365 DAYS LATER
A year on from the first reported Covid case in New York City, and it’s hard to imagine how life was before. Our lives now involve reeling at scenes of crowded elevators and close-talking strangers in movies streamed to the same screens on which we have our birthday parties and quarterly meetings. Countless videos on social media of coworkers sneaking to the bathroom and toddlers photo-bombing the evening news illustrate how this “new-normal” has blurred the boundary between our personal and professional lives. While most would agree that the extent to which this boundary has dissolved is undesirable, it is becoming increasingly clear that a complete return to before is not likely.
LOOKING FORWARD
The past year has been traumatic, but it has also allowed us to contemplate what is important. As the vaccine becomes more widely available, and the end of this pandemic is in sight, our thoughts turn to how we want to work moving forward and how we could weather this better next time. Since the entire world has embraced remote working, most companies will likely keep this in place, at least partially, and will need to think about what this means for their office space. The improvised acrylic barriers and peeling floor markings indoors and the busy streateries and lengthy queues outdoors continue to highlight that our existing commercial spaces are not properly equipped to handle this new ever-present threat. Both building owners and tenants will need to reevaluate their facilities not only for the spatial and mechanical alterations necessary to reduce the risk of viral transmission, but new programmatic considerations to utilize their space with reduced on-site personnel.
Similar to architects’ and engineers’ facility assessments for energy code compliance and ADA accessibility, surveys to evaluate how to remediate the threat of viral transmission will become commonplace. Social Distancing diagrams, like Egress Plans, will illustrate risks mitigated by design. Special attention will be paid to non-porous and easily disinfected surfaces. Floor patterns and wall patterns will help gauge proper social distancing. Natural and mechanical ventilation will be scrutinized to provide both fresh air and maximize energy efficiency.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The larger and more existential programmatic questions will require building owners, businesses, and architects alike to dig a little deeper. As we can stare at a computer screen anywhere, what does our in-person work space need to be? Does this new remote-working environment mean we need less office space, or does it provide us an opportunity to differentiate that space from what we have at home? What will prospective tenants now view as essential to their operations? Do once private amenities, like balconies and terraces, now need to be accessible to all tenants? The answers to these questions will be different for each business and building owner. As architects, it’s our job to guide this process and provide solutions to individual challenges that are in step with the bigger picture.