How Will Design Shape the ‘New Normal’?
Healthy design, community-building, and front gardens – some of the key themes from the Architect @ Work Digital Summit
Perhaps not surprisingly, given the continuing global health crisis, the overarching theme across 2021’s Architect @ Work Digital Summit, a series of six fascinating panel talks on different aspects of design, was wellbeing, with topics ranging from better offices to a rethink on retirement housing and enhanced outdoor spaces. In essence, the summit asked: how can architects and planners create spaces and communities that enrich the mental and physical health of those who use them?
Here, we’ve summarised some of the interesting points made across all six talks in answer to this big question.
Here, we’ve summarised some of the interesting points made across all six talks in answer to this big question.
Prioritising light
Ben began by highlighting the importance of sleep on wellbeing, citing a study that compared those working in daylight-filled offices with those in windowless basements. The former were found to get around 46 minutes more sleep each night. “Over a week, that’s almost one whole night’s sleep,” Ben says. “You can imagine the impact that could have on not just physical but also mental health.”
More than ever, he believes, “We need to design in wellbeing at the outset and not add it as an afterthought.” Light, he says, needs to be considered at the very first stages of a building’s design – from where the building is placed onsite, to how it’s orientated, right down to the specification for the windows and detailing.
Ben began by highlighting the importance of sleep on wellbeing, citing a study that compared those working in daylight-filled offices with those in windowless basements. The former were found to get around 46 minutes more sleep each night. “Over a week, that’s almost one whole night’s sleep,” Ben says. “You can imagine the impact that could have on not just physical but also mental health.”
More than ever, he believes, “We need to design in wellbeing at the outset and not add it as an afterthought.” Light, he says, needs to be considered at the very first stages of a building’s design – from where the building is placed onsite, to how it’s orientated, right down to the specification for the windows and detailing.
Similarly, in the talk about the design of Maggie’s Centres, light was a focus. In these buildings, dedicated to cancer patients, the very architecture must support the users, becoming, as architect and a Maggie’s Centre designer Ab Rogers, of Ab Rogers Design, puts it, “the third carer”.
As such, every detail counts and Ab gives the example of the loos in the Maggie’s Centre he’d designed, pictured here. “[These] need to be an emotional centre, not just functional rooms,” he explains. As such, along with tactile polished plaster and blurred corners, the four toilets in his building have generous lightwells. “There’s always daylight pouring in, [harnessing] the power of the circadian rhythm and the power of being bathed in light,” he says.
As such, every detail counts and Ab gives the example of the loos in the Maggie’s Centre he’d designed, pictured here. “[These] need to be an emotional centre, not just functional rooms,” he explains. As such, along with tactile polished plaster and blurred corners, the four toilets in his building have generous lightwells. “There’s always daylight pouring in, [harnessing] the power of the circadian rhythm and the power of being bathed in light,” he says.
Boosting ventilation
“If CO2 rates are too high, it can reduce productivity,” Ben explains. “The effects can make people feel sluggish, even to the point of feeling as if they’ve had a few drinks.”
Justin Sablich, an editor at Springwise Intelligence, describes new innovations in ventilating systems that are increasingly discreet. “One example is an air purifier that fits behind a work of art,” he says.
Nasim Köerting, head of design at The Office Group, says some of her company’s buildings now include an ‘oxygen room’, which is full of plants.
“If CO2 rates are too high, it can reduce productivity,” Ben explains. “The effects can make people feel sluggish, even to the point of feeling as if they’ve had a few drinks.”
Justin Sablich, an editor at Springwise Intelligence, describes new innovations in ventilating systems that are increasingly discreet. “One example is an air purifier that fits behind a work of art,” he says.
Nasim Köerting, head of design at The Office Group, says some of her company’s buildings now include an ‘oxygen room’, which is full of plants.
Making even more of the great outdoors
Alfresco entertaining and bringing nature inside have been hugely popular ideas in the past year, for obvious reasons. How do designers see this trend, ahem, taking root?
“Front gardens!” is the answer from both landscape designer Charlotte Harris, of Harris Bugg Studio, and Nick Searl, from developer Argent, which was responsible for turning London’s King’s Cross into a series of sociable outdoor spaces. “Back gardens are not communal,” Nick says. “We’ve lost our front gardens – by concreting over them – but as soon as we put green space back, the street becomes a community.”
Charlotte agrees, saying she sees any outdoor space, especially in high-density areas, being turned into something more useful or enjoyable.
“This time we’re experiencing now will have a deep and lasting impact,” she adds, going on to say that, while residential garden investment has previously been seen as a luxury, people are starting to understand the value of good landscaping.
