Architects draw up designs for post-pandemic world

HKS has also looked at converting hotels for COVID-19 patient care and isolation.

"The hotel solution is intended to preserve hospital resources for the most serious cases," the company stated.

Such ideas include: guest rooms being transformed to accommodate patients; nursing support stations; and storage and rest quarters for staff members. Conference and meeting rooms could be used for administrative functions and to store medicines.

Educational institutions, which house large numbers of people, are another type of building giving cause for concern during the pandemic.

Hao Dong, co-founder and partner of Crossboundaries, a spatial solutions company based in Beijing, might have the answer.

"My vision of architecture for educational institutions is that the campus will be scattered throughout neighborhoods in a city," Hao said.

"The idea of a single, big school will be broken into smaller, more flexible physical studying spaces for necessary face-to-face meetings.

"Most studying activities can be carried out via online programs. Sports and arts facilities will be integrated with public spaces."

His solution was first suggested in a Crossboundaries project for the 2020 Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture in Guangdong province.

Hao, who recently conducted an eight-week online design studio at Tsinghua University in Beijing, was surprised by the experience.

He noticed that the students were inspired to develop more ways to explore and study by themselves.

He does not think an online-offline dynamic is only applicable to schools.

"Many traditional services that took up physical space, and the human workforce, will transition entirely to automated online platforms, freeing up incredible amounts of otherwise expensive space," Hao said.

He said if cities can use this freed space and reduce urban traffic, they could become less crowded, healthier, and large areas could be assigned for parks or green zones.

"This would enable safer human interaction and a healthier environmental experience, which could contribute greatly to the quality of life in both urban and suburban areas," he added.

Mercurio, from Mercurio Design Lab, predicts a dramatic change in the way humans interact with buildings, which will be factored into their design.

"We need to look again at how to have 'barrier-free' architecture－which means identifying how to minimize contact with surfaces from the moment we step out of our homes, to lessen the burden of contracting infectious disease by touch," he said.

Smart building systems are cited by Mercurio as the next "big wave", with people talking to an elevator, rather than pressing a button to get to a desired floor, and doors opening automatically without handles being touched, especially in high-security areas.

Whereas efficiency has previously been the main driving force, "I hope that we can now start designing buildings so that they are more livable," Mercurio said.

Song, from Lacime Architects, concluded, "Regardless of the impact of the pandemic, we must ensure our architecture integrates into our built environment."