On March 19th our office began working remotely, ensuring appropriate health measures were in place and following all of the government’s COVID pandemic recommendations. After many weeks from home the entire studio has adjusted to this new longer-term reality – secure in the knowledge that our team members are safe and working hard to ensure that our projects are delivered without disruption. While there have been challenging moments, I have been inspired by the ingenuity and resilience of our peers and colleagues, many of whom are now juggling many work-related roles and domestic responsibilities simultaneously.

Following the BC Government’s May 6th Restart Plan, we developed our own Henriquez Phase 1 – Return to Studio Plan which is  founded upon WorkSafeBC’s Hierarchy of Controls guidelines through physical distancing, engineering controls and administrative controls. Our Phase 1 Plan commenced June 1st as a phased re-entry pilot, which kept the majority of staff (75%) continuing to work remotely.

We are excited to have moved to our next phase in tandem with BC’s Phase 3 Restart Plan, and welcomed our entire team back to the studio on June 15th. We remain committed to keeping our team, clients and community safe during this challenging time by following WorkSafe BC’s guidelines and will continue with remote working options and accommodations for those in our studio who are higher risk.

We remain grateful for the tireless efforts of our front-line workers throughout our city and the globe who are helping those in need in these very challenging times. Together we will get through this. Today, we are at a moment in time, where we need to question convention and historically established systems. Out of this reflection, will come changes that may shape and affect every aspect of daily lives, as we collectively begin to reimagine the type of world that we want to live in and pass on to future generations. Our studio looks forward to participating in this discussion and proposing alternate futures which we hope will unite humanity in an inclusive chora; where all citizens can feel at home on this tiny planet called earth.

Gregory Henriquez