resource that brings together years of expertise in the commercial, residential, hospitality, healthcare, and senior living markets,” says Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, senior vice president, design group at Emerald. “It’s exciting to partner with our sister technology brands as there are many synergies when it comes to creating holistic wellness in spaces.”

Nicholas Boever has been named web editor for the site and is excited to see how this industry and media outlet takes shape. “We have this exciting opportunity now to explore wellness through the twin lenses of technology and design,” he says. “From smart home technologies to biophilic design principles, we have the opportunity to go beyond individual applications and explore how our spaces and structures can be made to support our wellbeing in both modern and future settings.”

Visit DesignWell at DesignWell365.com.

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Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) held its first Digital Summit September 17–18th, welcoming international professionals to engage in two days of commerce, culture, and art via mobile or desktop app. Hotelier Ian Schrager and Thrive Global founder and CEO Arianna Huffington were among the headliners of this year’s program, which also included the 10th annual StayBoutique Awards.

“We exceeded our expectations on all levels for this day-and-a-half all-virtual event,” said Frances Kiradjian, founder and CEO of BLLA. “Besides selecting the best-of-the-best in boutique hospitality brands, investors, owners and founders, the added experiences such as speed-dating and mentor circles made this one of the best events this year—as heard directly from the feedback received from speakers, sponsors, and attendees. It is truly heartwarming during these special times in our world, to say the least.”

Through the app, attendees accessed programming from more than 80 speakers across 50 panels and webinars on topics ranging from investment and leadership to diversification and fostering loyalty—all linked to year’s theme, Dare to Adapt. Additional participants included Fauchon Hospitality, Standard International, EDITION Hotels, and the World Travel & Tourism Council. BLLA also partnered with research firm Metric Centric on a new consumer confidence report for the boutique hospitality sector, which revealed that travelers will seek safety and guest experience above all else in their future travels.

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Struggling tourist destinations market to digital nomads, restaurants face a sobering reality in our COVID-19 era, and Virgin Galactic reveals its sleek spacecraft rendering. All this and more in this week’s Five on Friday.

Struggling tourist destinations pivot marketing

A “digital nomad” may just be a flashy moniker for creatives with elite passports, but the demographic may seal the fate of numerous tourist destinations struggling to attract visitors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Skift reports that locales like Bermuda and Estonia have pivoted to become remote work-from-home destination for travelers who want to lengthen their stays. Bermuda, which reopened its air borders on July 1st, noted an uptick in travelers with itineraries stretching well beyond the standard week or weekend visit. A month later, the island territory issued an online application for visitors to book a yearlong stay with an upfront cost $264 per person. Estonia introduced a digital nomad visa program, for which applications are now available for travelers without U.S. passports. The concept was crafted in collaboration with Jobbatical, a startup dedicated to expediting the immigration process for European companies hiring international talent.

Hospitality leaders consider a post-COVID-19 world

As COVID-19 continues to affect the hospitality industry, especially in the U.S., experts throughout the sector offered their insights to HD to help better envision our world beyond coronavirus. Through interviews, webinars, and Instagram Live discussions, HD compiled multiple perspectives from industry leaders to illustrate the pandemic’s impact on the hospitality world in the months and years to come. Among the findings, purposeful travel will largely lead the industry, guest safety and sanitation protocols will remain paramount, and hotels and restaurants will have to evolve if they want to continue to create experiences for guests.  

One-third of U.S. restaurants face permanent closure

A sobering new report from restaurant consultancy Aaron Allen & Associates indicates that one in three U.S. restaurants may permanently shutter as a result of forced closures due to spikes in COVID-19 cases. Bloomberg reports that 231,000 of the country’s nearly 660,000 restaurants are currently facing this very threat. The report also reveals that more than 8,000 restaurants have already been directly affected because of an employee with coronavirus.

Eater also reported that most restaurants lack the capacity to endure a second forced closure due to losses taken upon reopening. Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours in Atlanta, which is cited in the article, reveals it spent $5,000 to sanitize the property and filtration systems, while more than $3,000 went toward new partitions.

