Michelle Ogundehin* said: “Our home can be a powerful weapon in the fight against the spread of disease. Due to the problem of oversupply and lack of vaccines and unproven immunity after recovery, staying at home is still the most effective measure.”
Housing plays a key role in the fight against global crises
Offices, schools, gyms, restaurants are all forced to close because of COVID-19. The epidemic is like a naked mirror reflecting the contemporary housing model and, importantly, the way we live inside it. Changes are needed if we want to adapt well in the next epidemics – learn to live with the virus, the solution of social closure will only work in the short term, but in the long term will have many consequences. .
When queried about history, humanity has repeatedly faced dangerous epidemics, all of which have come to create change. For many people, staying at home for such a long time causes psychological illness, sometimes an overreaction. The house can give us warmth, comfort or it can also be a feeling of loneliness, discomfort and pressure. There should be solutions that work for the majority of people, regardless of income, area, rental or private housing. Here are warnings and suggestions for how to stay indoors for long periods of time.
Let the house be a really “fresh” place
Studies have proven that indoor air is 10 times more polluted than outdoors due to the accumulation of harmful substances from industrial materials and furniture. Water-based paints, toxins from cleaning products, plastic materials, synthetic fabrics, scents from petroleum-based candles, new furniture or cigarette smoke.
It’s the deadly cocktail – responsible for around 99,000 deaths annually in Europe alone (according to the Royal College of Medicine). The use of eco-paints and formaldehyde-free materials should become the norm in construction.
“Therefore, high-tech air purification systems are increasingly developed, but in my opinion, trees are always a solution that both reduces costs and is effective. In particular, they give us spiritual “vaccines”. NASA has proven that plants are true air purifier warriors. At home for a long time, we really need to pay attention to this issue,” – Michelle Ogundehin said.
The spaces sometimes don’t need to be too big, but they have to be enough and versatile
Apparently 80% of the housing stock by 2050 has already been built, so past standards are sometimes no longer relevant. Why are all bedrooms always on the upper floor? They can be held on the ground floor and combine living and studying in addition to sleeping. Rental apartments are often designed in bulk, creating unnecessary empty space.
In Japan, design premises rarely impose single-seat interiors, as rooms are integrated with various functions with the development of smart furniture. Many warehouses can be renovated into workspaces or converted from dining to space to relax and rest depending on needs.
Smart home is coming to life
The virus will survive on the surface of objects for a certain period of time, making us hesitate to contact. The long-term measure here is that we should upgrade the “infrastructure” inside the house.
Smart home technologies will help limit contact, such as handleless doors and heat-operated sinks, etc. But above all, contact is inevitable. Therefore, the awareness of each person is still the most important: regularly clean and wash hands.
Home is a place to enjoy life
With limited exposure, online learning is on the rise, helping us to utilize downtime to reduce stress and aid in the recovery of immune functions through learning something new.
For movement, the flexible floor helps us to make use of the space. Exercise can take place in the living room or bedroom. The instructor has a TV, laptop and phone. Sometimes the space in front of the sofa in the living room is enough.
If space is still lacking, keep in mind that the average household holds about 300,000 items, two-thirds of which are never used.
Should the kitchen be placed in the center?
As mentioned, the virus stays on the surface of an object for a certain amount of time. If the kitchen is open and centrally located, when returning home, people will put a lot of things on the kitchen table, such as bags, children’s toys, documents, etc. That can increase the risk of infection. pandemic. The kitchen area must be kept in the best hygiene because it is directly related to our health. Especially when hospitals are currently overloaded and do not have enough staff to take care of patients.
When working from home is no longer an emerging trend
Remote working has now become the “new normal” for most people. A quality workspace at home is very important, as it directly affects your pocketbook.
The space should have separate doors and be well soundproofed. The dining table is a bad substitute for a desk, it’s tall and not optimal for continuous work. Design industries could use more standing desks, adjustable height tables, and better lumbar support chairs.
Revive forgotten spaces
Renovation, conversion of use purposes or integration of functions in spaces that are rarely used is a current trend, such as attics, warehouses, etc. to help utilize space at a low cost. Sometimes they give us new experiences right in the house. Because looking over and over at a space that is sometimes not well organized will create boredom and stay at home becomes a torture.
Staying in the house for a long time and not being in contact with nature can sometimes be a disaster
Biophilia style – associated with nature, has become the mainstream in 2020 and will continue to develop in the future. The use of natural materials or the imitation of colors, details and forms of nature has been proven to be good for physical and mental health.
Therefore, the density of green space should become the standard when granting new construction permits, be it on balconies or inside houses, on roofs or walls. Imagine if you lived permanently in a small garden or lived around 4 walls, which would you choose?
Space for yourself and for the whole society
We need quiet, private spaces, but that doesn’t mean we live in isolation. Humans cannot live without society and the surrounding community. Private living space, but should exploit common facilities such as sports ground, children’s play space, etc. Now is the time for society and the wider humanity to unite and draw closer together, not division.
However, this is not the same as a dormitory or a high-rise apartment building. These consist of buildings divided into individual rooms for rent, like student dorms but more upscale. It can be mentioned that the elderly are isolated in nursing homes, which is now aggravated by epidemics, typically in the UK.
We should develop more common spaces, green spaces in residential areas and have more activities to increase interactivity, helping to create healthy, sustainable and supportive society among future generations. in the “era” of COVID-19.
*Michelle Ogundehin is a writer, design consultant and TV presenter, author of the book “Happiness from within: How to harness the power inside the home” (Happy Inside: How). to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness). She graduated in architecture and is the former Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Decoration UK magazine.