Can Good Design survive Covid in 2022.

I often think about good design and how it impacts our everyday lives. While being very subjective, the question is one that is continuously asked by many of my peers. I believe the better question is how can good design be incorporated into each project given the unique project characteristics, programming issues, budgets, government constraints, economics, and of course the players involved: the architect, owner, and contractor. Oh yeah, let’s not forget Covid.

Throughout my 37 years in the architecture profession, I have seen a lot of unusual impacts on the building industry. Typically, it is the economic winds that drive the ups and downs of private development and new construction. As an architect, I am aware that my profession naturally encounters the initial impacts of a down economy, considering the fact that nothing gets built without a massive amount of planning, design, collaboration and finally a set of construction documents. In the past couple of years however, there has been a new impact that has seemed to drive even the economy.

In 2019, which of us would have thought that a microscopic entity that originated on the other side of the world would have brought the world economies to a near failure condition. Theories and speculations of whether the virus was engineered by an evil government aside, the fact of the matter is that Covid is here; possibly for the long term. The results are that it has impacted many aspects of humanity across the globe, particularly how we live, work, and play.

How we Live

How we live particularly here in the United States has been extremely impacted. The American sanctity of freedom of movement has not been challenged in a manner such as this since the civil war and abolishment of slavery. In 2020, people were sent home to work remotely and one’s house, condo or apartment not only continued to be a refuge from the grueling commute and potentially virus infected workplace, it actually became one’s work place, and homes became an extension of “the company”. American approaches to work had changed and along with that, how Americans live at home changed. Human activity for the most part became compartmentalized to the home. New thoughts on Live/Work design approaches are now being looked at again and those developers and architects that seize the moment will find themselves ahead of upcoming curves. Since the creation of the United States, the American spirit has been on a mission to achieve, and a never ending “work ‘til you drop'“ approach to life. Covid modified that approach in many ways. Americans have seen that there can be a work/life balance and still achieve great things. While the basic elements of the home will always remain relatively the same and migration back to the office will eventually happen, new designs will incorporate dedicated office space or a study once again. The key to that design is how a resident can detach from the work space and feel that their refuge of home still remains a refuge. Wrapping up 8 hours of work only to have it staring you in the face for the rest of the evening is not my idea of healthy living. As an architect, we want to encourage breaking away from “the work” to enjoy life as it was meant to be. Our firm is exploring new home/work design approaches that range from old school studies to new detached dedicated work space.

How we Work

I recently visited my mechanical engineer in a 60,000 square foot office building that was essentially abandoned by all the tenants except his small company. Aside from construction, manufacturing, police, fire, first responders and other hands on vocations, millions are still working at home. How is this impacting companies that locked themselves into long term leases prior to the pandemic? With companies reassessing their leasable space needs, we have found that reimagining offices requires reprogramming and incorporating each client’s ideal approach to accommodating staff needs and safety. Assessing the modified needs of companies is key to reimagining their facility needs. Many companies have found that they no longer have a need for large facilities management departments and salaries, and are looking to firms like Salazar + Caro Architects to help them reassess facilities needs and develop streamlined approaches to reduce costs.

Playtime

Playtime, recreation, and entertainment are critical to humankind’s daily lives. While facilities like stadiums will remain essentially as they are, more intimate entertainment venues and activities are experiencing adjustments affecting patrons. Restaurants, bars, theaters, and other similar venues that experience a constant turnover of patrons are adjusting to new health and safety needs through planning and mechanical equipment modifications to increase air exchanges in addition to adjusted scheduling.

Adjust to the game

Years ago I coached girls high school basketball, and during a tournament, my players complained about the referees calling too many fouls, unlike the previous game. My response was simple, “Stop complaining and ADJUST to the game! “ In summary, we have been living in a crazy Covid world the past couple of years. It’s important that businesses adjust to the game - and fast! A key component of that adjustment is proper facilities planning and management. Properly working building systems are critical to reimagining healthy spaces. Obviously, maintaining proper air movement is key. Planning outdoor spaces that can integrate with interior spaces is one approach to achieving healthy spaces. The use of bacteria killing light fixtures during off hours may also be implemented, particularly in locker rooms and medical facilities. These are just some approaches to developing solutions to healthy buildings, and good design isn’t just how a building looks, but also how it functions.

To conclude, good design in 2022 will incorporate strategies and concepts for healthy buildings. Defining each project’s unique problems and providing solutions through collaborative efforts will benefit both owners and users. The staff at Salazar + Caro Architects, P.C. aren’t ignoring the fact that Covid has changed a great many attitudes and approaches to the way we live, work and play, and are committed to finding design solutions that help support our daily work activities and lifestyles. What design responses to covid and healthy facilities are important to you and your company? Feel free to contact us at Inquiries@salazarandcaro.com