HEALTHIER SPACES
Trend takes aim at germs
With many of us now hunkered down at home, spending the lion’s share of our days confined in a limited space, it’s not surprising that the safety of our physical environments has become top of mind.
The rapid spread and threat of COVID -19 is changing the way we think about our spaces, spurring on the implementation of automated technology, sterile surface materials and a host of touchless products from faucets to toilets.
Here we take a look at a few emerging items, technologies and trends in residential architecture that could potentially mitigate and reduce the spread of contaminants.
REIMAGINED HOME DESIGN
Architects, designers and builders are re-evaluating and reimagining the built environment with a host of fresh ideas designed to slow the spread of contagious and harmful biohazards. Floor plan designs are already shifting in public spaces with items like restroom doors in public spaces on the way out. In time these kinds of offerings may be integrated into residential home design. For example, creating privacy nooks for the water closet with the use of walls and angles instead of doors, utilizing a minimum of flat surfaces, using healthy surface materials and installing ventilation systems that allow for the removal of potentially contaminated air. And home automation will become the way of the future, integrated into the design in more and more sophisticated ways.
HOME AUTOMATION
Activated through smartphones or through systems such as Amazon
Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home Kit, home automation enhances home security and safety and is also a game-changer when it comes to decreasing contact with high touch points in the home, including thermostats, lighting, door bells, music systems and even doors and door locks. All it takes is the touch of an app or a voice command.
TOUCHLESS TECHNOLOGIES
From foot pedal activated steel kitchen trash cans to motion activated toilets and faucets, the selection and sophistication of touchless products for the home is growing quickly. Kohler, a designer and manufacturer of bathroom and kitchen products, has introduced some innovative intelligent bathroom and kitchen motion sensing and voice activated touchless offerings, including motion activated toilet flushing systems, activated by a wave of the hand. It also offers an extensive selection of intelligent toilets with intuitive open and close mechanisms and flushing systems. One of its newest products, the Sentra kitchen faucet with Kohler Konnect handsfree activation, works through your home assistant to respond to voice activated commands such as “turn on tap,” “pour two cups” or “fill the spaghetti pot.”
MOTION ACTIVATED LIGHTING
Achieving a soft gentle glow to a dark room is easy with motion activated lighting. All it takes is a little movement — a wave of the hand or walking past the sensor will automatically flip the switch. A nice feature to have, especially at night when the little ones stumble out of bed for a glass of water. Motion activated lights can be installed pretty much anywhere from hallways to stair treads and even entire rooms. Plus, this handy feature reduces wall contact and all but eliminates contact with the switch, preventing the spread of germs. It’s also good for the planet and for the pocket book — the lights stay on only while motion is detected.
Along the same lines, toe-kick lighting in the kitchen or bathroom along the base of a vanity or cabinets can be both practical, attractive and mood enhancing. With a gentle tap of the toe the light is activated, adding illumination and a sense of warmth to a space, while eliminating the need to touch a switch.
HEALTHY SURFACE MATERIALS
Just because a surface looks clean, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. Potentially harmful micro-organisms are undetectable to the naked eye. A study by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information shows that the surface environment can contribute to the transmission of pathogens and that certain surfaces can reduce contamination.
The reality is that many beautiful materials are porous, including wood and natural stone. Bacteria, germs and viruses can flourish in the tiny fissures and recesses on these surfaces. Instead, turn to materials like quartz — it’s non-porous and one of the most durable and hygienic surfaces. Another option is sealed granite. Although it is a natural stone, the sealing process reduces its porousness.
But perhaps the most hygienic surface material and one that is turning heads for many applications, including health care, is copper; not only is it non-porous, it is also self-sterilizing.