Other emerging trends include sustainable and ethical materials, awareness of wildlife, creating views, undercover areas to keep spaces useable in the rain, and a sense of quiet seclusion.
Alfresco entertaining and bringing nature inside have been hugely popular ideas in the past year, for obvious reasons. How do designers see this trend, ahem, taking root?
“Front gardens!” is the answer from both landscape designer Charlotte Harris, of Harris Bugg Studio, and Nick Searl, from developer Argent, which was responsible for turning London’s King’s Cross into a series of sociable outdoor spaces. “Back gardens are not communal,” Nick says. “We’ve lost our front gardens – by concreting over them – but as soon as we put green space back, the street becomes a community.”
Charlotte agrees, saying she sees any outdoor space, especially in high-density areas, being turned into something more useful or enjoyable.
“This time we’re experiencing now will have a deep and lasting impact,” she adds, going on to say that, while residential garden investment has previously been seen as a luxury, people are starting to understand the value of good landscaping.
Other emerging trends include sustainable and ethical materials, awareness of wildlife, creating views, undercover areas to keep spaces useable in the rain, and a sense of quiet seclusion.
At Alex de Rijke’s Maggie’s Centre Oldham, seen here, nature has become part of the interior. The building, constructed on stilts to sit above forest-like planting, is built around a tree, which is encircled by glass and visible from all angles inside.
Considering acoustics
Fully open-plan spaces not only risk alienating introverts, they also pose challenges in a world where the video call is likely to dominate.
“Acoustics is the key at the moment,” Nasim says. “We’ve invested in a lot of high-backed chairs to help with Zoom calls happening next to each other. Equally, we’re all going to need more spaces where you can also work in privacy.”
Justin says he’s seen recent innovations in workpods and modular units that tick this box. “These are interesting ideas for companies looking at retrofitting,” he says.
At the Maggie’s Centre he designed, architect Alex de Rijke, of dRMM, included a giant, gliding, double-lined circular curtain to provide a soft visual and acoustic separation as required, without chopping up the space into separate rooms.
Ab talks about the use of absorbing surfaces in his design, to make open-plan spaces work for public and private conversations alike. “You don’t want a dead space, but you also don’t want a bouncing space. It’s a careful balance.”
Fully open-plan spaces not only risk alienating introverts, they also pose challenges in a world where the video call is likely to dominate.
“Acoustics is the key at the moment,” Nasim says. “We’ve invested in a lot of high-backed chairs to help with Zoom calls happening next to each other. Equally, we’re all going to need more spaces where you can also work in privacy.”
Justin says he’s seen recent innovations in workpods and modular units that tick this box. “These are interesting ideas for companies looking at retrofitting,” he says.
At the Maggie’s Centre he designed, architect Alex de Rijke, of dRMM, included a giant, gliding, double-lined circular curtain to provide a soft visual and acoustic separation as required, without chopping up the space into separate rooms.
Ab talks about the use of absorbing surfaces in his design, to make open-plan spaces work for public and private conversations alike. “You don’t want a dead space, but you also don’t want a bouncing space. It’s a careful balance.”
Catering for introverts and extroverts
There was a big focus on getting the balance right between privacy and communality, whether in private, multi-generational residences, assisted living developments, healthcare settings or offices.
“We did a study where we observed people’s responses to different configurations of furniture,” says Rosie Haslem, director of research and strategy at Spacelab, in the healthy offices talk. The participants also underwent personality tests. The results showed that introverts, who draw energy from themselves, preferred to seek layouts that provided refuge, while extroverts, who get their energy from being with others, liked open-plan spaces. With the wrong layout potentially fostering anxiety in either personality type.
The takeaway? The direction of any reconfiguration of a space needs to come from the users. This theme of checking in before, during and after project completion also came up again and again as essential insight into the way forwards.
This was key in the talk about improved housing options for an ageing generation. “Post-Covid, care homes are looking increasingly unattractive,” says Guy Flintoft, a planning director at Retirement Villages. But how to design housing that’s affordable as well as inviting for those who fear losing a sense of control over their lives?
Tahera Rouf, an associate at architecture firm RCKa, is working on a development in Boughton Heath in Chester for the over-60s “with wellbeing at the heart of the design. You need to give people a choice about how they want to live their lives,” she says.
In her project, among other optionally sociable design details, there are communal spaces you have to go through when leaving the building. “This offers opportunities for interaction without people having to go out of their way.”
There was a big focus on getting the balance right between privacy and communality, whether in private, multi-generational residences, assisted living developments, healthcare settings or offices.
