Design for the New Era

"Design has never been this important. Here's how we can bring change to help individuals and society in adapting to the crisis and planning ahead for the future."

At the Global level, the rate of urbanization is rapidly increasing. By 2050, urban areas are expected to house roughly 70% of the world's population. In densely populated cities, this leads to an overdependence on apartment buildings to meet the growing population, which is often accompanied by very few green and public spaces. By 2025, the country's population is expected to reach 52 million in urban areas and 49 million in rural areas. 95% of the country's population occupies 4% of the total land area.

How have previous pandemics redesigned the world?

From antibacterial brass doorknobs to broad, well-ventilated boulevards, pandemics have always shaped our cities and buildings.

The modern street grid was influenced by cholera epidemics in the nineteenth century, which further prompted the introduction of sewage systems, which required the roads over them to be broader and straighter, along with new zoning laws in place to prevent overcrowding.

In the global war against rats, the third plague pandemic, a bubonic outbreak that began in China in 1855, modified the design of everything from drain pipes to door thresholds and building foundations.

Tuberculosis contributed to the wipe-clean aesthetic of modernism, with light-flooded sanatoriums inspiring an era of white-painted rooms, hygienic tiled bathrooms, and the ubiquitous mid-century recliner chair.

The form has always followed fear of infection, just as much as function. 

With all of us now residing in socially distanced self-isolation, with closing stores, workplaces closing, and urban centers reduced to ghost towns, it's hard not to speculate what kind of long-term impact Covid-19 will have on our cities.

A few questions arise...

1. Do we need to reconfigure our homes to serve as workstations? How will we develop a working environment at home?

2. Do we need to widen the pedestrians to keep our distance?

3. Will we no longer want to live in such close quarters?

4. Working in an open-plan corporate environment? And cramming into elevators?

5. Do you think the layout of office spaces will change?

For several years, we have been continuing to pursue greater workplace density. Companies have preferred less office space per employee. Even after the pandemic, we don't see workspaces looking to expand. However, It is believed that companies will reconsider the spacing between workstations and how these stations are organized in order to give employees more space between each other.

Workplace Modification

"The most significant change will be in how we think about work."

The number of co-working spaces has increased dramatically. But, after that, will companies really want to put their entire team in one place, where they'll be in close enough proximity to other businesses?"

The co-working dream was sold on the promise of social interaction, the possibility of bumping into freelance creative types while waiting for your coffee. However, proximity may no longer be so likely to appeal.

It is not a suggestion that we all go back to working in 1950s cellular cubicles, but it is presumed that office density will change. We'll see fewer open-plan layouts, as well as improved ventilation and more openable windows. We'll see wider corridors and entryways, more departmental partitions, and a lot more staircases.

Hands-Free Workplace

Artificial intelligence and ambient technology provide solutions for improving workplace efficiency and welfare.

One thing seems certain: people will no longer perceive the workplace in the same way they did previously. How we approach high-touch areas of the workplace will undoubtedly change. The desire, if not the necessity, to reduce the number of touch points in our workplaces may be the first factor that can lead us to truly autonomous, hands-free environments.

In this new scenario, we would leverage the already available technology to create spaces that are responsive to us instead of having to respond to them. These solutions will no longer be “luxury” solutions—they will be essential requirements of the modern workplace. Why? Because the cost to create hands-free solutions enabled by technology is minimal compared to the price of having to shut down a business due to contamination or illness.

We can design spaces that allow us to move freely and work hands-free. Smart technology can assist in the creation of a truly intelligent, automated workplace designed in order to meet the specific needs of individuals while also providing a safe, cleaner, and healthier environment.

Furniture Adaptation

Office desks have downsized over the years, from 1.8m to 1.6m to now 1.4m and less, but it is believed that trend will reverse, as people will no longer want to sit so close together."

To reduce overcrowding, legislation may be introduced mandating a minimum area per individual in offices, as well as a decline in maximum occupancy for elevators and larger lobbies.

Improved Ventilations

HVAC systems that recirculate air are widely utilized. Moving forward, we must think as to how to ventilate more with outdoor air in order to dilute air pollutants and reduce transmission opportunities. In addition to HVAC systems, openable windows are indeed a simple way to let in the more fresh air.

Because viruses thrive in low-humidity environments, HVAC systems should be adjusted to achieve an optimal humidity range of 40 to 60 percent. Portable humidifiers are an easy solution for older buildings.

Smart Materials

Materials that are easily maintained, resist mold, and promote better indoor air quality must be made a priority. Surface sanitization products and technology will be in high demand. Antimicrobial coatings are already being used on interior products such as floors and walls, door hardware, faucets, shutters, paint, and furniture. We can also use naturally antimicrobial materials, such as copper. Lessons from the healthcare industry can be applied to corporate workplace environments and all enclosed spaces.

City Density

Since the pandemic has converted socialization into the ultimate evil, a few have blamed city density for the disease's rapid spread, making the argument that the suburbs are the safest place to be. 

With limited travel options, the local high street has come into its own: corner stores are generally better stocked than supermarkets. The pandemic has also highlighted other changes that have been taking place behind our backs.

Coronavirus has revealed the various effects of tourism and migration on cities worldwide. In Delhi, thousands of migrant workers have walked hundreds of kilometers back to their rural villages because their jobs have been canceled, leaving them unable to pay their rent.

A pandemic illustrates something very clear - the unfortunate necessity of a public healthcare system and a proper welfare system. It provides a thorough understanding of what is good.

Courtyards and Hallways

The courtyard allows residents to connect with daylight and open space without having entered the public realm. A courtyard is a place to store supplies, hang linens to air or dry, enable children to play, and listen to each other's health or distress sounds.

The excess space of the lobby was an easy target to shrink or remove as architects designed ever more minimal social housing in the 20th century and supported the sudden decrease in the size of commercial apartments in the 21st. Returning to the logic of hallways will allow for the reintroduction of these important health and safety thresholds.