Stephanie G. Mathis Infection began to redefine the urban space and social choreography. The limits of architecture have been radically rethought. In my new book, Architecture after COVID, I explore these changes.
Now, it seems absurd to consider architecture solely in terms of technology or aesthetics. Urban spaces and buildings have been reorganized to reduce physical contact as a result of growing awareness about hygiene in cities.
Signs and announcements are now required to encourage people to use handrails in order to reduce the risk of a fall. The public became skeptical or afraid of touching door handles, handrails, or elevator buttons.
Architects had to adapt their design instincts and priorities to the new demands of today’s market.
Innovations inspired by COVID
COVID led to radical change in the design process, as architects had to rethink their “craft.” Communication, documentation, technological innovation, and new ways to “meet” clients or visit construction sites were all part of their techniques.
I conducted a small study with 130 architectural practices in 40 countries to understand better the impact of the shift towards online working on the craft.
Many architects have returned to drawing and often enhancing it electronically. Ground Picture/Shutterstock
In the past, I observed architects working in various firms for a long time. I followed their work and described their working culture. I was unable to visit firms to keep their work directly during the pandemic, so I developed techniques to be used from afar.
I asked companies to describe a scenario that showed how they adapted their work routines to COVID-19 limitations. I was interested in the skills that designers displayed when they were able to adjust their working methods and redefine priorities during a crisis.
Be it in Buenos Aires, Amman, Los Angeles, Prague, Manchester, or Shenzhen, the effort to rethink their working dynamics brought practitioners together.
The pandemic and architectural work
Three important changes were observed in the architectural practice. Many architects have returned to sketching and drawing, sometimes enhanced with electronic enhancement.
Designers began to express their ideas orally and in writing as drawing in the studio was no longer possible. The “returns,” or the exchange of ideas around the table, prompted designers to formulate their design concepts in advance clearly.
The pandemic also revived the profile of the perfectionist – the calculative pensive architect, the designer who thinks more than acts, the one who writes before sketching. It also freed designers from rigid hierarchies, unlocked the hidden potential of the youngest team members, and turned the makers into writers and the shy into the vocal.
Second, it changed the “technological environment” of design firms. Architects started to rethink their work methods and often implemented old technologies, storage solutions, and software into their daily tasks. These technologies and tools have been around since the 90s, but they have never been used in practice.
Third, architects developed new protocols and strategies for connecting with clients and gathering feedback. They also devised new ways to meet and mobilize their communities.
Some training practices even went so far as to train representatives in areas they couldn’t travel to. They were able to speak and act like architects and represent themselves on the ground.
Other people held design and planning sessions on the renovation site. The result was a new way of forming relationships with clients and communities and building sites. This improved the social skills and efficiency of architects and their designs.
No miracle solutions to address the challenges and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were found in my study. In their daily, repetitive design work, architects created numerous small innovations and adjustments that provided solutions. These inventions spread when they were adopted and repeated by others. This often led to larger changes.
More than ever before, architects have emerged as agents who can make sense of complicated situations and find materially intelligent solutions.
