At a time when citizens were expected to remain sheltered within their homes, H & R Johnson bridged the information gap between people and design professionals, by bringing their conversations to the public and raising critical and urgent questions on the role of Architecture and Design in the COVID-19 era.
Ruturaj Parikh [RP]: What are some of the larger questions, centred around design thinking, that have crossed your mind in
light of the pandemic?
Ponni Concessao: Architecture has always been a sensory experience for me. Good design is based on how people think, feel and move through a space. Urban design, architecture and interior design are the three main things we as designers can contribute to, for the betterment of our societies. When we approach urban design, we need to ensure there is de-congestion of our cities into sub-urban clusters. This will help during health emergencies and pandemic situations, as we can cut off sub-urban clusters with a lot more efficiency. I think there will be a shift in architecture as well, and we will see more stand-alone houses than multistoried buildings. Open-plan layouts may not work anymore, and we will see a resurgence of screened offices with closed plans. Finally, when we start detailing out the interior spaces, we will see a change in the types of products clients ask for, including anti-bacterial products like germ-free tiles, anti-bacterial paints, etc. This situation has also made me realise how important it is to use local materials and products. A lot of project timelines have been stretched for me, as we are unable to receive shipments of materials from foreign countries. I believe that urban farming is going to be very big. It will be a viable way to bring in sustainable living, as we have a lot of open terrace areas in our metropolitan cities. We shouldn’t have to depend on food delivery being reliant on transportation. That’s why I think we as architects should propagate the idea of urban farming more.
Sohrab Dalal: I think before we can make any decisive choices, on how to go about changing our design philosophies and thinking, we must first try to understand the exact nature of our problem. We personally work on a lot of office and mixed-use projects, so I’d like to give you some examples from that regard. The entire journey from your residence to your work desk is going to become a very different experience – the idea will be to try to make the journey as touchless and “talk-less” as possible. We mustn’t forget that, for a good majority of people, coming into office is the highlight of their day. Today’s offices have great amenities, and well-designed spaces, creating calming environments for the people who work there. The work-from-home culture also may not be a feasible option for many people, who live in areas with poor connectivity, or do not have the necessary facilities at home. These are all factors we must also take into consideration going forward.
RP: There seem to be a lot of people radically rethinking what the future of designing spaces will be, but do you think we will be able to reconcile our existing places to give them a new functioning efficiency, in light of the pandemic?
Kiran Kapadia: There are two main factors I take into consideration, when addressing questions related to the reaction we should have to the new normal. The first is the fear factor – people reacting with an immediate sense of fear. These are knee-jerk reactions, in an attempt to take necessary precautions and measures to stop the spread of the virus. This, however, needs to be segregated from the second factor, which is the long term, sustainable factor – planning for the longer run. The impact of this virus has been so significant around the world, that I’m sure it will change how we design spaces and how we look at architecture. I feel very strongly that there will be a more comprehensive, inter-disciplinary approach to how we design buildings. For example, transport, health and wellness, technology and space design, will all have to be integrated quite significantly. Obviously, this has had an impact, but I don’t think architecture will undergo an enormous change. We will all adapt and evolve in certain ways so that we will be in a better position to react constructively in these situations, and some of these may be purely pragmatic in nature – dealing with the management of large complexes and crowded areas.
Khozema Chitalwala: Human beings are very social creatures – without our capacity for social bonding, we would not have grown to what we are today. Our new normal means incorporating new habits, not just for us but for the generations that follow. According to me, fundamentally, there will be minimal change in terms of architectural design, because functionally requirements don’t change, but major changes will come in the form of operational procedures. Hygiene will now play an even greater role in the functioning of hospitality and public spaces, and new technology will have an important part in maintaining that hygiene.
People standing in line to collect groceries in JapanAbhin Alimchandani: One of the larger realisations of this pandemic has been the extent of our global connectivity. We are logistically connected globally, while sitting in any part of the world. This globalisation may reduce the high value we place on specific real estate, and allow for a redistribution of the value of land itself. Our contemporary highways are actually e-ways, it’s through bandwidth and connectivity that we are able to transit copious amounts of data. Going forward, I’m not sure how much value we will obtain from large malls and retail spaces. I think the idea of a local distribution centre, delivering products home using automation or e-delivery, would be a much more feasible future. The economic impact of disasters like the coronavirus in today’s extremely connected world is huge. Building up logistics and infrastructure will be key going forward. We are social creatures after all, as Khozema said, so I’m sure we will find the necessary solutions to tackle out problems.
Dinesh Vyas [DV]: How do you think people are going to respond to lavish and extravagant spaces, going forward?
Nishant Gupta: I think one of our biggest advantages is our survival instinct. Over centuries we have overcome disasters like the plague, the great depression, terrorist attacks, etc. – with flying colours. When the Titanic sank, people did not stop sailing. We worked with technology and figured out efficient solutions to our problems. When it comes to design and sustainability, I think we have two bigger viruses – the virus of bad policies and the virus of so-called “activists”. Today even if I wanted to create the most efficient house to battle a pandemic, the policies need to be put in place for me to do so. Additionally, if we do manage to put the right amount of pressure, and get policies changed, then we have the activists raising their voices, asking why has this happened. I think we need to use this time to overhaul some of these policies, and reach something which is more environmentally and economically sustainable.
DV: What are some of the realisations the work-from-home culture has allowed you to attain?
SUPRAJA RAO: I’d like to answer this from a very women-centric point of view. Working from home is a double-edged sword for women – it can be a blessing on certain days, when you have issues at home you have to deal with, and you can also attend a meeting or discussion where you are required professionally. A lot of people would also look forward to getting out of the house, to forget about your chores for a while and enjoy your work. With regards to the coronavirus, these last few months have got me thinking. Do we really leave the earth in the same way it was when we first enter it? The simple answer is no, obviously. I hope that many people take some time now, during these months of pause, to reflect introspectively, and debate whether economic development and growth should be prioritised over our environment. Food, clothing and shelter have always been the primary needs of human beings. Architects are part of that facet of bringing comfortable and safe spaces, to the people. Especially in times like this, when people have to spend so much time in their homes, it’s our jobs to provide them with spaces which have a strong and positive emotional quotient ⊗
