In Toronto’s Andaz Hotel, public spaces make it easy to separate from others.
Photography by Scott Norsworthy courtesy of Mason Studio.
As we isolate in our homes, we become increasingly aware of how our interior spaces affect our moods, our ability to work and our physical comfort. Interior designer Stanley Sun, one of the founders of Mason Studio, believes that the current Corona virus crisis will impact how we design spaces in the future.
“We will design our homes and our commercial and public spaces with new awareness of personal safety concerns,” Sun says from the firm’s headquarters in Toronto. He has led major interior design projects in Asia, North America and Europe, and recently led the award-winning Jing’An project in Shanghai. He is especially interested in the science of light, and the physiological and psychological response people have to lighting. Here are the ways he believes interior design practice will change as a result of today’s quarantine culture.
1. We’ll combine our virtual and physical environments
Currently, there are primarily physical environments and virtual spaces, Sun says. Video conferencing is making people more aware of how they are perceived, and spaces in the future will be designed with that in mind. Muffled or reverberating sound, harsh or inadequate light will be considerations as we inhabit virtual spaces.
2. Public spaces will include universal clues for comfortable social barriers
“The ‘personal bubble’ will start to increase,” Sun says. “Public interior spaces will include universal cues to assist in creating comfortable social barriers without being distracting, obvious or non-approachable. Products will be farther apart, people will not have to crowd together in order to see something.”
3. Space planning, circulation and programming will include physical distance measures
Amenity spaces in condominium or apartment buildings will be designed to allow groups to separate from each other. The way in which we look at comfort zones in social environments will begin to expand, creating a visual shift in how our interiors function.
4. The influence of mental and physical health in design will increase tenfold
The importance of interior design and mental and physical health will become more prevalent than ever. Designers will need to consider how we can assist in mental health through interior environments, using lighting, materials, sound and acoustics. In homes, spaces will become more flexible. “We will have to consider what elements of design we can use to protect the public’s health, including materials, distancing, physical separation or proximity, and interaction with objects,” says Sun.
5. As the connected economy acclimatizes, offices in residences will no longer be an afterthought
Residences will no longer have a home office, but an office at home. Significant reconsideration of how we can create a beautiful, functional office at home will be designed and set up to accommodate full time satellite workplaces. “This may be challenging in smaller spaces, where the office is often just a desk in a corner,” Sun says.