Post-Pandemic Housing Architecture: Lessons from Covid-19

Like other crises, the coronavirus epidemic has had a significant impact on our lives. As a result, the built environment has changed to adapt to new conditions and needs. Since Covid-19 is not the first and possibly the last epidemic, housing design must also adapt to the new reality. At present, the spatial properties of housing are impacted by social distancing strategies, quarantine and isolation, proper ventilation, and infection control, which have imposed new patterns of life and work.This study has used a qualitative approach to answer how housing design can support human health and well-being in an epidemic. After identifying the most important strategies for controlling the risk of the epidemic based on the literature review, the measures and recommendations of expertsfor its risk management have been discussed. Purposive sampling was done and data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted through the thematic analysis method and qualitative data coding.Based on the reviews and analyzes of the measures and recommendations of experts, Covid-19 risk management strategies for housing architecture were identified and then classified into ten categories in the form of four research topics. Spatial separation for quarantine and isolation, natural ventilation and the role of open and semi-open spaces in reducing the risk and responding to Covid-19 disease, space zoning to control infection and finally design criteria for responding to new functions and interactions in housing are identified as the most important categories in this research. The solutions presented in this study as housing design strategies can help prevent and reduce the risk of epidemic diseases and improve the quality of life in the newly imposed conditions.