ea. “On the residential side, people who are working at home are more than ever looking to create home offices that even extend to having conference space,” Winig says. “We’re also working on providing home office spaces that can be accessed without having to enter the main residence.
“For large companies, reopening offices revolves around reducing occupancy and having more open areas, such as freestanding open space for conferencing within the larger office. On the other hand, hotels and restaurants are doing whatever they can to make the most of the outdoors,” he continues.
People now want to incorporate an even greater sense of well-being with an increased sense of sanitary safety—Adam Winig
“The hotels we’ve seen do really well are properties that already have infrastructure that allows people to feel safe. Bernardus Lodge & Spa in California’s Carmel Valley has a series of small buildings that open to the outdoors, and a lobby that opens on both sides with really good airflow. Overall, it’s a very outdoor-conducive environment.”
The approach people take inevitably varies across cultures, as David T’Kint, the Dubai-based partner of global design firm HBA, points out. “Here in the Middle East, residential design often incorporates two separate sections of a house: a private space for close family, and a public space for entertaining, with separate points of access to each. I believe we might start seeing more of this further afield, as people look for greater control of hygiene.”
“When you look at the public spaces in hospitality, one of the first things to come to mind is the lobby,” he says. “Traditionally, the hotel lobby is a grand space, empty except for a reception desk on one side and concierge on the other. Over time, it’s evolved to be a social gathering space. Now, it may become more of a transitional space, with someone there to meet you instead of a reception desk and the technology to check in online.”
“Although we have to keep in mind that human beings exist through interactions with others,” T’Kint adds. “As designers, we’re going to have to be creative in how we sculpt these spaces to create semi-private areas that still have interactive elements.”
Well into the Future
“At the moment, a lot of design is based around temporary solutions, such as partitions and creating social distance within existing spaces,” says Winig. “But there’s also a shift towards more permanent mechanical systems, especially ventilation that can more effectively bring outside air in or sanitize the air circulating within a building.
“Different business models will have to adapt in different ways. But I’m hopeful that they’ll recognize this as opportunity to find long-lasting solutions, which prioritize well-being.”