Virgin Galactic unveils spacecraft rendering

Virgin Galactic has taken its latest small step toward commercial space travel with the reveal of its passenger spacecraft. The new rendering depicts a sleek vessel designed in collaboration with Rolls-Royce that will be equipped to fly at speeds in excess of Mach 3; for context, the original Concorde soared around a speed of Mach 2. The design will also accommodate between nine and 19 travelers across business to first-class seating. According to TechCrunch, Virgin Galactic is slated to begin work with NASA to realize its dream of high-speed, high-altitude point-to-point travel. Virgin spacecrafts will aim to fly beyond the Concorde’s cruising altitude of 60,000 feet as well.

Facebook looks to dominate New York’s tech landscape

Amid the ongoing pandemic and myriad controversy, Facebook has agreed to lease all office space within the century-old James A. Farley Building in Midtown Manhattan. The newly leased 730,000-square-foot space grows Facebook’s total office footprint in New York to more than 2.2 million square feet. Facebook currently employs more than 4,000 employees in New York—a substantial increase from 2,900 New York-based employees at the beginning of 2020. The New York Times reports that the Midtown neighborhood Facebook will soon occupy is emerging as a tech corridor. Apple, Amazon, and Google each lease offices in the area.

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The notion of today’s “new normal”—or abnormal—is on everyone’s mind. But what does that mean for the hospitality and design industries? At a time when there are more questions than answers, speaking with and listening to peers and experts is the greatest tool the industry has to help navigate the continually changing circumstances the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust upon the world. Through multiple interviews, webinars, and socially distant Instagram Live discussions, we compiled insights from experts that paint a broad picture of the longterm impact the crisis will have on the hospitality world in the months and years to come.

Traveling with Purpose

Gone are the days of hopping on a plane for a business meeting only to be back inside your home less than 24 hours later. “We will see hospitality trend away from efficient hotel rooms or hotels that cater to a work-life [balance] scenario,” Gray Davis, cofounder of New York-based design studio Meyer Davis, said in an April interview, “and instead see more of a focus on travel for the sake of cultural immersion and vacation in the truest sense.” Hotelier Bashar Wali, former president and CEO of Provenance Hotels in Portland, Oregon, agrees. “This has given people a lot of opportunity to reflect introspectively and think about what’s important in life,” Wali said during a conversation on Instagram Live in late April. “The idea that somebody traveled for an Instagram moment seems so shallow now.”

The lobby at the Parts and Labor Design-crafted Thompson Washington DC

Until travelers feel a sense of safety and security, differences in preferences and patterns will be notable. “People are going to be cautious about where they’re going, and they won’t want to immediately jump on a plane, so drive-to destinations will be the first to come back online,” SB Architects president and principal Scott Lee told HD. “People will always want to travel,” echoed Jason Holley, principal of London- and New York-based Universal Design Studio. “It’s part of being human, but people will want more from their experiences. They will be more value-driven rather than rate-driven. Experience will be the top of the agenda, and they will seek out more distinct, meaningful, and unique experiences.”

Safety First

Moving forward in our new COVID-19 era, feeling safe will be the new luxury. “We already use many cues and signals to earn guests’ trust and show that a sanitary environment is top of mind,” said Matt Berman, principal of New York-based Workshop/APD, during the Design Trends Update: The New Normal webinar, which was hosted as part of HD Expo’s virtual programming. “Guests will no longer consider safety a given, so brands will have to reinforce [it] at every touchpoint—the glass is sparkling, food is fresh, the toilet is clean.” Even prior to COVID-19, New York design firm AvroKO had been developing “hospitable thinking” ideologies in order to affect design and take care of human needs. “We focus on the three S’s: Security (how can I help you feel less anxious in a space?), significance (how can this experience be meaningful?), and surprise (how can I delight you with something that’s a little bit unexpected?),” said founding partner Adam Farmerie. “We create a balance in our designs to include each of the three.”

