For the most part, modern infrastructure was not properly equipped to respond to the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team of experts who developed the enclosed recommendations challenged ourselves to answer the following: What can we learn from COVID-19 and how can we better plan and design facilities that minimize the spread of communicable disease while maximizing the protection of our natural environment?
As illustrated below, our ideas and concepts evolved into four main categories, with some overlap in between. They are: Social, Surface, Air, and Technology. As research and expertise on the nature of COVID-19 – and communicable disease in general – evolves, so will the insights and recommendations we bring forth. The observations and recommendations offered within this document are not exhaustive or prescriptive; rather, they are simple solutions to consider in preparation for returning to in-person learning.
