Post Pandemic Homes

Neuroscience is clear about the sorts of homes where people will live their best future lives, particularly if future pandemics arise.  In these spaces:

• There will likely be a sort of transition zone as people enter a home, where outside shoes, etc., can be removed and inside ones put on, hands and whatever else needs it can be sanitized, etc.
• Home offices will be developed that apply the research previously done in workplaces regarding performance-supporting lighting, etc. This sort of information is available in this article, for example, and in this whole issue. Areas that can be used for home schooling, as needed, will also be more prevalent.
• Home interiors will support plants and whenever possible people will have access to nearby nature on balconies, in parks, etc. Spaces similar to “sun rooms” can be a plus in colder climates. Read more about Biophilic Design in lots of our articles on The Space Doctors.
• In-home pantries will grow to support storage of needed materials when people can’t leave their homes.
• In general, there will be an increase in spaces that can serve a variety of functions if individuals can’t leave their homes—one person’s at-home yoga studio can become another person’s exercise room and someone else’s dining room, for example.
• Home ventilation will be considered by people who have no idea what HVAC even stands for (for the uninitiated, it means heating ventilation and air conditioning and is usually followed by the word “systems”). Opening a window is a good start (which The Space Doctors talk about a lot too, obviously depends on where your window looks out onto, if it’s the local refuse tip or the main road, then you might need to think about it, but otherwise, natural ventilation is good).