Environmental Architectural Design during the Pandemic Era: Office Buildings as a Case Study

ABSTRACT

Environmental Architecture immortalizes buildings and realizes their ability to cope with sudden changes for several decades, Infectious diseases played a huge role in shaping the built environment. Throughout history, The function of those areas has changed and the interior is redesigned as well as the city, planning, and infrastructure, as occurred in the 14th century at the time of the plague's spread(1). Pandemics come from spreading by humans while they use the spaces as a medium in their daily activities. Therefore, spaces should play as an antiviral medium to ensure well being and health today. The world is panicking at the discovery of a new pandemic that will lead to the closure of most of the outdoor activities in the inhabitant life, and the built environment has always shown the ability to develop after a predicament. One of the most common questions by users is what will happen in buildings that host roaming, mixed exploration, and spontaneous social interaction, such as office buildings? This research aims to adapt the design of the office buildings that host mixed uses to be an anti-pandemic environment to decrease the case of a pandemic;by integrating the science of medicine, architecture, urbanization, knowledge of modern materials, methods, and theories. As well as looking forward to advanced technology using analytical methodologies by adapting the analysis of already existing buildings altered architecturally to reduce the spread of pandemics through which a proposal can be developed to enhance the performance of office buildings in the time of a pandemic. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.