A building’s design should elevate the occupants’ experience as well as activate the streetscape and engage the city.
With the advent of Covid-19, the lines between life, work, and play have become increasingly blurred. Our homes had been converted into our in-house offices and physical meetings are now virtual interactions. We have realized that, as designers, we should focus on making our spaces healthier by incorporating nature, give more emphasis to natural lighting and ventilation, and creating diverse and interesting places to reside, thrive, and work.
We need to take up the challenge to design facades that can interact with the inside and the outside of a building, and adapt intelligently to changing conditions. Facades can be designed to have more cut-outs, balconies, and green spaces.
Beyond their aesthetic appeal, large windows and balconies embody modernist preoccupations with the healing effects of light, air, and nature.
In offices, there is an increased inter-co-worker empathy relating to work-life balance. Health and wellness, better ventilation, access to daylight and fresh air, and on-site amenities will be the priorities. Offices and workspaces should be compartmentalized and treated fresh air units used within each compartment. Break-out spaces relieve stress, thus enhancing productivity. Sanitation tunnels and mist sprays should be installed at entrances. Additionally, to ensure a virus-free environment, skin grade ultraviolet lights with a wavelength of 250 nanometers can be installed as they are germicidal and not harmful.
Offices may need to incorporate disinfection measures like easy to clean and disinfect floor finishes, furniture, curtains, and door handles. Air-conditioning design for office buildings will require major re-engineering to avoid the risk of community infection. Floor or zone-wise separation of the air distribution system will be the norm in future building designs. An increasingly user-centric mindset necessitates a holistic approach to workplace well-being, which might include air and water quality factors as well as nutrition services and policies.
Homes can serve as a multi-functional space by making the different areas more versatile.
While bright and open rooms are great for relaxation, the distraction and noise they can create are a hindrance to work. New residential designs must include air ventilation and filtration strategies that optimize indoor air quality, more open and breathable spaces, use of anti-microbial and non-porous, smooth materials that are easier to clean and which prevent dust and bacteria from accumulating. Natural ventilation and sunlight exposure are also crucial as views to the outdoors provide a much-needed respite.
So, the designer’s responsibility shall extend to selecting smart materials without extra, unnecessary weight, long lead times of procurement, complicated fabrication, or complicated shapes. It’s critical to not just create great spaces and places, but to also create dynamic opportunities for human interaction that provide purpose to our lives.
Architect Mr. Reza Kabul: ARK Reza Kabul Architects
Architecture, as a subject, is always in an ever-evolving cusp of transformation. All factors affecting the built form, such as climate, global trends and technology are in a constant push to adaptation and change, thus influencing the
Ar. Himanshu Patel: 6thdesign studio
As an architect deeply rooted in the ethos of sustainable architecture, I believe that Indian architecture is indeed in a transformative phase, and this transformation is deeply intertwined with our commitment to environmental
Ar. Shruti Dimri, Ar. Madhav Raman, Ar. Vaibhav Dimri: Anagram Architects
In today’s context, the idea of modernity in architecture has shifted towards addressing the pressing needs of society. This includes a strong focus on technology, artificial intelligence (AI), energy efficiency, and the well-being of
Ar. Akshara Verma & Ar. Dinesh Verma: Ace Group Architects
India’s unique advantage lies in its ability to blend modern methodologies with traditional craftsmanship, thus fostering a distinct architectural identity. The convergence of these elements serves as a catalyst for innovation within
Ar. Akshay Selukar: Akshay Selukar
The future of architecture will be driven by innovation and a commitment to creating built environments that are environmentally sustainable, technologically advanced, and responsive to the needs of society
Architect Lalichan Zacharias: Lalichan Zacharias atelier
Yes, Indian architecture is in a transformation phase. Modernisation, Globalization and exposure to International Designs have influenced the Indian architecture to a great extent. Architecture is becoming more and more technology
Ar. (Dr). Harish Tripathi & Jyoti Tripathi: ARHATA
The architecture of any country is deeply rooted in the culture, psyche, economy, and politics, and India’s situation is no different. In addition to this, the advent of new technologies has a profound effect on the thought
Ar. Amey Dahanukar: ARA Designs
In modern India, architects have extensive travel experience, while earlier, travel exposure to different parts of the world used to be somewhat difficult. However, everything is now accessible due to many travel options, and each
Ar. Archana Van Gils: AVG Architects
Being a part of this endlessly mutable field for almost more than a decade, I can attest to the remarkable evolution of the profession in response to global trends and technological advancements, while also adapting to the needs of
Architect Mr. Arpan Johari: AW Design
India has a rich history of building design trends that have cross influenced across borders and have slowly transformed over the centuries. In fact, the transformative phase in Indian Architecture has always been ongoing. Sometimes it