The World Health Organization officially characterized COVID-19 as a global pandemic on March 11. As of press time, more than 168,000 cases and 6,600 related fatalities have been confirmed worldwide. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has grown to 3,487, occurring in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; 68 deaths have been reported. (The disease COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.)

The impact of the novel coronavirus on the economy, everyday life, and human interaction, has been more far-reaching and devastating than many could imagine when the first known case was reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. To control the spread of COVID-19, companies worldwide are now mandating telework, prominent international, regional, and local events have been postponed or canceled, and colleges, universities, and schools are transitioning to online classes for the next few weeks or the remainder of the academic year. Countries have responded by declaring states of emergency, national quarantines, and travel bans.

In this unprecedented time, ARCHITECT asked several design firms to describe the impact of COVID-19 on their staff, clients, office operations, and projects. This article will be updated continually with new responses and developments. If you wish to share the measures your firm is taking in response to COVID-19, write a comment below.