How Will Coronavirus Change our Homes?
Five architects weigh in on how Covid-19 will transform our houses, and share advice on how to make them safer
We all wonder how Covid-19 will change our lives and habits and whether we will return to our old normal. Confined to our houses, we are also more aware of the space we share and the limitations of our homes, and we reflect on how they could be more pleasant, comfortable, safe and healthy. We spoke to architects in Spain, Italy and France – countries which are all currently on lockdown – to get their thoughts on how corona will change the home of the future.
“Taking into account the circumstances in which we find ourselves and the data we get every day, it seems reasonable to think that this period of confinement is going to repeat itself and, possibly, change our way of thinking and planning domestic spaces,” says architect Gonzalo Pardo, director of Gon Architects.
Homes will have versatile and multifunctional spaces
The architects we spoke to emphasised versatility, multifunctionality and transformation. Thus, for Pardo “houses must be transformable,” while French architect Frédéric Ganichot notes that “this crisis will accentuate the already existing tendency to design modular spaces.”
The architects we spoke to emphasised versatility, multifunctionality and transformation. Thus, for Pardo “houses must be transformable,” while French architect Frédéric Ganichot notes that “this crisis will accentuate the already existing tendency to design modular spaces.”
Multifunctional spaces make more sense at a time when we do everything from home – from work to exercise. Thanks to the lockdowns, features and devices developed for gyms, “such as exercise bikes, dumbbells, and yoga mats, are likely to be brought back into your home,” Pardo says.
We are likely to see the greatest emphasis on multifunctionality, however, “in the inclusion of more spaces enabled for remote work, from independent rooms to rooms that are reconfigurable depending on the time of day.”
We are likely to see the greatest emphasis on multifunctionality, however, “in the inclusion of more spaces enabled for remote work, from independent rooms to rooms that are reconfigurable depending on the time of day.”
We will make more use of roofs and terraces, and value connections between inside and out
“Terraces and rooftops will be planned to be continuous with adjoining areas, shaping indoor-outdoor living rooms, bedrooms with private patios, etc.,” says Javier San Juan, founder of Lado Blanco Architects.
Ganichot agrees. “Interiors in homes will increasingly turn into exterior spaces,” he says.
Italian architect Tommaso Giunchi goes even further. He says he has friends and clients who affirm that “they will never again live in a house that does not have at least a small outdoor space.”
“Terraces and rooftops will be planned to be continuous with adjoining areas, shaping indoor-outdoor living rooms, bedrooms with private patios, etc.,” says Javier San Juan, founder of Lado Blanco Architects.
Ganichot agrees. “Interiors in homes will increasingly turn into exterior spaces,” he says.
Italian architect Tommaso Giunchi goes even further. He says he has friends and clients who affirm that “they will never again live in a house that does not have at least a small outdoor space.”
Pardo also believes that roofs will become more important, and that they will be “bastions of community freedom,” as he puts it.
In the same vein, architect Moisés Royo, founder of Muka Arquitectura, thinks it is important to set a minimum for the amount of green space available to every apartment block, which would not count towards the sale or rental price of the property or the profitability of the development.
In the same vein, architect Moisés Royo, founder of Muka Arquitectura, thinks it is important to set a minimum for the amount of green space available to every apartment block, which would not count towards the sale or rental price of the property or the profitability of the development.
In Spain, new builds in large cities do often tend to incorporate a terrace. However, Royo not only believes that these spaces are insufficient, but for him neighbourhoods in city centres, which were built in the last century or earlier, pose the greatest problem. “[Here] the width of the streets and the orientation of the houses makes it impossible to guarantee minimum daily hours of sunlight for each inhabitant.”
There is a pressing need to allow modifications to the structure of such neighbourhoods “to accommodate outdoor areas for buildings without increasing the constructed area,” Royo says. It is revealing to note that for some of the architects we surveyed, the true urban revolution of the 21st century will not be keeping vehicles out of city centres, but rather this guarantee of green space for every apartment block in the most central neighbourhoods.
There is a pressing need to allow modifications to the structure of such neighbourhoods “to accommodate outdoor areas for buildings without increasing the constructed area,” Royo says. It is revealing to note that for some of the architects we surveyed, the true urban revolution of the 21st century will not be keeping vehicles out of city centres, but rather this guarantee of green space for every apartment block in the most central neighbourhoods.
