The pandemic has forced a change in almost every aspect of our lives. So what does this mean for design and architecture?
This pandemic is not just about confrontation because the means and methods of design and construction are ultimately not what architecture is all about. Architecture is a manifestation of our humanity in the spaces we design. The way we carry out that mission has changed radically in the last 30 years, accelerating further in the previous decade.
Covid-19 has now changed the basis for all of this. When culture changes, whether voluntarily or not, architecture naturally follows.
This current global reversal may impose a complete re-examination of the way architecture is defined. Recognition system: professional, aesthetic, even theoretical – it has existed since the creation of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (more than 150 years ago), replacing the guild building system. The world of form-related architecture has evolved into a recognized “canon” that includes education, professional organizations, and journalism. In 2020, a pandemic disrupted all those systems.
What has evolved in the current two-tier system that supports the fine arts of published and taught architecture that performs a small percentage of construction and the low-art construction industry that responds to demand like any other industry that produces products?
But there seems to be another rift: ways “before Covid” and “after Covid” to assess matters.
What is our motivation? What are we trying to achieve besides earning a living? These fundamental questions have an explanatory effect.
Architecture cannot force people to connect, but it can only plan crossings, remove obstacles and make common spaces valuable and attractive. Although it cannot control the outcome, good architecture has the potential to set the stage for encounters and rapprochement, thus nurturing what is most important: man and community.
Below, we discuss how architecture can improve social relationships through design strategies and thoughtful space programming, thus creating fertile ground for social interaction and bringing people together.
Social capital refers to the relationships between social groups in heterogeneous societies through shared values, trust, and reciprocity. Significant social capital means increased cooperation and rapprochement of people. Good design strategies can create fertile ground for social interaction and a variety of unplanned activities. For many reasons, from encouraging social interaction to combating loneliness and mental health, a theme that includes architecture that promotes social interaction is a topic of great importance. In light of the (re) recognition of the potential of architecture to nurture community, it is worth examining various ideas and projects that could help define a design method focused on creating social interaction.
Sometimes the potential of architecture is to bring people together more in-room programming. Space is a box for any function that suits the collective; therefore, a careful association of activities drives social interaction.
What could better challenge people’s imagination and create a path for dialogue than the unexpected?
By designing spatial relationships and program schedules that encourage convergence, communication, interaction, and consolidation, architects play a crucial role in providing a healthy environment for man.
Such examples and design methodologies are fully adhered to by the team of architects from Atelier01. The Bureau offers additional explanations of its methods on concrete examples, drawing attention to the details that make a difference and convey the approach to the work. Below, see the complete bureau portfolio at the DESIGN link.