The "Allegorical Facade”: Between Temporary Set-Up and Collective Well-Being During Health Emergency

Starting in early 2020, with the spread of the Covid 19 virus, the home environment has been designated an elective shelter, marking the boundary against potentially threatening outdoor space. Life inside the domestic enclosure, necessary to prevent the risk of contagion and to protect everyone's health, inevitably coincided with the exclusion from participation in a series of public meeting occasions, clearly affecting daily life and also urging the world of art, design and architecture to offer solutions aimed at encouraging adaptation to the emergency situation. Into this scenario comes the experience of The House Floats, in Louisiana. In February 2020, celebrations for Mardi Gras, the New Orleans carnival, contributed to the accelerated spread of coronavirus disease. Faced with the prescription to stop the 2021 carnival festivities, the answer comes in the initiative of a series of artists and designers: the facades of entire neighborhoods where the traditional parade takes place are temporarily transformed into staged masks inspired by floats. The occasion of interaction between the facade and the "mask” takes the form of the insertion of installations, with results that from time to time deny or amplify the compositional characteristics of the facade. In any case, the dynamic character of the parades of allegorical floats is replaced by the fixity of a prepared representation. Starting from the analysis of the above-mentioned case study, the paper proposes a new interpretation focused on the topic of the "allegorical facade”, interpreted as a design strategy capable of educating to social respect and to the community well-being. Through the methods of architectural survey and drawing, this paper focuses on the analysis of the relationship between the refuge and the sign, attributing to the latter a clear value in the processes of reconstruction of the city, both from a physical and an identity point of view. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

The role of open space and green areas in the design of an inclusive nursing home environment during Covid-19 period

The paper highlights the importance of high-quality outdoor spaces in improving physical and social well-being in the residential environment of the elderly. The historical Swedish practice of green areas design was analysed as a role model to gain knowledge and understanding of the importance of open space and green areas in residential environments. During the Covid-19 pandemic, nursing homes were among the most critical living environments, as evidenced by a disproportionate number of infections and deaths among nursing home residents worldwide. The main objective of this study is to confirm the importance of architectural design quality with special attention to outdoor space, especially in situations comparable to Covid-19 pandemics. The methods used for the research were a literature review, selection of three case studies based on two dependent and one independent variable, on-site work analysis and use of the previously developed "Safe & Connected” assessment tool. The main findings show the positive influence of open space and green areas existence on reducing the risk of infections of SARS-CoV-2 in nursing homes at three different levels. In this context, it appears that the appropriate design of outdoor space can help contain the spread of viral infections while allowing nursing home residents to live with dignity and maximum social integration. © 2022 The Author(s)

High-Rise Residential Outdoor Space Value System: A Case Study of Yangtze River Delta Area.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has drawn wider attention from residents with growing demand for outdoor space in residential areas because of restrictions on residents' mobility, especially in China. However, the high-rise residential complex in China is featured with a high population density along with less outdoor space per household. This means that the current status of outdoor space in residential areas is far from satisfying residents' growing needs. This is consistent with our preliminary survey that highlights general low satisfaction of residents with outdoor space. According to the hierarchical theory of needs, a literature review, and a questionnaire survey, a framework is proposed in this study to examine the universal value system of high-rise residential outdoor space using the Yangtze River Delta Area as a case study. This framework consists of six dimensions, i.e., space physical comfort (physical environment and space size), space function (functional complexity and scale, age-range, and time-range), space safety (daily, social, and hygiene safety), space diversity (spatial layerings, forms, and scales diversity), accessibility (spatial attraction and concentration and path clarity) and sustainability (cultural, social, ecological, and financial sustainability). Consequently, a questionnaire was designed according to the framework and 251 valid questionnaires were received. Then, structural equation modeling (SEM) was undertaken to examine the impact of each dimension on the value of outdoor space and the framework was optimized into four dimensions, i.e., space physical comfort, space function, space safety, and DAT (space diversity, accessibility, and sustainability). Finally, the mechanism of how outdoor space quality influences the high-rise residential complex is analyzed. These findings provide useful input for the future planning and design of high-rise residential areas.

Theoretical Proposal of an Internet of Pandemic Things Network Based at the Sensing of Proteins and Emission of Radiation in Outdoor Spaces

Commonly in pandemic times, curfew and social restrictions are applied in order to minimize the infections. As seen recently at the beginning of Covid-19 it was required that people avoid public spaces because the risk of infection due to transmission through aerosols. This paper proposes a theory of Internet of Pandemic Things Network that consists in four fundamental steps: (i) Bio-sensing of virus in open places, (ii) Sending to the network of report about the virus characteristics, (iii) Emission of innocuous radiation within a limited spatial coverage and (iv) checking out of radiated area if apt for public usage. In this manner equations from classical electrodynamics are derived in closed-form. Essentially it is presented a theory that aims to neutralize electrically charged proteins of virus in open places. Simulations based at this are presented. © 2022 IEEE.

Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK: A Qualitative Analysis of Free-Text Survey Data.