“We did a study where we observed people’s responses to different configurations of furniture,” says Rosie Haslem, director of research and strategy at Spacelab, in the healthy offices talk. The participants also underwent personality tests. The results showed that introverts, who draw energy from themselves, preferred to seek layouts that provided refuge, while extroverts, who get their energy from being with others, liked open-plan spaces. With the wrong layout potentially fostering anxiety in either personality type.
The takeaway? The direction of any reconfiguration of a space needs to come from the users. This theme of checking in before, during and after project completion also came up again and again as essential insight into the way forwards.
This was key in the talk about improved housing options for an ageing generation. “Post-Covid, care homes are looking increasingly unattractive,” says Guy Flintoft, a planning director at Retirement Villages. But how to design housing that’s affordable as well as inviting for those who fear losing a sense of control over their lives?
Tahera Rouf, an associate at architecture firm RCKa, is working on a development in Boughton Heath in Chester for the over-60s “with wellbeing at the heart of the design. You need to give people a choice about how they want to live their lives,” she says.
In her project, among other optionally sociable design details, there are communal spaces you have to go through when leaving the building. “This offers opportunities for interaction without people having to go out of their way.”
Building communities
From incorporating a public park or walkway into a housing development for older people to designing buildings to help make staff feel part of a group purpose, many of the speakers also raised the importance of community, something the pandemic has highlighted.
Guy mentions an interesting trend. “While ‘retiring to the countryside’ was once more the idea, we’ve seen an increased focus on towns and city suburbs as places [older people] want to live.” Isolation – and how to avoid it – has become a big focus, with people wanting to be near the shops, the library, churches, health centres and local cultural venues.
Now residential developments are – literally – building on this idea and all of the speakers talked about projects where the architecture connected local communities with older residents.
Tahera’s previously mentioned Chester development, pictured here, has been planned to adhere to the new Fitwel Standard, an accreditation based on environmental sustainability, wellbeing, transport connections, safety and landscape. The site is connected to a nearby canal towpath, which takes cyclists and pedestrians into the centre of town.
Another, in Copenhagen, is to be built on top of retail outlets and cafés overlooking a public square, with a nursing home and flats for young and older people mixed into the scheme, along with a nursery. Its architect, Mads Mandrup of CF Møller, says, “[The aim was] to modernise the idea of the nursing home, turning it into a home for people of different age groups, [and have] the whole facility imitate existing local architecture rather than looking ‘institutional’.”
Tell us…
What do you think of these ideas for incorporating wellness into design and architecture? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
From incorporating a public park or walkway into a housing development for older people to designing buildings to help make staff feel part of a group purpose, many of the speakers also raised the importance of community, something the pandemic has highlighted.
Guy mentions an interesting trend. “While ‘retiring to the countryside’ was once more the idea, we’ve seen an increased focus on towns and city suburbs as places [older people] want to live.” Isolation – and how to avoid it – has become a big focus, with people wanting to be near the shops, the library, churches, health centres and local cultural venues.
Now residential developments are – literally – building on this idea and all of the speakers talked about projects where the architecture connected local communities with older residents.
Tahera’s previously mentioned Chester development, pictured here, has been planned to adhere to the new Fitwel Standard, an accreditation based on environmental sustainability, wellbeing, transport connections, safety and landscape. The site is connected to a nearby canal towpath, which takes cyclists and pedestrians into the centre of town.
Another, in Copenhagen, is to be built on top of retail outlets and cafés overlooking a public square, with a nursing home and flats for young and older people mixed into the scheme, along with a nursery. Its architect, Mads Mandrup of CF Møller, says, “[The aim was] to modernise the idea of the nursing home, turning it into a home for people of different age groups, [and have] the whole facility imitate existing local architecture rather than looking ‘institutional’.”
Tell us…
What do you think of these ideas for incorporating wellness into design and architecture? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
All the speakers agreed that, on the other side of this pandemic, there will be a ‘new normal’ reflected in the buildings and spaces where we work, live and spend time together. It may not be a ‘normal’ defined by masks, Perspex screens and social distancing, but more one where we’ve had time to reevaluate what’s important.
“Almost every design decision we make as architects or interior designers is going to have some sort of impact on people’s physical and mental health,” says Ben Channon of Ekkist, who helps architects and builders to create WELL-accredited buildings and took part in a discussion about creating healthier offices.
As architects, designers and planners, the speakers addressed questions such as: How can buildings keep us healthy and happy? What will now motivate us to spend time in buildings and spaces? How can open spaces improve? How can architecture strengthen community?