How social distancing should change the way you design places

Social distancing sign 3

Aoife Hunt on what you need to consider when designing retail, leisure and office spaces

Covid-19 has fundamentally changed the way we live our lives, our movement and our behaviours. The introduction of social distance as a normality of everyday life has posed a significant challenge for designers who must now reconsider the space we inhabit in order to deliver maximum occupancy while meeting safety requirements. For building owners and operators, space is linked to productivity. Limiting the staff on the ground or the number of visitors who can access facilities effectively puts a cap on the maximum productivity potential of that space, and that can significantly impact the bottom line.

Due diligence now includes the need to demonstrate that social distancing can be achieved and, while many organisations have been working hard to meet these challenges, there are common mistakes and miscalculations being made that can pose a risk to safety and limit productivity.

This is premium content. 

Only logged in subscribers have access to it.

Login or SUBSCRIBE to view this story

Gated access promo

Existing subscriber? LOGIN

A subscription to Building Design will provide:

  • Unlimited architecture news from around the UK
  • Reviews of the latest buildings from all corners of the world
  • Full access to all our online archives
  • PLUS you will receive a digital copy of WA100 worth over £45.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

Alternatively REGISTER for free access on selected stories and sign up for email alerts