BACKGROUND: Several quantitative studies have found a decline in physical activity in response to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The aim of the present study was to use large-scale free text survey data to qualitatively gain a more in-depth understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity, then map barriers and facilitators to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behaviour (COM-B) Model of Behaviour to aid future intervention development. METHODS: 17,082 participants provided a response to the free text module, and data from those who mentioned a physical activity related word in any context were included. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and key themes identified. RESULTS: 5396 participants provided 7490 quotes related to physical activity. The sample were predominately female (84%), white (British/Irish/Other) (97%) and aged <60 years (57%). Seven key themes were identified: the importance of outdoor space, changes in daily routine, COVID-19 restrictions prevented participation, perceived risks or threats to participation, the importance of physical health, the importance of physical activity for mental health and the use of technology. CONCLUSION: Future physical activity interventions could encourage people to walk outdoors, which is low cost, flexible, and accessible to many. Developing online resources to promote and support physical activity provides a flexible way to deliver quality content to a large audience.

Dwelling in times of COVID-19: An analysis on habitability and environmental factors of Spanish housing

In the wake of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), governments urged people to stay at home. For this reason, practically all human activity took place inside the houses. The research question established if housing quality responded to people's needs in the context of confinement. Specifically, the purpose was to taxonomize the dwelling stock occupied by confined households during the first COVID-19 wave in Spain, as well as to deepen in features and subjective perceptions on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). As an exploratory study, an online questionnaire was disseminated in the Spring of 2020, obtaining 1,673 valid responses. A descriptive statistical analysis included sociodemographic, territorial and housing variables, related to indoor environmental quality, the availability of outdoor spaces, and the prospects for changes in. Also, a logistic regression stablished multivariate relations for the dependent variable “general dwelling satisfaction”. The results associated urban habitat, tenancy regime, higher incomes, and fewer cohabitants, with worse perceived IEQ, and lack of own outdoor space. Same variables showed relations with people's desire for domestic changes. In conclusion, it is remarkable the determining role of housing design for dwellers’ satisfaction, especially in uncertain times like COVID-19 pandemic. This not only conditioned the different ways of inhabiting and occupying dwellings, but also the people's capacity to face lockdown. The built environment, the habitat, and households’ circumstances also influenced. The latter did on people's perception of their experience, and how they lived and expressed it. Additionally, resilient building design and renovation opportunities were identified. © 2022

Revisiting Public Space Transformations from a Sonic Perspective during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how people relate to and use outdoor spaces, particularly in densely populated areas. We investigate the transformations that took place during the 2020 lockdown and the fi rst post-lockdown summer, with an emphasis on changes to the sound environment, in the context of a mixed-use central neighbourhood in Montreal (Plateau-Mont-Royal), Canada. Semi-structured interviews with thirteen residents, conducted in autumn 2020, showed how restrictions on the use of indoor spaces, including a ban on indoor gatherings, coupled with the transformation of home environments into work, study, and relaxation spaces drove Montreal residents to engage more with outdoor public spaces in their neighbourhoods. This resulted in extended uses in terms of area, activities, duration of stay and even time of use, and in new uses for activities once restricted to indoor spaces (e.g. family meals, celebrations). Sound played a critical role in these public space transformations, as the diversity of uses and activities brought back the sounds of human activity and even encouraged a sense of ‘normality’: a safe and shared form of coming together that had been lost following the COVID-19 lockdown. The study highlighted the diverse, extended roles that (outdoor) public spaces can play in everyday urban life, beyond just providing access to quiet and the sonic consequences of this use in reinforcing previously paused forms of public life. Furthermore, intentional forms of transformations of spaces, like pedestrianizations, off er fl exible amenities, impromptu musical performances and organized socializing space and fulfi lled roles previously satisfi ed by third places and eff ectively became temporary ‘fourth places’. These fi ndings provide grounds for reimagining the future of public spaces – not only in urban practice but also in the social imaginary, especially in relation to temporary interventions and programming, as well as promoting positive sound outcomes in public spaces © 2022. Built Environment.All Rights Reserved

Functional Settings of Hospital Outdoor Spaces and the Perceptions from Public and Hospital Occupant during COVID-19.

Hospital outdoor spaces play an important role for the safety and well-being of users (patients, visitors, and staff), particularly during a pandemic. However, the actual needs of these spaces are often overlooked due to the design and management process. This study investigates the perceptions of the public and occupants on the functional settings of outdoor spaces, and provides evidence for building a safe and resilient hospital during (and after) COVID-19. A multi-method approach of web content analysis (WCA) and a web-based survey was employed. Reports were collected from three mainstream websites; keywords were extracted and then categorized, pertaining to the functional settings of outdoor spaces. Three groups of occupants from Southwest Hospital (staff n = 47, patients n = 64, visitors n = 73) participated in the survey to identify their perceptions of these functional settings. Based on the 657 reports and 33 keywords selected, 7 functional settings were identified: health check (HC), quarantine and observation (QO), food and delivery (FD), healing and restoration (HR), waiting and rest (WR), transportation and parking (TP), load and unload (LU). From all users, HC (4.13) was thought to be the most expected function setting while FD (2.61) was the least. Regarding the satisfaction level, most users were satisfied with HC (3.22) while WR (2.16) was the least satisfying. The users also showed significant differences regarding expectation and satisfaction pertaining to their groups. The results indicate that the current outdoor space could not fully meet the needs of users, regarding the emerging functional setting, due to the pandemic. Users showed significant different perceptions on the functional setting due to their roles. The mismatch between the outdoor space and the users' needs on emerging functional settings resulted in low satisfaction and high expectation in the survey. Environmental interventions with adaptive and flexible strategies should be adapted for these functional settings. The differences of users should be fully recognized by administrators, decision-makers, and designers.