We all wonder how COVID will affect our lives in the future. Will our old habits return, or will we continue to implement the new ones we’ve developed through the course of this pandemic? While we are confined to our houses, we are more aware of the space we live in and its limitations. We are able to slow down and take the time to reflect upon how these spaces can be more pleasant, comfortable, safe and healthy. This time in isolation has and will continue to change our way of thinking about domestic space planning.
Whether or not we like it, 2020 will go down in history books. Spanish architect, Gonzalo Pardo predicts that, “Homes will have more multi-purpose and versatile spaces.” Our homes will likely begin to consist of more transformational spaces that can be reconfigured. French architect, Frédéric Ganichot says, “This crisis will accentuate the already existing tendency to design modular spaces.” In an era when we do so much from home, multi-functional spaces make a lot more sense. Thanks to the current lockdowns, features and equipment designed for gyms will likely be brought back into the home. Inclusion of more rooms designed for remote work or that can be transformed and reconfigured depending on the time of day will be on the rise.
Another likely trend to come out of the current pandemic is the value of connections between outdoors and indoors.
Terraces, rooftops, courtyards and balconies will be important inclusions in new builds. These outdoor spaces will be designed to be continuous with their adjoining rooms creating a seamless connection. It will become increasingly important for condos, apartments and hotels to make room for outdoor access and spaces when in construction as well.
Finally, common areas in one’s home should also be rethought. Technology has a role to play in ensuring that these common spaces are safer and in preventing the spread of contagions. Home owners can consider anti-microbial solid surfaces such as Corion as well as easy to clean cabinet door materials when they are looking to renovate their bathrooms and kitchens.
With all of the bad that COVID-19 seems to have brought, the impact that it’s having on the design of our homes is a small silver lining that it has presented. The intervention of a professional who collaborates with you will help you plan new spaces, thinking about how you currently live and what you will need in the future.