DESIGN ADAPTS TO MEET COVID-19 CHALLENGES
Innovative solutions address issues from work places to safe spaces
Those who work in the home design industry are innovative by nature, having to work around clients’ needs and budgets, along with site and regulation restrictions. It’s pretty much part of the job description to figure out alternative ways to do things when they encounter resistance, but the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed those in this industry (and others) to their creative edge.
Chris Black is passionate about home design and has worked in the industry for 25 years. He is managing partner of custom-home builders Alair Homes, West and North Vancouver, and says the COVID -19 experience has resulted in him, and his business partner, strategizing some innovative home design solutions.
The spotlight is on home offices, says Black, with people needing better solutions than what they have found themselves with recently as many couples are sharing a work space at home.
Flex rooms are a good option, says Black, as they can be used for working from home when needed, and doubling up as games rooms, or guest rooms, at other times.
Black says it’s important to think about designing a bedroom equipped with an ensuite bathroom for someone needing to self-isolate; the key being not sharing these facilities with others in the house.
Taking things one step further, Black says, people could invest in mud rooms that incorporate ultra violet light — currently used in hospital settings — to decontaminate items. Obviously this has safety implications, so would need to be contained in a lockable box.
Another design initiative is to have a lockable box built into the exterior envelope of a home, in which deliveries can be securely left, says Black. Maybe you incorporate some of kind of Wi-fi or home-tech security, where the delivery person would ring the doorbell and you provide a security code for the lockable box, he says.
In light of COVID-19, homeowners might have to start thinking differently about the materials they’re choosing for their home finishes, says Black, such as paints, surfaces and other materials that will handle the “abuse” of constant cleaning.
“So, more man-made than natural products. Traditionally there’s your standard quartz surfaces and paints that are much more durable — such as those used in damp bathroom environments — which can be used throughout the house,” he says.
Porous surfaces, like natural stones, would be out, he says.
White, and light colour choices, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens give people the impression of cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene, and are appealing to people at the moment, says Black.
“There have been advancements in door handles that self-sanitize. We don’t know what the cost implications are at this stage, but there’s a possibility some of these things will migrate down into residential projects,” he says.
They are noticing that their clients are much more interested in planting their own vegetable gardens and finding ways to grow their own food, says Black.
“One of the things we’re seeing more often is personal gardens. People are interested in growing their own fruits and vegetables, if they can find space to allocate that on their property. There’s also vertical garden walls that are being used for apartments,” he says.