Learning From Lockdown And 2020: Is There A Future For The Office Design?
With 2020 over and the New Year upon us, I think it is safe to say that this year has been one of the most challenging years in recent history for people all over the world.
The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent lockdowns has created social and economic turmoil throughout the world. Practically every industry has been affected by the lockdowns, from travel, shipping, and entertainment, to manufacturing, hospitality, and the medical field. Even the educational systems throughout the UK and the EU have been affected in some form or another. And, with the COVID-19 crisis’ significant impact on the world, what has it taught us? What have we learned as a society from this global pandemic?
The Effects Of The COVID-19 Crisis And Subsequent Lockdowns
For starters, we learned that we were not fully prepared for such a pandemic. Any pandemic, really. Schools struggled to create last minute virtual learning platforms so that students could learn from home where they are safe from the spread of the virus. Businesses struggled with inventory levels as customers panic-bought everything from toilet paper to their favourite spirits. Manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the demand for PPE and many of our front-line workers went without. And hospitals found themselves overloaded with patients and not enough rooms or specialised equipment needed to care for them.
While this all sounds like the end of the world, it did provide us with some valuable data which we can use to be more prepared for another global pandemic of this magnitude. The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent lockdowns taught us that we need a better, more sustainable infrastructure and that we need better educational, lab, and healthcare industry designs than what we are accustomed to.
The Future Of Educational, Lab, And Healthcare Industry Design Is Now
In the past, it was enough to design a school or hospital with a specific number of rooms, all similar in size, shape, and design, as well as many open areas where children could play and interact, and where patients, healthcare workers, and guests could relax and engage in conversation without fear of social distancing, quarantining, or spreading a dangerous virus. The future of educational, lab, and healthcare industry design is now, and design firms must use that data we gained from the pandemic to create new, more sustainable office designs that offer flexibility when it comes to social distancing and disease prevention.
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