Written by: Hadrian Laing, Student Architect. BA, BEDS, MArch Candidate
The New Normal: a period replete with uncertainty where our standard methods and means of our daily routine have been disrupted. The office is a busy breakfast table, daylight is a blessing or a curse, and our privacy is only partially protected by the odd party-wall. As a graduate student of architecture, this is a fascinating time. While I don’t discount the damage the pandemic has done, it has provided opportunities to reflect on our previous ways of living within the built environment. In these reflections society can start to identify the role of architecture in the New Normal.
Programming
Employees around the world have transitioned to working from home, forcing them to engage in Space Programming. Space Programming is the iterative process of creating a layout for a space that satisfies the needs of the client. This important process is best conducted early in the schematic design phase. Few residential projects have been programmed to include a home office, complicating the task of retrofitting one into an existing home. Location, square footage and electrical capacity are all considered and difficult to change after the fact. The value of architecture to specialize certain spaces to fit specific needs is a key role it serves in the design of our built environment. It’s no stretch to imagine future residential projects may prioritize flexible spaces within residential projects, especially if we see more firms make remote work permanent.
Daylighting
There is increased recognition in North America around Seasonal Affective Depression Disorder (SADD). Despite the arrival of spring, this pandemic has limited our ability to get the much-needed sun and fresh air that is important for good mental and physical health. Architects take these factors into account, and design spaces which take advantage of natural elements like sun, shade, wind and views to the outdoors. This role has become all the more important as access to the outdoors has become restricted by social distancing. While such measures are not permanent, they have stressed the need to design spaces that keep us healthy. The disadvantages of the basement apartment, as well as the home flooded in sunlight are ripe for reassessment. The former due to the toll it has on mental and physical well being, the latter due to the difficulties it poses due to glare and obstruction.
Privacy
It’s no secret that privacy standards have changed due to this pandemic. When in the past having a child barge into a video interview would be a viral hit, it’s now simply part of our daily routine. Despite this, the need for privacy in the home has become more important than ever for basic human functions like working, sleeping, leisure and intimacy. In the past this was offered by workplaces and local businesses. Humans are social, but a lack of privacy degrades mental well being over time. Architects understand the need for environments that feel safe, secure and solitary. This type of space is usually termed Refuge Space, and is of such importance there are entire areas of architectural theory dedicated to it. While rising cases of domestic violence are perhaps an extreme example of the need for personal space home, soft privacy will inevitably feature into the way our spaces are designed in the future. Consider the juxtaposition of a 21st century open-concept home and a 19th century victorian home. Now ask yourself which would be more conducive to finding a room with privacy. It is the role of the architect to capture these values and manifest them into the built environment.
Conclusion
We have experienced a sudden and significant shift of focus from the four walls of our office to the four walls of our habitation, and what impact these walls have on our physical, social and mental well being. Online content creators have capitalized on this pandemic as a time to reflect on the absurdity of our present situation. Architects are readily pondering these transformations as well, and the public would be wise to do the same. Hopefully those reading this see themselves in the descriptions, and their homes in the examples. We’ve re-arranged our furniture, purged our storage rooms, played all our board games and still there is something missing. Good architecture is a built environment that is positive to our health and good architects take into account the values of society. While the current crisis is still developing, it is the role of good architecture to realize that every crisis yields opportunity for growth. What shape that growth will take, is both exciting and unknown!
Sources:
Prospect and Refuge https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286123657_Prospect_and_refuge_theory_Constructing_a_critical_definition_for_architecture_and_design
Victorian Homes https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/news-desk/news/ten-clues-to-help-you-identify-a-victorian-house
Space Programming https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0371253
Domestic Abuse https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/world/coronavirus-domestic-violence.html
BBC interrupted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh4f9AYRCZY
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