Prophylactic Architecture: Formulating the Concept of Pandemic-Resilient Homes

Abstract

The lockdown instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn the world’s attention to the importance of homes as integrated structures for practicing all aspects of life. The home has been transformed from a mere place to live into a complete piece of infrastructure accommodating all activities of life, including study, work, shopping, exercise, entertainment, and even telehealth. Although quarantines were necessary to protect against viral infection, we have faced social and psychological challenges due to the failure of the current home design to accommodate the new lockdown lifestyle during the pandemic. Thus, this study aims to set a foundation for the development and design of resilient homes in a post-quarantine world by establishing a comprehensive framework for quarantine-resilient homes. The framework was established on the basis of the relevant literature and proposals from architects and experts. It brings a perspective to the future requirements of homes so as to provide architects, stakeholders, and policymakers with the appropriate knowledge to mitigate the impact of lockdowns on mental health and well-being in residential buildings by focusing on the physical and architectural environment.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• coronavirus
• pandemic
• homes
• housing