How architecture can curb the spread of the virus
Cities are contagion hotspots and population density is a huge problem. With this in mind, Royo points out a number of specific issues that can be addressed to stop the spread of viruses like this in future.
“First, it is important to point out that, sooner rather than later, we will only open windows when we want to clean the outside of the glass,” Royo says. “There are already mechanical ventilation systems that guarantee air flow 24 hours a day with very low levels of CO2, and that also eliminate harmful particles in the air, as well as viruses transmitted through water droplets.”
Cities are contagion hotspots and population density is a huge problem. With this in mind, Royo points out a number of specific issues that can be addressed to stop the spread of viruses like this in future.
“First, it is important to point out that, sooner rather than later, we will only open windows when we want to clean the outside of the glass,” Royo says. “There are already mechanical ventilation systems that guarantee air flow 24 hours a day with very low levels of CO2, and that also eliminate harmful particles in the air, as well as viruses transmitted through water droplets.”
We all hear a lot of advice on what to do to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. One common recommendation is to take your shoes off on the landing to avoid introducing the virus into the home. Thus the problem here “is not [created] by viruses, but by our homes,” Royo says. Homes should be designed with a space just after the entrance from the street or landing, “where you can take off your shoes as soon as you enter,” he says.
“This should be followed by another area for hanging coats and other outerwear (hats, scarves, umbrellas, etc.). These spaces do not have to be large – they can be adapted to the size of the house.
“And this solution probably also means doing away with corridors – due to the terrible division of space within homes – to reallocate their space to these anterooms.”
“This should be followed by another area for hanging coats and other outerwear (hats, scarves, umbrellas, etc.). These spaces do not have to be large – they can be adapted to the size of the house.
“And this solution probably also means doing away with corridors – due to the terrible division of space within homes – to reallocate their space to these anterooms.”
Materials are another factor that could help curb the spread of viruses. “It is important that surfaces are easy to clean and that in some spaces they even repel dirt. It is also important that architects work on creating details that have clean forms and are easy to maintain,” San Juan says.
Finally, several of the professionals we interviewed suggested that common areas should also be rethought. Royo believes that technology has a role to play in making such spaces safer and preventing the transfer of contagions through contact with surfaces. He suggests that doors with facial recognition and voice-controlled elevators, for example, will reduce our use of buttons and manual controls.
Finally, several of the professionals we interviewed suggested that common areas should also be rethought. Royo believes that technology has a role to play in making such spaces safer and preventing the transfer of contagions through contact with surfaces. He suggests that doors with facial recognition and voice-controlled elevators, for example, will reduce our use of buttons and manual controls.
We need homes that make us feel good
Pardo believes that domestic spaces “should be more playful, idle and pleasant, to keep the greatest number of family members entertained.”
These types of unknown pandemics, which evolve rapidly, create a lot of pessimism. In any case, there is always a silver lining. “This may be controversial, but this crisis is going to bring about many good things,” San Juan says. “For example, the values of being together, of caring for your neighbours, of relating to others are being rediscovered; also the value of a good work space, of relaxation, well-decorated and illuminated common spaces that respond to our tastes and emotions.”
Pardo believes that domestic spaces “should be more playful, idle and pleasant, to keep the greatest number of family members entertained.”
These types of unknown pandemics, which evolve rapidly, create a lot of pessimism. In any case, there is always a silver lining. “This may be controversial, but this crisis is going to bring about many good things,” San Juan says. “For example, the values of being together, of caring for your neighbours, of relating to others are being rediscovered; also the value of a good work space, of relaxation, well-decorated and illuminated common spaces that respond to our tastes and emotions.”
Being comfortable at home is essential now and, in this sense, “the intervention of a professional who collaborates with you will help you plan new spaces, thinking about how you live and what you need. We work with emotional architecture (neuroarchitecture) or how the built space affects cognition. The spaces that surround us condition us,” San Juan says.
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How is the ‘circuit breaker’ changing the way you view your home? Tell us your experiences in the Comments, share this story and join the conversation.
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Find a renovation professional in Singapore
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