It is important that people are strictly following health and safety protocols against COVID-19. The pandemic has truly changed the way people behaves and moves in public, and it is expected that this new normal will be here to stay for a little while.
Aside from the people, we can also expect changes in the way architects do their designs in connection with the pandemic situation.
For one, Turkish architecture studio Salon Alper Derinbogaz has revealed the design for Ecotone, a set of partially open-air offices for Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul. This building is set to be located on the university’s Yıldız Teknopark campus. Salon Alper Derinbogazs boasts that the architectural design for this building took the COVID-19 pandemic into serious consideration.
Architects Have A Special Role In This Pandemic, As Shown By This New Design
As per Salon Alper Derinbogaz, Ecotone introduces a new example for other designers that is pandemic resistant and sustainable for the public’s general use. This new design also features the integration of outside areas, planting, and protected yet fluid office zones. The project aims to develop a better office environment that prioritises hygiene and safe areas for individual and group work. This is just an example of how important the architect’s job is.
Ecotone is named after a geographic term that pertains to a ecosystem mixing with another ecosystem smoothly. For one, the offices are shown to sit between the textile academy and a teaching block on campus. This feature will provide a place for study that will act as a bridge between education and industry.
The design also features raised platforms with rounded edges that will act as a base for a series of single-storey offices with curved glass walls. You can also see open-air and semi-covered walkways and terraces will connect these spaces, although this will also function as outdoor meeting spaces during a fine weather.
There is also a passive geothermal heating and cooling system, which has pipes located below the ground to effectively regulate the building’s temperature. This future is said to reduce the need for air conditioning. This is a good thing when it comes to the risk of infection within an enclosed area. According to the World Health Organization or WHO, re-circulated air is a risk factor in coronavirus transmission, With this design’s natural ventilation, the risk of catching COVID-19 in the premises of the facility is greatly reduced. Just be wary of the thiết kế hồ cá koi trong nhà around the area, if there is any.