How Will the Pandemic Change Home Design?

As the pandemic slowly encroaches into our lives, we find ourselves retreating into the safety of our homes. However, are our homes truly a safe haven? Are our homes designed to protect us from the virus? Can we find conduciveness within our four walls?

In Singapore, high-density developments are the norm and a means of survival to ensure the population is well-housed within a restricted space. Unfortunately, as more high rise apartment buildings continue to scrape our skyline, the more vulnerable we are to cross-contamination and infections.

Changes to Home Design for Enhanced Adaptability

While we cannot fully eradicate the virus in our community, changes to the architectural design of houses can strive to accommodate the needs of the rising population without compromising on health and safe distancing.

1. Greater Flexibility in Space

As work-from-home arrangements continue even as circuit-breaker measures have ceased, more homeowners are realising the importance of spaces that have duality and versatility. A dining room is no longer an area solely for food consumption. It is often transformed into a meeting room, a classroom, a gym or even an office.

To accommodate these changing needs, more homeowners may rethink their home renovation plans. Compartmentalising the already-limited rooms to singular uses, i.e a nursery and a home office, may not be the most space-efficient solution. The key is to constantly innovate a common room to fit any needs that may crop up.

2. Accessibility to the Outdoors

With more precaution towards public spaces that may be breeding grounds for infectious diseases, home seems like the best option to guarantee safety. Nonetheless, the desire to experience the outdoors may sometimes arise. For this, balconies would offer a simple solution to bring nature into each home.

Balconies are often underappreciated spaces in Singaporean households. They are mostly used to hang linens or store bulky items. Some homeowners even remove the balcony yard to create a wider living room. What we fail to realise is the hidden potential of balconies to connect our concrete space to the outdoors.

After a long period of time, staying indoors may seem isolating and even suffocating. To boost your mental health, a dedicated space to appreciate the outdoors, do some yoga and take a breath of fresh air would come in really handy.

3. Storage for Essential Resources

Even before the pandemic, storage has always been an area of concern for many households in Singapore. Nonetheless, the prevalence of COVID-19 in our community heightens the urgency of storing essential resources such as food supply and medication in our homes.

Storage spaces no longer fit the sole purpose of keeping miscellaneous hoards of personal belongings.They are essential in every home to store important necessities for future use.

Homeowners might want to rethink the bomb shelter cum storeroom that is common in Singaporean households. Is there a better way to seamlessly integrate storage spaces in our homes without demarcating a designated area just for storage?

4. Transition from Public and Private Spaces

While an open-concept layout has been all the hype in space-limited homes, this design may not be the safest option to effectively protect the interior space from outdoor contamination.

This would be the only exception where it is best to carve out a distinguished space to aid in transitioning your home from the outside into your private space. This space can be designated for you to remove your shoes, hang your jacket and sanitise yourself before entering your precious abode.

Fret now, this solution need not compromise the open flow of your home. Opting for a semi-partition wall or a glass wall could still add to the illusion of a seamless flow in your home.

While it may be within our reach to effectively eliminate the virus from our community, a simple way to adapt is to alter the interior design of our homes to best suit the present challenges.

Looking to revamp your home to better protect your family and home? Ohmyhome Renovation Services offers comprehensive help to transform any space to best suit your needs. Contact our renovation team for a free site visit today!