Making a change in life is somewhat of a daunting task and not easily achieved due to the comfort level attained at being at that spot regardless of the situation one is encountering at that particular time.
A change in the way we run our businesses is a must especially at this moment of COVID-19 pandemic; this change is different from other changes in that the choice has been taken away from us but enforced on us.
In the Construction Industry, whether it is vertical or horizontal, the standards of space planning as we know it is now tossed in the air, the need for a renewal of standards in Architecture, Real Estate, Master planners codes, etc to incorporate in this new reality is a must. The Architectural review board would be required to adopt new rules of safety and health concerns due to the spread of COVID-19 in a way that would affect the way we build moving forward.
Tayo A. Ayanlola, CEO of TAAG Development
The real estate industry in terms of space planning would bear the brunt of the cost as the square feet requirements would need to change, the ADA standards would need to be modified and upgraded in the following ways:
- Classroom sizes per student would either need to be reduced to keep the 6 ft spacing standards, masks wearing in enclosed spaces, additional handwashing sinks in rooms, or build larger classrooms to accommodate the same number of students as they did previously.
- The same would apply to Churches, Restaurants, Libraries, Hospitals, and Gymnasiums, and even outdoor parks and recreational venues.
- The need for Planners to make these changes to enclosed buildings would need to understand that such changes would be required in outdoor venues as well, with the understanding that the relationship between indoors and outdoors are not mutually exclusive, but only reflects good Architecture by so doing.
The Sick building syndrome has been talked about now for over a decade and I wrote about the topic years ago, but the reality of it only recently became a forefront issue due to the pandemic.
I, along with my colleagues have proposed several ideas on ways to update the way we build now and incorporate the necessary changes to create a unified standard moving forward.
Since The COVID pandemic is a global problem, it requires a global solution and this solution would need to be a joint venture between all that have been affected by this pandemic; such as Educators, Healthcare workers, Scientist, Architects and Engineers to name a few.
In 1988, Andrew Orton a British Architect published a book called “The Way We Build Now”. I used that book in my Architectural university days, it eloquently states and describes ways of using building materials to create better buildings and ways of construction, it’s about time to have a new book to attempt to give a perspective on the practice of building design in the industrial economies and crisis mood especially now that a change is badly needed.
In light of the new normal or however we want to identify it, the change is here and we are the ones that need to adapt and fight the pandemic in our own individual professional way, which in terms of Architects and City planners is to protect public health, safety, and welfare of the public. The only question now is that what happens when a vaccine is developed, would the need still be as urgent as it is now or would we all go back to our very own relaxed state of mind.
By Tayo A. Ayanlola
Tayo A. Ayanlola is the CEO of TAAG Development and the former Deputy Director of the Building Services Department at the City of Dallas.
