Apparently, the worst of the pandemic is behind us. However, no one can guarantee that there will not be a second wave, now or next fall. What’s more, air quality around the world is poor, which could lead to the spread of other coronavirus-like viruses. Because our lungs are weakened, and have become the ideal terrain for lung viruses.
Covid 19 changed our requirements for real estate
If at the beginning of the year they had told you that you would be confined to the house for months due to a pandemic, you would hardly have believed it. Yet so it was, the lockdown forced us to change our social habits and slowed down our rhythms of life closed within four walls.
This pandemic revealed many things, one of which is that most houses should have been designed differently. According to an idealistic study, up to 8% of families have gone through quarantine without even looking out on the road from home.
For this reason, we addressed this issue with architect Pablo García, who tries to understand how houses should be designed from now on.
- Useful surface: “Houses must be larger or better distributed. The houses can increase in size if the building has large galleries or arcades that serve as a multipurpose space. The best reference is the intervention of Lacaton and Vassal in Bordeaux. A series of conservatories have been created, as well as a new range of balconies alongside the main facades of the buildings, expanding the useful area of ??the units. This intervention must be taken as a reference of how the maximum effect can be obtained with a minimum intervention “, explains García.
- Terrace or balcony at all costs. “The terraces should be included in the minimum housing program. In general, a minimum home is composed of: double bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. The terraces are not mentioned but we have seen that they represent a fundamental element when facing isolation. The problem must be controlled by the City Council, not allowing the prescription of said infringement if we consider it as a minimum living space “.
- Disinfection areas at the entrance. “The entrance to the house could be thought of as the transition space between our house and the outside. This means it should be a virus free area. The flooring must be in porcelain or a material that is not very porous and resistant to abrasive products. A wardrobe and a shoe rack should be placed at the entrance, maybe even a sink to wash your hands as soon as you enter. “
- Work area. “We will need a home office. So it is necessary to consider the lighting, cable internet connection, bluetooth sockets, spaces suitable for video calls and meeting area, shutters that create neutral backgrounds behind us to protect the privacy of the house, including soundproofing the room. In very small apartments, this should be done in the bedrooms. Beds cannot take up too much space. “
- Custom furniture and home automation. “Conventional furniture is excellent, but it is not suitable for small spaces. It is important to create a furnishing project in your home to understand how it can be adapted to make spaces multifunctional. Home automation can help us create a multifunctional house that adapts to different situations “, concludes the architect.