Pandemic Responsive Building Design
How can the design of our buildings and the spaces we occupy directly respond to people’s post-pandemic concerns and worries?
The pandemic has given fabrik time to reflect on the long-lasting effects such global events will have on our world. Elisia Neves, our founding Principal Architect, is leading fabrik’s shift toward a post-pandemic world through both thoughtful research and practice. It is her goal to be able to support fabrik clients in the transition of returning to work and provide leading design research to the architectural industry. fabrik has currently shifted our in-house design team to begin research into COVID-19 relief design possibilities. By performing this research, Elisia hopes to not only better prepare fabrik for future projects but assist in the global effort to reduce the spread of the virus.
To assist our in-house team and provide thoughtful feedback, fabrik has also assembled an Advisory Board of expert Professionals that range from Architects to Pandemic Disease Specialists to Materials Science Engineers. Our Advisory Board has assisted the fabrik team in creating design matrices related to Pandemic Responsive Design for the commercial, office, residential and multi-residential sectors. These matrices range from the analysis and assessment of the materials we use in our buildings to questions of sustainability and digital innovation through touchless technologies.
COVID-19 has adversely impacted human interaction and connection. Now, we are rethinking how we move through buildings, maintain social distancing, and minimize surface contact. We need to actively bring about a post-pandemic shift within the profession of architecture to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable populations within our societies and prioritize a holistic and responsible approach to design. Changes should be systemic and involve the rethinking of the long-lasting cycles of demolition and construction. Every design decision should be informed by a thorough consideration of the domino effects that could result if one is to fully consider the social impacts.
We are transitioning to a post-pandemic world – fabrik is responding.
Our Advisory Board:
Advisory Board Administrator
FABRIK Architects
Population Disease Modelling Specialist
Professor University of Guelph
Antiviral Coatings Expert
Director of University of Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology
UV Air and Surface Disinfection Expert
Professor University of Waterloo
Architect
FABRIK Architects
Expert in Pandemic Health and Safety Implementation
ALEXEIN Engineering Solutions
Architectural Academic
Professor University of Waterloo
Material Engineering
University of Waterloo