BERYL CHRIS JEAN JACOBA ARC 205 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

RESEARCH NO. 3

POST-PANDEMIC RESIDENTIAL
As this pandemic, COVID-19, took a toll on our lives the role of our houses has never been
more critical than ever. Our houses has become more than a shelter but it has also become an
o ce, an entertainment space, a full-time kitchen, and a place of comfort. Having these activities
that are seemingly opposing, to work together is a very challenging but attainable task.

This unfortunate circumstance has made us reevaluate our way of life and most especially the
functions within our homes. To design a house that is well equipped for the future is very important
therefore, we must look into di erent design considerations in designing a post-pandemic
residential.

1. VARIETY OF SPATIAL EXPERIENCES

Staying at home really challenged our mental health and our productivity. To have an access
to various spaces is important in battling potential weariness.

Bright and open spaces is one

factor in providing relaxation but it can
be noisy and distracting for work. Quiet
spaces are often overlooked but vital for
work from home clients and online
schooling students. In contrast, others
enjoy working on casual dining table co-
working with the rest of the family and
some even enjoy working outdoors.

All in all, having all these spaces

in one residence gives options for clients
to choose a space within the house
depending on the tasks required.

2. FLEXIBLE SPACES
Not all residential have the capability to incorporate and provide spaces for every activity.

Flexible planning is key in doing

this. An example is the guest bedroom, it
is usually empty for most of the year
making this a potential target for a multi
purpose room that could withhold
di erent activities.

Photo on the side shows wine

tasting room that could easily be
changed into a guest bedroom or vice
versa. Flexible spaces such as these can
be quickly adjusted to be an extra room
or any room that is immediately needed.
In doing this, it requires a space large
enough to accommodate unexpected
activities.

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3. FLEXIBLE FURNITURE

In creating an e cient exible room, furnitures must also be exible. There are several
products that are con gurable available at the market right now.

The murphy bed used in our 19th

Street and Corte Del Bayo projects from
Resource Furniture transforms the space
from a bedroom to a cozy TV den. Their
“Swing Sectional” incorporates a built in
sofa when in the closed con guration
with a shallow shelf above. When opened
for a bed, the pillows can be concealed
within the seat and the shelf and seat
itself act as a support for the bed. 

Working with innovative systems

such as this can provide additional guest
rooms even if it is only needed in the
evenings. 

4. DIVISIBLE ROOMS
Many wants their homes to grow with their family though household size may not be set by
the time of constructions but contractors often create rooms that are pre-wired and pre-plumed to
provide ease in diving a room into two.

The image on the side shows a

room in which The current design has a
study and a generous gym with its own
bathroom. Should the spaces need to be
converted into bedrooms, the gym is
sized to t a full bedroom with an ensuite
bathroom and closet. The original
bathroom would then switch to serve the
study. The back-to-back bathrooms
share a wall that is pre-plumbed to
accommodate the second, allowing for
this potential future use.

5. DESIGNING FOR CLEANLINESS

Flexible spatial features aside, designing to promote cleanliness is an important consideration

Cleanliness can be encouraged through spatial organization as well as through material

choices. Having a mud room or a garage with a sink and workbench can be a useful place to disinfect
packages and groceries. Designating “dirty” versus “sterile” portions of the house may become more
common in the future

In addition, non-porous, smooth materials are much easier to clean and disinfect. Most of our
projects already use wood or concrete oors and as material science progresses, antimicrobial
materials can be considered for oors or countertops
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6. INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

With the global shutdown leading to a signi cant decrease in air pollution across major
metropolitan areas, we are opening our homes to natural ventilation more than ever. While increased
air ow makes us feel great and
reduces HVAC (heating, ventilation,
and air conditioning) energy
consumption, keep in mind that indoor
air quality can be affected by many
factors beyond what comes in our
windows.

It is suggested that we start

using an affordable air quality sensor
like AWAIR (an air quality sensor)
which monitors CO2, relative humidity
(RH), and chemical toxins (VOCs) to
alert us when the indoor air quality
reaches unhealthy levels so we can
make adjustments.

7. SPACE FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

With popular classes and bootcamps unavailable during a quarantine, home gyms become
increasingly attractive. While for some
this requires a full set up with weights
and machines, it can also be as
simple as creating an open area to
stream a workout.

The ability to move and keep

up physical health at home can help
maintain a sense of normalcy in an
otherwise hectic situation. The act of
walking into another building can
create a mental shift with the change
of environment
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8. ACCESS TO OUTDOOR SPACE

Access to outdoor space is especially vital during this time. While it is tempting to build out all
available space, it is important to
carve areas for landscape or access
to light and air.

The ability to extend a view

beyond the limits of the house out into
the landscape also relieves the
pressure of remaining in place.

Access to landscape does not

need to mean a large expansive lawn;
we incorporate areas for landscape
even in our most compact urban in ll
houses. In the image the solid walls
surrounding the courtyard block the
views of the alley and frames the
sky. 

