Design Learnings for the New Year

The past two years and recent world events have forced us to re-evaluate the way we live, making us return to the important things in life. For 2022 I hope that we embrace these realisations and focus on creating spaces that put our physical and mental wellbeing first and are well equipped for the future.?

The pandemic has shown us that there is a need to create optimistic spaces that enhance the user's sense of wellbeing. The level of richness that can be achieved by understanding what a space is and what it brings to the wider community is truly remarkable. Well-lit, well-serviced spaces allow inhabitants to think clearly and live healthily. I hope to see spaces designed to minimise VOC (volatile organic compounds) emission and indoor pollution. This implies energy-efficient buildings that encourage compact, sustainable environments. Good design brings joy to the people who use it, and today, real luxury lies in space, natural light, air, access to clean and inspiring surroundings, and proximity to loved ones.?

Flexibility and adaptability are prerequisites for designing in the current milieu. The only way to stay relevant and respond to unpredictable futures is for spaces to be designed with a high degree of flexibility. Architecture does not begin and end with the building; rather, it creates frameworks within which our lives unfold. As users and their sensibilities change, so should our spaces — robust and flexible, they must be designed to adapt to the evolving needs of the people who use them.?

Not limited to the realm of design, another shift that I would like to see in 2020 has to do with our patterns of consuming resources. The current rate of consumption is quickly depleting our natural resources at a pace that will make our planet uninhabitable soon. We need to evaluate what is truly essential for sustenance and also consider the entire lifecycle of the resource — where it goes once it is discarded and whether it has any potential for reuse or regeneration.

Here's hoping that 2022 will be the year where we draw from our learnings from the tumultuous years that have passed and begin to move towards a positive future.?

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