[OPINION] Architecture in a post-coronavirus society

Litter-free streets, car-less roads, nights of darkness – an unlikely scene in the urban jungle of Metro Manila and most major cities in the world. It is said that experience is the best teacher, and this global pandemic has plenty of lessons to teach us. The physical environment that we occupy should undergo changes to adopt to calamities in the coming years. Architecture’s role in society will be of greater importance than ever before. 

Rethinking how we design

During this crisis, people spent most of their time in their houses. Work-from-home setups were implemented for some companies to still function. People disinfected their groceries and clothes before entering their residences. These new practices may affect the design of residential shelters in the future.

Lavatories for hand washing and disinfection areas in entrances and foyers can be integrated into home designs. Comfort rooms can be located near the entrance of our homes for ease of access during the disinfection process. Multipurpose rooms can also be an added norm in our shelters, to give space for home offices, allowing for better work-life balance.

Not all types of industries will be able to function in this type of setup, however. Thus, there is still a need for office space. Open-plan offices have become the trend in the past years, but architects should rethink this model so that when another pandemic of great magnitude occurs, office isolation can be implemented without sacrificing much productivity. (READ: DFA to implement ‘new normal process’ at consular offices)

Innovations in a new world

Before the “Great Lockdown” around the world happened, travel and tourism flourished. The hospitality industry took a huge blow when travel was put to a halt. Hotels, commercial establishments, and industrial facilities will need to improve post-COVID. Widespread use of contact-free technology can be incorporated in hospitality design, where basic services and operations can function on voice command and smart technology, such as automation of doors, hands-free switches, and other automatic functions through remote technology. (READ: LOOK: PH Army turns metal drums into washing stations for checkpoints)

Commerce will also evolve and smart technology will be integrated. One example: cashier-less stores and groceries. These stores can have sensors to monitor the items shoppers buy and they will be charged via electronic transactions upon stepping out of these stores. The company Amazon already started this mode of payment in their Amazon Go stores. Architects should be acquainted with these new technologies for physical planning to be updated and more adaptable to changing times. 

On being resilient and flexible

In times of calamity, architects and planners know that hospitals are the most essential facilities in a community. Healthcare design will need to undergo an upgrade. The need for design flexibility should be implemented in hospital planning, where rooms can be converted into Intensive Care Units, especially in rural areas where space is limited. Waiting areas should also be updated, with separate areas for patients and non-patients. Ventilation systems to remove contaminated air should also be applied to different hospital rooms and areas. 

All possible changes entail additional construction costs, but health care should be one of the foremost priorities for budget allocation. How else will the economy function if the general public is compromised? Current hospital planning focuses on chronic illness and disasters, but this pandemic stresses the impact of infectious diseases.

In an emerging economy like the Philippines where agriculture is a major driver, architecture can be integrated through urban vertical farming in cities with hydroponic techniques. We have plenty of agricultural lands in the country but these are prone to damage during typhoons. Having vertical farms in highly dense cities can alleviate food supply during calamities and pandemics.

Schools, airports, offices, manufacturing plants, recreational facilities, and the construction industry as a whole will change as an effect of this crisis, and we will find more solutions as more lessons arise from the isolation. As we cope with our day-to-day activities, our experiences in this pandemic will allow architects to design with health and wellness in mind. (READ: Labor group wants ‘new normal’ in workplace that’s not abusive)

Shaping the future

Humanity’s resiliency can be enhanced through the facilities and buildings that house us. The Earth still needs fixing, and architecture will need to adapt, innovate, and evolve to effectively and efficiently respond to whatever changes occur. We should not just be reactive to past and current events in determining what we build, but spaces should be purposefully designed knowing what we want to achieve, where we want to go, and how much development we want as a civilization.

Our development as a species is molded and shaped by our natural and built environment, and architects and urban planners play a vital role in shaping the urban fabric. What we design, designs humanity back. Design should be focused towards building a better world. – Rappler.com

Reiner E. Loria is the principal architect of ShapeSpace Architecture+Design. Reiner designs houses and commercial establishments, and has experience in designing rehabilitation centers.