As workers stay home and office buildings sit vacantly, we can see a new role for the business districts in the large cities. What are the options? What impact did the epidemic have on architectural design processes and principles? Do we need offices at all?
The streets are quiet again, with most workers doing their work from home again, as they do in the spring. This situation raises some questions. Architects need to rethink the role of architecture, design priorities, and the way we think.
The apartments’ design aspects are increasingly changing: the emphasis is placed on light, ventilation, terrace/balcony, green space, sustainability, and the living space is given another function of the workstation.
When planning offices to be built in the future, other priorities must be considered, more open staircases, non-contact elevators, special air filter systems, disinfection stations. And rethinking vacant office buildings is an essential task. There are several solutions around the world for exploiting depopulated office space.
- Rezoning neighborhoods
In the longer run, however, architects and urbanists in the US see an opportunity for the city to rethink the role of this workspace-laden swath of the city by converting idled office space into new residential projects, especially affordable housing. It is always a problem to solve, and with this rezoning solution at a neighborhood level, they can empower the livable condition in so many cities. There is a lot of neighborhood residential rezoning under consideration – we think thanks to the Covid19, a transformation process begin.
- Reshaping the interior – office spaces
There was always a push for higher density in the office; we have seen a decrease in the average square feet between employees. In the Post-Covid era, we will start to see this process move in the opposite direction.
We have to re-configure desks, partitioning, and fixed screening, so no face-to-face orientation and storage elements could also be introduced to eliminate direct contact between employees. The circular signs on rugs embedded in the carpet below a desk could be considered in office spaces as well to ensure people keep a safe distance from one another.
- Rethinking materials
Research results confirm that the Covid19 survives longer on certain materials than others. Materials like plastic and stainless steel can stay contaminated for two to three days, while copper is considered antimicrobial, and the virus only lasts around four hours on this surface.
Different surfaces and elements in the office will need a protective material that helps limit bacteria’s spread. For example, antimicrobial coatings are commonly used to eliminate viruses on surfaces like doorknobs and different wall surfaces.
- From remote work to satellite offices
While shifting to remote work, more businesses consider a future with lower-cost office models that give employees a choice in how and where they work. This is a win-win situation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity today’s businesses to envision a new kind of workplace – one that raises the quality of life for employees while lowering operating costs and driving growth. A better solution for both businesses and employees would be to implement satellite offices where workers already have roots. The employees can stay home in their community, and operating costs for the company plummet. By decentralizing the workforce, companies can attract talent anywhere in the world.
With this solution, far fewer office buildings will be needed in the future, so the focus of the architect’s design palette will also change.
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We manage and analyze urban statistical and spatial data, including data visualization and dashboard design, to support decision-making processes for making livable and sustainable cities.
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#alexandrakapitany
/2020.11.22/
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