New future looms for living and work environments

As countries worldwide start to lift COVID-19 lockdown measures, one thing is clear: The pandemic will bring significant changes to our built environment and the way it is designed.

In addition to urban planning, many building categories will be affected, such as residences, offices, and healthcare and educational facilities.

Predicting such an evolution is based on certain assumptions, including that while COVID-19 may not be completely eradicated, its community spread is or will be brought under control.

As a result, society will have to adjust to the new normal of social distancing, working from home, split teams and occasionally having to endure partial or complete lockdowns.

Song Zhaoqing, founder and chief architect at Lacime Architects in Shanghai, is adopting a philosophical approach to the coming weeks and months. "Our cities already exist; all we need to do now is to act out the stories we have been telling," he said.

Residential design is likely to be one of the areas that will see the biggest shift.

Colin Seah, director of the Singapore studio Ministry of Design, said adaptability will be key, with multifunctionality the main feature.

"The previous role of the home as a domestic retreat with limited functions－such as dining, cooking, sleeping and entertainment－will be augmented by a need for it to also serve as a full-time workplace and learning environment, and in some cases, even as a gym or recreation center," Seah said.

Transformable or movable furniture and spatial partitions are among the features that architects and interior designers need to introduce.

Systems controlling the amount and color temperature of light may also need to be adaptable.

For example, the living room could be a co-working space for a family during the day, with bright, white light.

In the evening, as it transforms into a relaxation area, the level of illumination could be muted dramatically to create a cozier environment for winding down.