Resilient and adaptive built environments

Adaptation in the built environment has become more critical as our fast-moving economy has demanded functional flexibility and the changing climate increasingly requires systems responsiveness. Now, the challenges of the pandemic force our built environment to respond and change in entirely new ways to accommodate isolation, to sanitize our environment, and quickly to accommodate new expanding functions such as ICUs, COVID-19 testing sites, and immunization centers.

COVID-19 has illuminated the deep relationship between health and the built environment in a variety of ways, whether through the instant need for hospital beds and critical care units, developing strategies for isolating coworkers within work environments, or developing rapid and safe cleaning processes to deal with the necessary parade of potentially infected persons through mass transportation, hospitality, or service environments. It has become increasingly clear the built environment can be part of the solution or part of the problem when considering the challenges of the pandemic.

Viral exposure risk derives from behavioral (lack of facial coverings and distancing, for example) and built environment factors associated with greater viral transmission. Recent focus groups with students about their perceived risks around COVID-19 re-entry on campus have revealed the need for actionable information and tools to reduce risk (Rains, Crane et al.,2020). There is also an urgent need to monitor vaccine distribution locations to reduce crowding and pinch points, and to optimize and safely maximize vaccine distribution flow. Near real-time geospatial and temporal information identifying riskier and safer areas and predicting pinch points and crowding will fill this need by allowing people to safely navigate through unfamiliar territories while reducing anxiety. It will also assist building and facilities management operators in identifying risk areas to implement mitigation strategies.

Development and validation of a “health index” or “rating system” for the built environment (similar to that used for energy efficiency in building design) that rates the risk of infection. For example, a Platinum rating would mean the risk of acquiring an infection by working in the building would be 10% or less.

Develop and test the best technologies for reducing the spread of infectious diseases in the built environment. People want confidence that buildings are safe to return to school or work.

COVID-19 commonly spreads via transmission through the air in indoor spaces, likely through aerosol droplets, and possibly through airborne virus particles. These smaller airborne particles represent a significant risk because they can build up in indoor spaces and are less affected by social distancing and masks. Increasing ventilation and filtration of circulated air are essential for combatting these airborne particles. However, there are not currently any real-time methods to monitor for the presence of viral particles in the air – a critical challenge that needs to be met to restore public confidence in occupation of indoor spaces including classrooms, hotel rooms, and airplane cabins.