Designing for Togetherness: Safe Environments for Connecting during C-19

For the past few months, we at FF&P have been working with our clients and within our own office to understand best space design practices for returning safely to our respective workplaces, academic and cultural campuses, etc. during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. In the spirit of trying to help as many people as possible, we wanted to share some lessons learned thus far.

Given that global understanding of the science behind C-19’s spread and containment continues to evolve, we started from the standpoint that there is no absolute “right” way to handle this situation, either scientifically or in terms of design. As such, we are exploring the issue the same way we approach all our projects: outside-in and inside-out. From the outside-in, we are conducting thorough research, considering multiple perspectives and information sources ranging from trusted medical and public health organizations and professionals, to mechanical engineers, to furniture manufacturers. In parallel, we are seeking to understand our clients’ institutional and organizational missions, existing spatial conditions, user groups and their daily operations, as well as their needs, desires, and cultures.

We do not claim to be experts in pandemic safety, and we do not advocate one set of best practices over another. Rather, we are simply taking proactive steps to help our clients and ourselves consider the issue from all angles, ask smart questions, identify available operational scenarios, and propose individually feasible strategies for implementation.

Our goal in this work is to ensure that we and our clients feel informed and empowered to make decisions that are both safe and appropriate for each of us.

To read more, and download the White Paper, click here.