The importance of coffee talk... : A study of how a design group in the construction industry experience working from home during the pandemic

Abstract: Teleworking has become increasingly common as the digital development has progressed. This has provided tools that can facilitate work and reduce the need for physical meetings. Previous studies have concluded that teleworking leads to, among other things, a great lack of social contexts, a blurred boundary between work and private life but also increased productivity. In 2020 the coronavirus pandemic spread across the world forcing many people to start working remotely. Studies on the experience of teleworking in early stages of the pandemic show similar results as previous research. However, there are few studies that deal with how teleworking affects a group. These studies show, among other things, that a work group's productivity decreases if many in the group work from home. This thesis aims to investigate the construction industry's transition to teleworking during the coronavirus pandemic by focusing on a design team's experience of teleworking. The report deals with what the current work situation looks like compared to before, how the work can technically be carried out remotely and how the design team experience this change. The results that have emerged in this report show that design can be carried out remotely and the question is not whether telework should take place or not, but to what extent. There are various factors that affect how much individuals want and should work from home and the conclusion in this report is that teleworking should take place two to three days a week. Social parts of the work are irreplaceable and are required for good cooperation and prosperous employees. At the same time, there is an opportunity to focus better at home. Therefore, the parts of the work that require more collaboration and communication should be performed at the office, while work that requires more focus can be done remotely.