Quality Bistro in Midtown Manhattan, designed by AvroKO

“We still want to create beautiful spaces for people to visit, but what we want, from a design [perspective], is for our clients to have a level of versatility, so they’re not creating anything they will regret,” said Jeremy Levitt, principal at New York-based Parts and Labor Design. “We’re all working together to determine what makes the most sense as we move forward in this world.” During the Emerging Trends: F+B 2020 and Beyond webinar, Jason Maringola, design director of interior architecture at Washington, DC firm Streetsense, said it will be imperative to rethink the old ways of doing things. “People want to feel connected and be able to socialize, but in a safe setting,” he says, “so we’re looking at more private dining opportunities and more chef-to-table experiences that create a protected scenario for our guests.” “We’ll see more restaurants and hotels expanding their outdoor seating and looking at ways to enclose spaces for operation during the winter months,” says Gordana Jordanovska of San Francisco-based Studio Goga. “There is a big opportunity for the design world to look for ways to close off key retail streets and create pedestrian-only avenues that expand outdoor seating (think Lincoln Road in Miami, Las Ramblas in Barcelona, or Skadarlija in Belgrade). Imagine beautiful, off-the-grid structures that can transform from the summer months to the winter months.”

The Rosewood Little Dix Bay resort in the British Virgin Islands, redesigned by Meyer Davis

Once restaurant restrictions are lifted, the takeout and delivery market may continue to flourish, points out Andrea DeRosa of Los Angeles-based practice Avenue Interior Design. “We anticipate more fast casual restaurants that are focused on take away orders rather than dine-in experiences. This is a trend we were already witnessing with growing interest in food halls and smaller food outlets,” she said. As for hotels, Jean-Gabriel Neukomm, founder of New York practice JG Neukomm Architecture, predicts a more residential-like treatment. “I could see hotels incorporating a digital service that includes apps like Peloton, WeWork, and Talkspace into their amenity package,” said the architect. “This would allow longterm inhabitants to bring more than just their work life into the hotel experience, [as a way to] synthesize home, particularly within the creative class.” Aparthotel brand Locke Hotels, which is owned by London-based edyn, is already feeling this shift toward home-meets-hotel offerings. “We’ve seen a lot more interest from people who might not have considered an apartment offering in the past,” said edyn CEO Stephen McCall during a discussion on Instagram Live. “The hotel industry is not particularly quick to innovate, it usually takes a push. And while nobody would have wished for this, COVID-19 is going to accelerate the evolution of the industry.”

Material Solutions

Although completely overhauling an existing establishment may be out of the question, implementing new practices and smaller renovations could be the key to welcoming patrons back in the safest and most responsible manner. “What we’re seeing is a lot more touchless technology and safer materials that are less porous and easy to clean,” said Maringola. “This is our moment to push the industry into a low-touch experience with something that feels safe and sustainable. As we’ve seen in the news, we’ve been able to reverse some of our pollution, and as an industry, we need to lead that charge and bring it to the forefront.” Gensler principal Tom Ito echoes that sentiment. “Antimicrobial materials should be considered, especially in high-traffic areas like lobbies, check-in desks, and conference spaces, and even linens and materials used in the room,” he told HD in an interview. “Digital check-in is already a reality and automatic controls will also enable hands-free use of lights, doors, and other operational functions.” For instance, Ace Hotel Group introduced a self check-in experience last year when it opened Sister City in Manhattan. During a conversation on Instagram Live, Ace’s president Brad Wilson explained that to make the digital system work, the choreography of the check-in process has to be flawless. “Too many times, people struggle through so many kinks with the system that checks you in that it gets frustrating and you need to go to a [front desk agent] and then it’s much easier.”

Ace Hotel Group’s Sister City on the Lower East Side of Manhattan

Like hoteliers, restaurateurs are also figuring out how to make their digital content more appealing while “also trying to create memories like we did in the restaurant,” said Donnie Madia, partner at Chicago-based One Off Hospitality, during the F+B webinar. “We’re trying to bridge the gap of the loss of the interaction with the server and bring that back to a family orientation—how the food looks when they get it home and how tasty it is—in order to feed guests and make them happy in a hospitable way without being there.” While design changes might be seen as temporary, infrastructure changes like IT, AV, and new HVAC systems could help “convert [guestrooms] into work suites to support longer-stay occupancies,” says Neukomm. “How great would it be to stay in a hotel but have access to your own office?” Take the Wythe Hotel’s partnership with short-term office space company Industrious. The boutique hotel in Brooklyn, New York transformed one floor into 13 offices, with each workspace able to accommodate up to four people, starting at $200 a day—signifying the shifting office landscape.