SITE ANALYSIS
Site analysis will look at issues such as site location, size, topography, zoning, traf c
conditions and climate. The analysis also needs to consider any future developments, or changes to
the sites surroundings, such as a change of roads designations, changing cultural patterns, or other
signi cant building developments within the area

Understanding the context of a site is key to enabling the designer to weave the new desig
in with the existing fabric of the site. It allows us to understand the existing opportunities, or problems
in a site, and make informed decisions on how to respond to our ndings. This response could be
that the designed building re ects the surrounding context and is designed to be in sympathy, or
perhaps to turn away or eliminate certain unwanted site conditions

Things to look out for during site analysis

• Location - where the site is situate

• Neighborhood Context - the immediate surrounding of the site including data on zoning and
buildings and other impacts on our project
• Zoning and Size - dimensional considerations such as boundaries, easements, height
restrictions, site area, access along with any further plans
• Legal Information - ownership, restrictions or covenants, council related information, future
urban development plans
• Natural Physical Features - actual features of the site such as trees, rocks, topography, rivers,
ponds, drainage patterns
• Man Made Features - existing buildings, walls, surrounding vernacular, setbacks, materials,
landscaping, scale
• Circulation - Vehicle and pedestrian movements in, through and around the site. Consider the
timing of these movements, and duration of heavier patterns. Future traf c and road
developments should also be considered
• Utilities - Any electricity, gas, water, sewer and telephone services that are situated in or near the
site, along with distances, depths and materials
 

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• Climate - all climatic information such as rainfall, snowfall, wind directions, temperatures, sun
path, all considered during the different times of the year
• Sensory - this addresses the visual, audible and tactile aspects of the site, such as views, noise,
and so on. These again should be considered in time frames and a positive or negative factor can
be attributed to the condition
• Human and Cultural - the cultural, psychological, behavioural and sociological aspects of the
surrounding neighborhood. Activities and patterns, density, population ethnic patterns,
employment, income, values and so on

MICROCLIMATE
a microclimate survey plays the special role of analysing the interaction between air and the
materials, which helps control environmental aggression, on one hand, and understand how to
minimize material deterioration, on the other hand.

Each speci c site has its own unique climatic characteristics that need to be analyzed. The climatic
aspects of the speci c site or areas on the site are called the microclimate. The speci c
characteristics of the site are analyzed only after one has a good understanding of the macroclimate
and general climatic characteristics which give an overview of the climate for your region. The
microclimate must be studied not only for the natural elements, but for how any man-made
elements, such as buildings and landscaping are a ecting and/or will a ect the site. For example, a
windbreak that protects against the winter winds can change the microclimate of the site
signi cantly.

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DIAGRAMMATIC SEQUENTIAL FLOW OF USERS

Sequence diagram is a structured representation of behavior as a series of sequential steps
over time. You can use it to:

• Depict work ow, Message passing and how elements in general cooperate over time to
achieve a result

• Capture the ow of information and responsibility throughout the system, early in analysis;
Messages between elements eventually become method calls in the Class model

• Make explanatory models for Use Case scenarios; by creating a Sequence diagram with an
Actor and elements involved in the Use Case, you can model the sequence of steps the user
and the system undertake to complete the required tasks

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BERYL CHRIS JEAN JACOBA ARC 205 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

DIAGRAMS (MATRIX AND BUBBLE)

MATRIX DIAGRAM
A matrix diagram is de ned as a new management planning tool  used for analyzing and
displaying the relationship between data sets. The matrix diagram shows the relationship between
two, three, or four groups of information. It also can give information about the relationship, such as
its strength, of the roles played by various individuals or measurements.

BUBBLE DIAGRAM
a simple diagram of rooms shaped like circles, not necessarily drawn to a speci c scale; used
by architects for understanding the relationships between rooms

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References
Chang, Jessica. (2020). Post-Pandemic Home Design: 8 Considerations. https://
connect.eyrc.com/blog/post-pandemic-home-design

Emma. (2018). First in Architecture. Architecture Site Analysis Guide.

Cacace, Carlo. (N/D). Assorestauro. Microclimate Analysis. https://www.assorestauro.org/en/

projects/iran-en/from-qa-052016/microclimate-analysis.html

Cazayoux, E.J. (N/D). USL Monthly Press Release. Comfort Zone. Climate and Zone Analysis.
http://www.dnr.louisiana.gov/assets/TAD/education/ECEP/drafting/b/b.htm

Sparx System. (N/D). Sequence Diagram. https://sparxsystems.com/

enterprise_architect_user_guide/15.2/model_domains/sequencediagram.html

The Quality Toolbox. Second Edition, ASQ Quality Press. (N/D). What is a Matrix Diagram?.
https://asq.org/quality-resources/matrix-diagram

Masengarb, J. & Rehbein, K. (2007). The Architecture Handbook: A Student Guide to

Understanding Buildings. https://discoverdesign.org/sites/default/ les/2018-08/
CAC_Bubble_Diagrams.pdf
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