Our lives have changed in ways that no one could have imagined just three months ago. Our once- vibrant economy has collapsed and millions of people have lost their jobs in unprecedented swiftness. The global economic impact of COVID-19 will reach well into the trillions of dollars this year alone, and relief efforts through government spending will likely force us to reconstruct what we see as reasonable in terms of global aid and relief.
The pandemic has posed challenges never seen by architects in modern history. However, this does not upend the foundation of our profession. Architects evaluate the constraints of the challenges put forth and relish solving problems creatively. We believe that many, if not most, problems can be solved through a built solution.
Many firms have been researching potential ways our clients can return to work in our new world. These building adjustments include automated doors to avoid contacting doorknobs and handles, anti-microbial surfaces, and physical distancing in offices through space reconfiguration, soft architectural separations, and sneeze-guards. While these mitigation measures can help stem the spread of the virus, the situation is analogous to offering citizens bulletproof vests in the face of unregulated gun carrying. In both cases, we never reach the root of the problem.
We as architects need to address the cause of the outbreak and develop a building solution that can avoid future pandemics. We must find an architectural solution that allows us to live in a society where people can interact unhindered by social distancing.
The pandemic has posed challenges never seen by architects in modern history. However, this does not upend the foundation of our profession.
At my firm, we are congregating consultants, medical experts, contractors, and architects to investigate two key questions: “Is there a built solution that can be implemented to stem future outbreaks of a similar virus?” and “What can we do as architects to create an environment where this problem can be solved?”
We want to understand how the virus started and find an architecturally based solution to stem a future pandemic. While we cannot fundamentally change community behaviors across cultures, as architects, we do have the means to provide an answer that addresses the physical needs of people fighting to contain the virus. This might mean anything from the prefabrication of small, transportable spaces for researching and testing methods to ebb the spread of viruses, to setting up a “Ground Zero” built solution to tackle potential outbreaks before they spread. This solution might mean billions, not trillions, of dollars spent on our future to ensure safety.
We are also inviting recent graduates to our task force to introduce vigor and fresh thinking to the process. Few things are more rewarding than challenging (and paying) our youth to work with us in creating a globally focused proposal to address our future. The study will leave politics, cost estimates, and the project manufacturing and delivery to others.
We cannot solve every world problem, but as architects and designers, we have the largest physical impact on the world. Because solving global issues will require a place to house the processes, part of the solution will be housing the innovators and heroes stemming future outbreaks.
Crowds must be able return to work and live in a social society without worrying about their health and safety. This way of life and social interaction have made us who we are. Through this project, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change our current trajectory and have an impact in changing the future. Please consider joining us for this ambitious study and reach out to me if you would like to take part.
Project Héroe is an interdisciplinary study in collaboration with HLW, the University of Southern California School of Architecture, and USC Keck School of Medicine. The current team comprises more than 20 consultants and 10 HLW staff, all of whom are volunteering their time and donating funds to USC in support of this project. Six students and recent graduates are also participating in the study on paid internships. Project leaders at HLW include design director Rik Ekström, director of research Peter Bacevice, and senior design strategist and associate Lorene Ford, AIA.
HLW associate and senior design strategist Lorene Ford, AIA, contributed to this op-ed. This article has been updated since first publication to include additional information about Project Héroe.
The views and conclusions from this author are not necessarily those of ARCHITECT magazine or of The American Institute of Architects.
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