The New Hospitality

Other sectors, like offices, gyms, and coworking spaces, are also rethinking their models in light of COVID-19. At the Well, a members-only wellness club in New York, the team will enhance the club’s already rigorous cleaning standards. “During every shift, we have two people [who focus on sanitizing the space],” said cofounder Kane Sarhan during the Emerging Trends: Leading-Edge Concepts in Wellbeing webinar. “We always had that because we’re obsessive about cleanliness, and it’s a personal brand standard. Now, it’s going to be about regulating how people access the club and how they use the club. What we’re realizing is that people want to invest in health and wellness that helps boost their immunity and keeps them healthy.”

The Well in Manhattan’s Union Square neighborhood, designed by Rose Ink Workshop

For concepts that are built on collaboration, like coworking-social club hybrid NeueHouse, being nimble and flexible will be essential now more than ever. “No matter what we have or haven’t done well in the past, there’s now an opportunity to start to rebuild a sense of trust and hospitality, in whatever that means, in this COVID world,” CEO Josh Wyatt said during a conversation on Instagram Live. “We’re on day one of what is going to be a long journey of innovation, design pivots, and enhancements.”

For more COVID-19-related news and stories from HD, click here.

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The Times Square EDITION, which debuted to great praise at 20 Times Square last year, has revealed that it will permanently close its doors this summer. The 452-room property by hotelier Ian Schrager and Marriott International will shutter on August 13th, following months of decreased revenue and the worldwide tourism standstill.

According to information unearthed in ongoing foreclosure proceedings, the possibility of closure was first discussed as early as March. The fate of the entire 20 Times Square mixed-use property, which was appraised at roughly $2.4 billion in 2018, is not yet clear.

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Over the course of three days, HD Expo delivered 12 informative programs digitally, as part of a successful shift in this year’s show. Despite the necessary cancellation of the in-person conference in Las Vegas, owners, designers, and industry leaders came together in the virtual world to continue conversations and introduce new concepts. (And click here for a look at the comprehensive digital show guide.)

The HD Expo 2020 lineup is listed below. All sessions are free and available for download on demand.

Day 1: Tuesday, May 5th

Owners Update and Outlook

Emerging Trends: F+B 2020 and Beyond

Keynote Conversation: Hospitality Meets Theater with David Rockwell + Scott Ellis

Hospitality’s Future: The Hybrid

Day 2: Wednesday, May 6th

Owners’ POV: Insight, Investment, and Resiliency

Design Trends Update: The New Normal

CEO Lifestyle Brands Talk: Rethinking What’s Next

Keynote Conversation: Chip Conley

Day 3: Thursday, May 7th

How to be in Business in the Hospitality Business: A Paradigm of Thought for the Future in a Post-Coronavirus Environment

Emerging Trends: Leading-Edge Concepts in Wellbeing

Ask the Purchasers

NEWH Green Voice: Technology for Healthy Buildings

Thank you to our sponsors Global Allies, Bryan Ashley, and Provado!

The post HD Expo 2020: Web Sessions Now Available for Download appeared first on Hospitality Design.

Beth Campbell, Wilson Associates

What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?

We are fortunate to have an incredibly close-knit team, hallmarked by a collective spirit that has continued to push our organization forward despite the current situation. What we were once able to do in the presence of our colleagues, such as brainstorming, drafting, sketching, and sharing ideas, the team is now quickly adapting to accomplish digitally. While the adjustment was certainly a challenge, I am proud of how the team has overcome the initial obstacles together.

What is your current work situation?

As soon as we understood the risk, we implemented a remote-work policy for our design studios located throughout the world. Our concern has always been, first and foremost, to protect our team, their loved ones, and of course, our clients. We are fortunate to have an IT department that was able to respond quickly to the changes, and now our client and project team meetings are conducted virtually via Zoom.

