d+a | Issue 116 • Jun/July 2020

21 INTEGRATIVE LIVE-WORK DYNAMIC “Before COVID-19, Asian cities were already developing solutions to bring people closer to the hub of city centres, resulting in shorter travel times and improved quality of life. Because of this pandemic, there will be an acceleration in demand for a more humane and integrative live-work dynamic. We will see mixed-use commercial developments with more public spaces, including decks, rooftops and basements as necessities to cultivate porosity and connectivity in city hubs. Within these buildings, there will be more balconies, breakout and open-air spaces to create more biophilic reactions to nature and allow people to feel more relaxed in their work environment. The quarantine brought about a sense of social responsibility through genuine social connections and meaningful community interactions. Commercial, retail and residential spaces will cultivate interaction with clean and spacious communal spaces. Rather than just a place to work, live or shop, developments will be more involved in the urban network and play a role in how we connect and experience life together.” Keith Griffiths Chairman and Global Design Principal, Aedas INCREASED FLEXIBILITY IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES “We are fortunate that after learning from SARS in the early 2000s, Singapore has prepared itself by setting up the National Centre of Infectious Disease (NCID), and put in place various biomedical research programmes. These have immensely enabled our capabilities to fight the ongoing COVID-19 war. However, it has also brought about new challenges different from SARS. The healthcare frontline to fight COVID-19 is now far more extended due to the ease of community spread. COVID-19 may lead to a structural shift in the healthcare system. The infectious disease unit may become a 24-hour, patient-fronting function in every general hospital, similar to the A&E department today. Healthcare facilities will have to cater to flexible conversion of typical wards to containment wards to respond to periodic surges in patients due to COVID-19 and other pandemics. In addition, a wide range of healthcare facilities and programmes specific to manage pandemics may evolve. For example, district-level containment facilities to house healthy patients in isolation, while allowing them to work remotely, will be needed. As the aged are more vulnerable to COVID-19, the design and management practice for aged-care and dementia institutions will need to be updated to mitigate the risks. For seniors and patients with chronic illness who are staying with families, home visits or telemedicine and any other means of minimising their exposure to community transmission will be needed.” Tan Shao Yen Group Chief Innovation Officer, CPG Corporation & President, Board of Architects SCAN THE QR CODE TO READ TAN SHAO YEN’S COMMENTARY MAPPING OUT POSSIBLE SCENARIOS OF COVID-19’S IMPACT ON SOCIETY.