Wojciech Odrobina - Changes in architecture after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic that affected the entire world, transformed with its arrival in almost all sectors not only temporarily, but as a new way of living. Architecture, urban planning and interior design are no exception.

It is not the first time that architecture as a discipline has been challenged by an emergency situation.

The variables always present in these cases are the short time available to search for solutions, the shortage of money and materials, and the need for innovative construction systems.

Architecture must rise above these obstacles to guarantee survival and a minimum quality of life. It is here that the creative capacity of architects is put to the test.

Factors such as the social distance necessary to avoid contagions, and the cleanliness of the places has made specialists in the sector turn to see how spaces are designed today and what can be done so that in the future they are not left without on the contrary, they contribute to maintaining health even in the most difficult environments.

First of all, one of the sites to be modified will be those related to medicine.

Over the past few decades, those who observed the intersections of planning, design, and public health have focused less on infectious diseases (such as the coronavirus) and more on chronic diseases, hazards, disasters, and the vulnerable.

The current pandemic brings the question of design for infectious diseases to the forefront and raises important questions for future research and practice. This approach has not only occurred in hospitals, but also in other cities.

For chronic diseases, prevention systems have been established as places to perform physical or mental restoration, for risks such as climate change, urban planners must address climate migration and environmental damage, and for vulnerable populations, they must focus on children or the elderly.

After the arrival of coronaviruses, some have questioned designs focused only on these needs and focused on those that have arisen at present, mainly in marginalized areas. One of them is connectivity between communities with emergency and health systems.

There are households in unrecognized villages that live off the grid without access to water, and yet the first tool we need to protect ourselves in this case is clean water to wash our hands. There is no electricity. It is difficult to get to hospitals or clinics. And the immune system responds to this quality of infrastructure

In these types of localities there are also no basic services such as drinking water or space for social isolation, which also makes care difficult during pandemics.

The solution there are micro-unit proposals that maintain a balance in public and private spaces as they include living rooms, community kitchens and bedrooms with bathrooms and locks.

Also, developers should consider the change in the way of working, to not only consider spaces in the homes that can be multifunctional and serve to carry out home office, but bring information technologies even to the poorest people

Regarding the design of cities, the pandemic has achieved that more and more attention is paid to the importance of creating pedestrian and bicycle routes, as well as green and wide spaces that allow people to do activities such as walking, without neglecting the social distance.