Image Credits: Metreau Apartments, Green Bay, WI; this multi-family structure features cold-formed steel (CFS) framing, which supports a variety of balcony options and inset terraces.
COVID-19 has brought changes to everything, and single-family homes, apartments, and office building design is no exception.
Design experts expect to see lasting impacts on everything from the materials we use to the rooms we prioritize, says an article in the Longview News-Journal, Longview, Texas.
Here are 3 design trends in design evolving from social distancing:
1. Demand for more space — outside
Many people want to live and work near entertainment venues, restaurants, and shops. But, the pandemic has changed that. Designers now believe that more people will want homes and offices with outdoor space. Extra outdoor space gives people room to social distance.
2. More multifamily structures with patios and green roofs
Between playgrounds closing and parks becoming overcrowded, many apartment and condo dwellers will want not only balconies, but also patios and green roofs to enjoy.
3. Designs that place a priority on safety and health
Key material choices will include “alternatives to wood-framing,” the Longview News-Journal says, for improved ventilation, healthier indoor air quality and living spaces less susceptible to mold. To help guard against mold, designers will have the option to choose construction materials, such as CFS framing. Metal studs can combat mold because steel is not organic matter. Mold can’t establish itself and grow on steel.