Office design is sure to undergo a change after the pandemic
Even after the lockdown, one may see real estate spaces that include offices, residential complexes, malls, hotels - not to mention other public spaces - observe social distancing seriously.
Many real estate firms have already started drawing up new design strategies to be incorporated in projects going forward. These include a focus on touch-free elevators, better ventilation, construction of row houses as opposed to multi-storeys, dedicated spaces for quarantine rooms, business centres to facilitate work from home and even dedicated disinfectant zones at the entrance or within complexes.
Office design is sure to undergo a change after the pandemic. Technology may come to your rescue as you enter the office and without you having to touch the handles or press the lift buttons, doors may open automatically when you log on to an app.
When you reach your floor, you may just walk into a room which has desks spaced out at a distance of six feet. There may be fewer chairs in meeting rooms and more reliance on video conferencing. You may also get used to frequent cleaning and sanitation drives.
Companies have been trying to focus on more people with less space and, hence, the emphasis on open offices or densification. Going forward, the shift would be towards de-densifying to observe social distancing, says an architect.
A conference room that usually fits 10 people may now only house five chairs. The reception area may now have both the security check counter and a disinfectant chamber but instead of people at the reception, an automated app and voice technology may be enough to help you with directions.
Commercial real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield has recently tested a new design concept called Six Feet Office latterly that focuses on foot traffic routing in the office to keep people at a distance of six feet.
“There would be a lot more use of hot desks and emphasis on working tables that are at a distance of 6 ft. The longer desk may make a comeback,” says Jayant Vaitha, Director - design services, Colliers International India, adding an employee may end up occupying 120 sq ft compared to a 60 sq ft currently.
The reception area may either become wider or may be removed altogether with greater reliance on technologically controlled apps, he says. Disinfectant chambers much like the security scanner may become the new normal in reception zones.
Anand Sharma of Design Forum International points out that discussions have already started on how touch points need to be reduced using automation in malls, restaurants and in bars post the lockdown when these facilities gradually reopen.
“While we have enough stringent codes to do with fire safety, construction, there is now a need for a national sanitation and crowd management code. This should become a new normal and could be an additional chapter to the National Building Code,” he recommends.
Amit Khanna, founder of Amit Khanna Design Associates agrees. He is of the view that post the pandemic promoters would strongly protect premises due to the liability and risks involved.
“Technology will take over. Hotel lobbies may become wider, common amenities are likely to get reduced or disappear altogether. The public may have to go through a security test as well as a disinfectant chamber before getting into a Metro station,” he says.
Of late, all business parks of Brookfield Properties have minimized the number of individuals to 4 at a time for using elevators, while encouraging people to use stairs more often. The business parks have also prohibited congregations in the campuses, including smoking zones and other common areas. In the food court, facilities of minimal packed meals are available on request.
To encourage the norms of physical distancing, Brookfield Properties is making its own employees sit at a distance of minimum 6 feet at the workplace, and has started ensuring that it follows government guidelines of only 33 percent attendance.
Design interventions in residential complexes
As COVID19 restructures the way we live, things are more inclined towards getting as contactless as possible in terms of buying anything or conducting any business/personal or social activities.
“Real estate industry that required the physical presence of homebuyers to see and examine the flat before making a purchase will now be changing towards the digital model. People will be sceptical of any physical interaction with the ones they don’t know and are not sure about the health factor and this will be a major push for the real estate to go from brick and mortar to ‘click and tap’, says Ram Raheja, the director and head-director and design at S Raheja Realty.
Embassy Group is also planning to roll out a strategy for the mid segment projects. “We are going back to the drawing board and deciding how we want to relook at things.
De-densification is certainly going to be the focus both for residential and commercial real estate as we implement social distancing norms. Right from delivery services at the security gate we have to reduce contact at every step in a multi-storey building,” Reeza Sebastian, President - Residential Business, Embassy Group, told Moneycontrol.
Going forward, the company plans to restrategise how elevators have to be redesigned in a high rise, how home offices will have to become a significant area in an apartment. "We would have to integrate sound insulation, ventilation, sunlight and reformat our products going forward. We are also relooking at club areas which in the future may include business centres with video conferencing facilities to deal with situations such as COVID-19," she says.
Puravankara Limited is also planning to introduce design interventions to deal with the crisis, especially for those real estate that are under construction or are on the drawing board stage.
Some experts predict the return of the integrated townships and row housing as opposed to multi-storey housing going forward.
“Integrated mix-use townships will make a comeback and so will row housing,” says Sanjay Sharma, president- Technical, Puravankara Limited.
“To maintain social distancing norms we may even have to increase the number of tennis courts and other recreational areas such as theatres and for that policy makers would have to think of providing additional FAR,” he says.
There would be a need for quarantine rooms in club areas or basements to deal with COVID-like situations and more focus on prefab construction technology to ensure dependence on manpower is reduced, he says.
“Efficient design with more focus technology is a must. There would be focus on ventilation, less use of air conditioning, more windows and more self-sufficient club areas. The lobby areas may include a disinfectant chamber which switches on when you log on to the app on your phone to reduce continuous use of disinfectant channels,” he says.
The company has also started incorporating these features in projects that are under construction and is open to working with RWAs to incorporate these changes, especially at entry points.
Will these interventions impact costs? “It may impact monthly maintenance costs that may go up around 5 percent to 7 percent,” he adds.
In Delhi-NCR, Cleo County situated in Sector 121, Noida has already started hi-tech thermal screening with camera surveillance, which can scan every person entering and exiting from the society premises. This advanced technology has till now been used only in international airports, the company claims.First Anniversary Offer: Subscribe to Moneycontrol PRO’s annual plan for ₹1/- per day for the first year and claim exclusive benefits worth ₹20,000. Coupon code: PRO365
