Imagine a smarter interior Plan Layout... Learning from Covid-19 – Home design and layout configuration to ease the pandemic of 2020 – architectural changes worth considering in a Coronavirus environment, now and in the future. We are living in unique times. The global pandemic of 2020 is a once in a hundred years event, at least let's hope so. As a professional architect, I know there are adjustments that can be made to improve the home environment in this new world of family self-isolation. I am optimistic for the future and I want to suggest home design solutions to help people understand how their shelter might be improved. Open Floor Plan ? Over the last few years, open floor plan designs have become very popular. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now told to stay home in order to prevent the spreading of the virus. Spaces for working from home and homeschooling our children is now a necessary feature of our home’s design. Open floor plan design, under these circumstances, can create stay-at-home issues. The ability to separate activity into spaces conducive for working from home and home schooling will be an important consideration in post pandemic home layout discussions. Rethinking the way you walk through your home Many families choose to live with multiple generations of the family together in one household. In multi-generational situations, interior hallways can be planned out to allow older generations to move around the home separated from younger generations. This allows for the health of every member of the family to be considered in daily home life. The floor plans can be arranged with a type of one-way flow that does not require family members to pass close to each other as they move throughout the house. Front entry and rear mud rooms We need to rethink exactly how we actively enter the home living space. Entering the home can be reimagined with enhanced entry halls and mud rooms. These spaces would contain cabinetry including hand wash sinks, gloves and mask storage. This will allow persons entering a chance to immediately wash hands for maximum health safety. Removing shoes upon entering the home is also a good strategy. Shoe trays with ultraviolet lights above will act as shoe sanitizers. This reduces the chance of unwanted particles from being carried in and beyond the entry door area. Touchless entry and exit Hand operated hardware may no longer be practical. Touchless entry hardware on doors and the use of no-touch operated hardware may be a better alternative. Cell phone apps are available that allow for the locking and unlocking of secure exterior doors. Foot or elbow triggered door latches could be operated with a push bar or a foot pedal. These touchless entry systems do not require hand operation and thus will be more sanitary. Push / Pull door latch release hardware (Brinks) Food storage We may need to reconsider food storage spaces. Large pantry rooms with separate refrigerators and freezers will become very useful. This type of room will reduce trips out to grocery stores for food essentials by increasing storage capacity and lengthening food preservation times. The situation of family members crowding around the kitchen fridge may also be reduced since drinks and snacks can be stored in areas separated from the kitchen. Larger laundry room The laundry room in your home will be more than a place for just getting out the stains. The laundry room can be divided into clean and not-clean spaces. The separation will prevent the clean from being exposed to what comes in on your clothing. New detergents and anti-bacterial appliances may need more space to function. Effective decontamination for your clothes will mean much more than just being clean. Fresh air and natural light Fresh air and light considerations can affect your mental and physical well-being. Windows that allow control of fresh air directly into rooms is beneficial. The natural light from outside coming into the home has effects on sleep patterns and mental well-being. The movement of air Air moving across rooms can carry particles and spread toxins. Ventilation systems with high MERV filtration devices remove allergens, toxins and other particles from the air. Heat recovery and energy recovery ventilators to bring conditioned air in and save energy. Interior air distribution systems with ceiling air supply diffusers and floor air return grills encourage air and particle movement downward instead of across rooms. The front porch Social distancing has separated us from our friends and neighbors. While video computer teleconferencing can help, it is not the only solution that should be considered. Staring at screens to see our friends has implications for our health as well. Social distancing enhancements can be accomplished through front porch design of homes that allows friends to visit yet stay an appropriate distance away. This allows for a real, in place connection with friends and visiting relatives. Package delivery Front porch design will also change to better accommodate mail and package deliveries. Secure package boxes with ultraviolet light sanitizers may be coming in the very near future. Privacy and nature Staying inside buildings for long periods of time also has negative implications. Rear porch, patio and deck design can allow family members to be exposed to sunlight, get fresh air and experience the natural world for a portion of the day and still social distance, protected from the weather. Healthy solutions like this can be incorporated into post pandemic design solutions. The lessons learned during a time a public emergency can be quite profound. It is healthy for us to consider lifestyle changes for a better future. It is also important to remember that health care professionals remind us our immune systems do need to be challenged from time to time. We should not seal ourselves up so tightly that we then become less healthy in the process. We should consider everything, including design changes, in relative moderation. Work together with your architect and design to safely improve the health of everyone in your family. About WJM Architect WJM Architect - William J. Martin AIA is an award winning architect with experience in energy efficient high performance buildings. Professional architectural guidance for people and businesses that want to improve with appropriate integrated building design---- created through a design philosophy of Econo-Functional Aesthetic Balance (E-FABism). Previous blog post: April 2020 The TOP 5 THINGS TO DO in your home during the pandemic self-isolation... Copyright ©2020 William J. 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