Redesigning offices in transition

Establishments in the city such as gyms and fitness studios, internet cafes, salons and other personal care services except full body massage, are now allowed to operate but only at 30 percent capacity. Some restaurants also now accept walk-in customers.

These establishments have installed physical distancing indicators and acrylic panels or plexiglass sheets to comply with public health protocols. Government agencies and local courts have likewise reopened their places of work for certain transactions.

As we ease quarantine restrictions and more offices and business establishments are now allowed to open, I hope that science is not again being trounced by the pressure to revive the economy. I hope we are heeding science more than just perfunctorily installing physical distancing indicators and acrylic panels in enclosed spaces.

I’m writing about this because I remember what an infectious disease specialist wrote on social media. He saw the post of another friend of ours showing the latter’s remodelled office with acrylic wall panels. The doctor advised our friend to create an exhaust in the room. “Best to have 15 air exchanges per hour, especially if the room is with air-conditioning,” he said.

Now, are we listening? The SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 still exists. William Far’s Theory states that epidemics rise and fall in roughly a bell-shaped curve. Once peak infection has been reached, the infection thereafter follows a downward slope. The tricky thing is that under the circumstances, we do not know yet when the peak of the infection occurred or will occur.

The downward slope of the epidemic will happen, but the choice on whether or not the curve will be a prolonged occurrence at the cost of millions of lives and property is on us. If we don’t apply stringent public health measures, our suffering will be long. But the economy must also be opened. What can we do to balance these two concerns?

The solution is to consult the experts. When I read on social media about what my doctor-friend had to say about offices or enclosed spaces, I wondered if experts like him were consulted by businessmen and government agencies before the latter decided to reopen their physical stores and offices.

The pandemic has forced us to reassess our choices and priorities, and this reassessment should also apply to how we redesign our physical spaces. We cannot strictly confine ourselves to remote learning and online transaction all the time because while these reduce density in public indoor spaces, there are still things best done or can only be done outdoors and in physical spaces. We then need the designers and health experts to answer the critical questions.

On their study about post-coronavirus architecture and urbanism published in the scientific journal Sustainable Cities and Society, professors Megahed and Ghoneim (2020) posed some of these critical questions. “Would the post-pandemic era generate new urbanism based on social distancing? More specifically, could COVID-19 be a catalyst for decentralization and walkable cities?”

“What is the future of commercial buildings? Can airconditioned shopping malls continue? Will the pandemic teach us new lessons to incorporate into our public buildings and spaces designs? What is the future of high-rise buildings? Can skyscrapers continue? What happens when nobody wants to use elevators?”

In commercial centers and offices, there will be a need for better natural ventilation and healthy design choices, including contactless technologies and more green spaces. Are we ready for changes like these that truly meet health and safety expectations?

Truth be told, simply installing physical distancing indicators and acrylic panels won’t do.