What are some of the positive effects of working in these new ways?

Adversity always leads to positive outcomes. We’ve embraced change under the new normal through means of increased collaboration and communication between all studios, and I could not be more proud of how the team has responded to the adjustment in workflow. Though we are physically divided, there is no longer the barrier between studios. The dynamism among the team is phenomenal—we have even had the chance to work with people that we may not have interacted with in the past, and that’s been great to see.

What is your pulse on the industry?

As difficult as the pandemic has been in our everyday lives, we have found that our clients are moving forward with their developments thus far. Although there has been a great deal of uncertainty, the situation enables us, as a team, to think beyond our typical scope and foresee how the virus will impact the way we interact with others. As it relates to the hospitality industry, we may see a drastic turn in the emphasis of social spaces. In an effort to remain connected and further strengthen our relationships with clients, our team has made it a routine to host virtual lunches and “coffee runs,” in addition to virtual webinars and conferences.

What does this mean for the future of hospitality?

Ultimately, the crisis will bring forth a great deal of lessons to us, both as a team and as individuals. We will not only be tasked with questioning ourselves, but also with the way we operate a business and prepare for unexpected and monumental events such as the current pandemic. We cannot predict when life will resume to normalcy, but the hospitality industry must be prepared for the inevitable bounce-back of society. Hotels will flourish when this day comes, as people scurry to travel and do all the activities they missed out on while the world stood still. However, it is up to us to design spaces that will be a welcoming safe haven for guests who may have concerns about cleanliness and face-to-face interactions.

Lastly, share some good news! Have you done anything to stay busy in these crazy times?

While this is indeed an abnormal time, I have found myself and my team invigorated and focused on the “next normal.” We continue to push forward through a combination of curiosity that’s inherent in designers and a belief that inside every crisis is the next level of excellence.

On a personal level, I went from a 95 percent travel schedule to 0, which has significantly added to my wellbeing during an otherwise calamitous time, providing a deepened opportunity for focus and clarity. I am now finding more time for daily exercise, meditation, and reading, which creates a wonderful start to each day that I cannot always enjoy on the road. We are also finding that our clients need our support now more than ever, which keeps my day quite full. I am fortunate to be surrounded by loved ones and tethered to friends via Zoom gatherings, and we look forward to the day we may safely return to our offices. Though, I must say, we are certainly still finding joy in these strange times.

Greg Keffer and Shawn Sullivan, Rockwell Group

What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?

Greg Keffer: The basis of our design work is connecting people in shared experiences—dining with family and friends, attending theater and concerts, and learning together—the very conditions in which the coronavirus crisis completely undermines. However, we are determined to create solutions that will allow us to continue with our everyday rituals, enhancing whatever real time, in-person interactions are taking place within the space—to make them more memorable, more emotional, and ultimately, more meaningful.

What is your current work situation?

Shawn Sullivan: Rockwell Group’s New York, Los Angeles, and Madrid offices are working remotely. It’s definitely been an adjustment, but it’s also been encouraging to see how creative and empathetic our firm can be during such uncertainty. As architects and designers, we’re constantly thinking about creative solutions to meet the needs of our clients, and now we are also addressing how we work collaboratively with our staff.

GK: Fortunately, technology—especially video conferencing apps—have allowed us to stay connected with our teams and clients. We are also conscious that more check-ins are necessary now that we no longer work in an in-person environment for the moment. I can’t just walk by someone’s desk and have a conversation or provide immediate feedback. Instead, I’m doing “drop ins” via Microsoft Teams. I know our team is loving the social aspects of our Zoom happy hours and the social bonding it allows that otherwise we are missing.

What are some of the positive effects of working in these new ways?

GK: Keeping rituals is important to feeling normal. We now hold virtual studio-wide gatherings every few weeks, where we review a project together and discuss the health of the studio. It’s a way for everyone to feel the positive movement of our work and the bond of the group. Overall, we’ve been truly inspired by the Herculean efforts our staff have made to prepare for the unknown, and we are overwhelmed by the results.

What is your pulse on the industry?

GK: Like most architecture firms, COVID-19 has affected our national and international work to varying degrees. Some projects are still under construction and some are on hold for the moment.

