Architect and Builder June 2020 | Page 4

EDITORIAL LOUISE FENNER-SOLOMON | PUBLISHER OUR TEAM PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING Louise Fenner-Solomon 082 572 4707 [email protected] PUBLISHER / DESIGN Peter Fenner-Solomon 082 521 3916 [email protected] ACCOUNTS Peter Fenner-Solomon 082 521 3916 [email protected] Sitting looking out of my window over the Knysna Lagoon on a lovely warm winters day it’s hard to believe that despite the serenity of the view we are well and truly in the eye of the Covid-19 storm throughout the country. Little did we know, moving into 2020, with some green shoots emerging within the built environment, that by March everything that we know and take for granted, such as our personal freedom, relationships with family and friends and our businesses, would be effected in ways never experienced before. Working on a new issue has felt a little surreal as we decided not to publish during levels 5 and 4 of lockdown and went into hibernation mode like the rest of the industry. As with everyone else, we have felt the pain of lockdown, both emotionally and financially, as the publishing industry has been hit hard. Consumer titles especially have suffered terribly and household names like Garden and Home, House and Leisure SUBSCRIBE SOUTH AFRICA 1 Year / 6 Issues R480 exc. VAT 2 Year / 12 Issues R900 exc. VAT INTERNATIONAL 1 Year / 6 Issues R1 200 exc. VAT 2 Year / 12 Issues R2 200 exc. VAT HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Email us your subscription choice: [email protected] CONTACT US TELEPHONE 082 572 4707 FACSIMILE 086 551 8323 and Cosmopolitan, are amongst many other titles no longer being published. Architect and Builder celebrates its 70th year of publishing next year and we certainly intend to celebrate it in style, despite the tough times being experienced in our country and our industry in particular. We will be continuing our print edition as well as adding additional content to our digital and online platforms in the near future. During lockdown I was heartened to see so many within the industry doing their bit to help those battling to put a meal on the table for the many thousands in need and assist with the handing out of masks and sanitisers to communities. There have also been some mammoth efforts put in by the construction industry to ready temporary hospitals like the Hospital of Hope at the Cape Town Convention Centre and complete new ones like the Dr Pixley Ka Seme Hospital in KwaMashu in record time. It’s been amazing to see what has been achieved under such trying conditions. As our construction sites return to some semblance of a ‘new normal’ I am thinking of all the staff working with additional health and safety challenges and the threat of contracting Covid-19 on their minds. Wishing everyone well and good health as we weather this storm. EMAIL WEB [email protected] www.archibuild.co.za 4 Editorial