Post covid19 & Architecture

POST COVID19 & ARCHITECTURE

As the world is slowly reopening, easing lockdown measures, everyone is adapting to new realities. Imposing drastic adjustments to our lives, the coronavirus has introduced a new “normal”, changing our perceptions and altering our priorities. Driven towards questioning and evaluating our environment, we are constantly reacting and anticipating a relatively unknown future.

The Profession

While we cannot foresee the future, we can create logical analogies that are based on the current situation and our first responses. Architects around the world have put their knowledge to use in the fight against the coronavirus and have created innovative solutions that might stick around for a while. Some are putting up in design while others are rethinking the city. we will try and focus on how the profession can evolve, on the focus of future projects, and on our adaptable cities.

Interdisciplinary approaches

 One thing that the pandemic has taught us is that architecture cannot save the world, at least not on its own. As the industry resumes, our take on the built environment will become different. In fact, interdisciplinary approaches are already building up, bringing new expertise and views to the practice, to address more efficiently these urgent global issues. The collaborative take on “shared” world-wide challenges, will integrate notions of public and personal health, environmental psychology and even agriculture.

Future Projects

 Emergency architecture and crisis architecture are topics that will start taking center stage as the world changes. Oriented towards war-related displacement and camps, in earlier times, these themes will be more focused in the near future on mitigation of diseases and natural incidents. Sustainability will further consolidate its status as an integral part of every approach, and projects will become more self-sufficient. On another hand, as we look to establish fast responding structures, we are transforming existing underused spaces. Adaptive reuse is considered the most effective form of sustainability, this field will improve furthermore, as the world economy is suffering.

Rethinking the concept of home

In the different phases of the pandemic, we will focus again on our intimate spaces. In fact, new configurations and new plans are starting to emerge. The quality and comfort of our homes will become at the top of the list. While we are confined in our houses, we are rethinking our requirements and needs, along with the “new normal”: from green areas and gardens, exploitable rooftops, natural light, and ventilation, balconies, and terraces, minimal and wholesome indoor environments, transitional and filtered entrances, etc.

New parameters

 Focusing on health-oriented approaches, new standards are going to be set. Design and material are rethought according to the current situation, generating new forms of living. While notions of modular design, prefabricated elements, flexible partitions, and lightweight structures will keep on growing, architects will start planning new configurations with social distancing measures in mind. Surfaces will be covered with new materials and the design will be oriented towards eliminating risks of diseases.

Density

 For a while now, urban designers and policymakers have been advocating for densification as a sustainable process to expand the city, rather than relying on devastating urban sprawls. With the pandemic hitting crowded cities the hardest, these strategies are re-questioned. It is time for policymakers to replan with new norms and start focusing on proper measures of safety and health of people. 

Transportation/Mobility

One of the biggest challenges is social distancing, during this pandemic with high concentration of people, public network is difficult to maintain social distancing. Many countries are planning for future and replacing traffic lanes to pedestrian lanes. Ensuring social distancing and reducing reliance on cars and public transport, citizens are encouraged to walk and cycle. With less pollution and more physical movements, cities are pushing their residents to develop a healthier lifestyle, essential in fighting diseases. 

Economy

Since the economy is begin hit hard by corona pandemic, cities are mobilizing in order to prevent further damages and help business to revive back. Opening the street to people can also help in realm for their business for example it can be helpful for food industry for restaurant and cafe owners.