voice-controlled elevator operates much like a
smart speaker. Users can use its customized
wake-up command “Xiaoxi, Xiaoxi” and alert
the elevator of which floor to go to. One can
also operate the elevator commands with
regards to weather, music, and other
entertainment options.
Bubble Architecture Studio by Paulino Poveda
hypothesised hexagon-shaped flooring
modules that can each accommodate one
person. The architecture is furnished with
technology that helps people connect thermal
bracelets to heat-mapping technology. The
bracelets measure vital bodily signals such as
heart rate and temperature and will alert the
user of any concerns. If the user is found to be
symptomatic in any form, the floor will turn red,
and the user will be escorted to an isolation
module where they will be joined by a health
worker.
EPAM Continuum has envisioned a similar
model in a more ethical manner. The Screen
Door health-check experience project uses fast
thermal imaging, radio signals, and computer
vision to detect early signs of COVID-19.
Screen Door combines sensors and algorithms
to identify elevated heart rate and respiration
rate. Most importantly, it considers a respectful
human-centred service design without raising
an alarm or public shaming. This systemsthinking
strategy will guarantee the security of
public settings while supporting a culture of
respect and empathy.
From all these models and examples it is
evident that when public space designs
connect the ordinary with the novel, it is
possible to create more seamless experiences.
Reimagining the Office
Organisations and businesses around the world
have risen to the occasion to also remodel the
workspace. It has become everyone’s priority to
safeguard their employees by adopting decisive
business-continuity plans.
Before the pandemic, the office space was held
crucial for enhancing productivity,
professionalism, and time-bound performance.
Densification, open-floor designs, and coworking
were front-facing strategies. However,
with the lockdown, senior managements were
unanimous in accepting effective technologies
for videoconferencing and digital collaboration
such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google
Hangouts. Indeed, the office of the future is
digital and virtual. Across industries, leaders
were keen to adapt to a work-from-home culture
in order to reevaluate the functionality of a
physical office space and whether there even is
a need for one. According to McKinsey’s
research conducted in the US to measure the
change in office environments, 41% reported
being more productive than they had been
before, and 28% were reportedly just as
productive.
The future of the physical office will also
prioritise health and sanitation over all else. It
will be imperative to redesign workspaces that
enable physical distancing and restrict
movement in congested areas (for instance,
elevator banks and pantries). Futuristic
technology will play a central role in enabling
workers to function in their office buildings.
Facebook has been working on launching
something of a futuristic desk platform, where
virtual screens float in the air, and people can
resize them to their needs. Facebook said the
emerging technology is part of a modern
computing platform that would combine
augmented and virtual reality and connect them
with new devices to create “infinite workspaces”
that could allow co-workers to collaborate in
virtual meeting rooms. It goes without saying
that digitisation is only as effective as it is
personalised. ‘Codec Avatars’, a concept of
lifelike virtual avatars of employees – is a
unique concept Facebook is working on to
enhance social interaction, by “helping social
connections in VR become as natural and
familiar as those in the real world”.
Corporate offices will be seen investing in the
power of contactless technologies to prevent
disease transmission. Zaha Hadid Architects’
response strategy for the Bee’ah waste
management company in Sharjah, UAE may
just be a preview of the immediate future. It is
prepared with what ZHA calls ‘contactless
pathways,’ wherein the workforce will rarely
need to touch any physical touch-points with
their hands. Office doors open automatically in
response to motion sensors and facial
recognition. Elevators - and even a hot
beverage - can be ordered through a
smartphone.
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