SS: As a global firm, Rockwell Group is built to seamlessly work with our clients through technology. So in terms of staying connected, the lack of travel is the main change.

What does this mean for the future of hospitality?

SS: The COVID-19 situation is still evolving, and everyone is constantly learning about the virus and its effects. Right now, we are evaluating what we can do immediately—and in the future—to help our clients, employees, and the public. David, Greg, and I are having conversations with close friends on how we can rethink the future of hospitality, especially the restaurant industry. We’re exploring new opportunities and solutions that will support chefs and restaurants after the restrictions have lifted. Our post-pandemic world will likely be very different from the world in which we are so familiar. However, we do know it will be a world in which hospitality and design continue to play a vital role.

Lastly, share some good news! Have you done anything to stay busy in these crazy times?

GK: This experience has reinforced that our studios and firm as a whole are like a family and during these grim and uncertain times, it’s been encouraging to see how nimble, creative and empathetic our staff is. It’s easy to focus on the negative, but it’s just as easy to focus on the positive, support one another, and grow from this unexpected moment as individuals, communities, and workplaces.

Kiko Singh, BraytonHughes Design Studios

What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?

The most challenging part is dealing with the unknown. It’s like watching a wave, and you can’t see how large it is until it consumes you. We have seen other countries impacted ahead of us, and we’re trying to learn what we can from their experiences. From an employer’s standpoint, it’s frustrating not knowing when the city ordinance will lift and we can work together again face to face.

What is your current work situation?

Our office is currently working from home. We increased our Zoom and GoToMeeting accounts so team members can meet virtually and still collaborate. We also do staff Zoom happy hours at the end of the week so everyone can catch up. Sadly, we’ve had to furlough some team members as some of our projects have paused, but we hope these furloughs will be short-term solutions. The challenge for management is to stay engaged and as transparent as possible with our coworkers regarding what the future might hold. The partners also meet several times a week to review our finances and strategies as the economic climate changes.

What are some of the positive effects of working in these new ways?

Technology is a very powerful tool, and we’re able to accomplish a lot with as little as a laptop and the internet. Some parts of our roles have become very productive because people are interrupted less and can schedule work around their lifestyle. That being said, the nature of our work requires some level of in-person interaction. I know the staff misses each other, and nothing can replace holding, touching, and feeling a sample.

What is your pulse on the industry?

What is interesting is that no one sector has paused while others move forward. A few of our large hospitality projects are moving forward because they’re under construction and located in areas that have not been as affected by the virus, while other projects in earlier design phases have paused. We’re very connected to our clients, checking in on them periodically and finding different ways of working. Recently, we had a GoToMeeting walk through for a project that is opening in a couple months in place of an in-person visit. While it would have been great to be there, we were able to accomplish what was needed to stay on track.

What does this mean for the future of hospitality?

I wish we could look into a crystal ball, as the future could go in so many different directions. People’s confidence in travel for work and pleasure will be a huge factor. When this confidence returns, hopefully developers and operators will keep these projects moving forward and we can continue to do the work that we love.

Lastly, share some good news! Have you done anything to stay busy in these crazy times?

We’re using this time to hone our productivity and catch up on updating our office standards. We’re spending more time with our family and pets. And on a more exciting front, we’ve started to collaborate with a lighting manufacturer on a new lighting line, dipping our toes into other elements of the design world.

Related stories:
3 Industry Leaders on Today’s New Normal
3 Design Duos on Making the Most of Trying Times
6 Designers, Architects, and Entrepreneurs on Staying Connected

For more COVID-19-related news and stories from HD, click here.

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While we all continue to adjust to today’s new “normal,” HD is offering as many realtime experiences across our digital platforms as possible. Join us as we engage with industry experts and keep our finger on the pulse. Here’s what we have coming down the pike.

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Gulla Jónsdóttir
Thursday, May 20th
12:30 p.m. EDT / 9:30 a.m. PDT

Atit Jariwala, Bridgeton Holdings
Tuesday, May 25th
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Phil Hospod, Dovetail + Co
Tuesday, June 8th
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