Patricia Shpilberg, Principal, Vice-President Southeast Region, Array Architects
Patricia Shpilberg offers a glimpse into the impact technology has on the growth and evolution of architecture. She describes to Invest: how advancements in AI allow her firm to streamline processes, orient to customers, and continue to carve out a respected presence in Fort Lauderdale.
What attracted Array Architects to South Florida?
Array has a 20-year history in South Florida working exclusively in the healthcare market. Responding to demand from our northeast clients, as they started to bring services down to Northeast Florida, we established our presence in the region to facilitate that expansion. In short order, our network grew from there. While we began in Boca Raton because it was near our clients, we recently relocated to Fort Lauderdale as it offered greater scope for growth, talent acquisition, and client access. Our strategic initiatives aligned with the move, and as a result, Array is now thriving in the region.
Could you provide a current overview of Fort Lauderdale’s healthcare architecture industry?
In the past, health systems would focus intently on their specific geographic areas; but over the last five years, these systems are starting to expand into new markets across Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. At the same time, if you want to work with a public health system, you need to have a brick-and-mortar presence in the same county as the healthcare facility. To this end, many architecture firms have established offices in both Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. In this way, the competition has increased exponentially, because we are all competing for the same clients and the same talent.
Regarding design, structures in Miami-Dade County used to have unique styles depending on the neighborhood, for example, Coral Gables had a more traditional Spanish style, while South Miami and Miami Beach areas had an Art Deco feel. South Broward and North Miami had more of a 60’s or 70’s modern vibe. As development continues in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, new buildings have started to look similar. One missing element from new construction is the unique character present in old buildings and the unique brand expression that came along with them. One of the reasons for the shift is that healthcare clients are looking for a more hospitality-based feel so that patients feel more at home, and building designs are reflecting this.
Are there any contemporary trends that can affect the way services can be delivered to clients?
Functionally, healthcare services continue to evolve in tandem with technology, and the pace of this change has quickened over the last 10 years owing in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of design, there is an increased emphasis on flexible, adaptive, and modular design. From an operational and service offering, there is a growing trend towards concierge-level services, hence the shift towards a hospitality feel to the facilities. While aesthetics remain important to our clients, function, and service are prized above all.
What are the primary challenges for healthcare architecture at the moment?
As a service industry, architecture has been deeply affected by COVID-19 and the ripple effects that came with it, particularly in logistics, recruitment, staff, and skilled labor. The catalyst for this change is not the disease itself as much as the mindset shifts in how we think about and approach work. People are rethinking their career paths, which has led to increased recruitment. It is incredibly challenging to find exceptional talent and experience. Array cannot hire folks fast enough to sustain the growth trajectory we are on as a firm. This same labor shortage though also finds itself in the trades and construction firms as well, impacting construction costs and project schedules. The increased cost and scarcity of materials have been another challenge. The entire industry has had to rethink common practices and how we design and build due to supply chain constraints. Earlier collaboration with the project team and client is tantamount now to preparing for the long lead times of materials or equipment. As a healthcare-only architecture firm, we are closely aligned with the evolving policies and trends within the healthcare industry. This also means we are right alongside our clients through challenging times or as economic headwinds arise like we’ve seen the last couple of years. Array has been in business for over forty years, and with that has built a strong, entrenched reputation across the healthcare industry and we have been able to adjust to the present market while also growing for the future.
How does Array Architects leverage technology and innovation to provide exceptional services?
We pride ourselves on always being at the forefront of technology; but beyond that, we’re focused on making healthcare design simpler. We do that by approaching our work through the lens of operational optimization as well as design thinking. While our core practice is architecture, our advisory services and technological deftness complement that practice to deliver a continuum of project exploration and execution that spans an entire lifecycle — from inception to realization. For example, we have integrated an AI program for market analytics to help our clients better understand their needs when necessary. Further into the design process, our CAD software is continually evolving how we are able to share and update our drawings. Helping our clients see a solution is paramount, so we incorporate 3D visualizations, animations, walkthroughs, and advanced renderings to visually assist our clients with comprehending the evolution of their space. What would have taken a month to develop in the past can now be accomplished in a half hour, so technology has impacted us with improved efficiency, capability, and quality control.
