Covid 19: Rethinking The Concepts Of Architecture

From being one of the world’s fastest-growing economies to having one of the world’s fastest-growing air traffic volumes, India has had its own challenges in the fascinating story of growth in aviation infrastructure in the country.

- A K Jain

Covid-19 is once in a century pandemic. It has caused massive disruption to the economy and the livelihoods, especially of those living in slums. Their income sources have vanished, and the lockdown has been a cause of severe misery of women and children. This calls for revisiting the building design, construction and planning towards creating a healthy, resilient, and anti-frugal environment. The spaces should be adequate to avoid transmission of the pandemic and hygienic with proper environmental quality, ventilation, sun, and thermal comfort.

According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 76th round (2018), 80% rural houses and 62% urban houses in India have one room or less. Around 75% of rural households and 40% of urban households do not have access to tap water, 45% of rural and 9% of urban households are without washrooms/latrines. This means that norms of social distancing, self-isolation and regular hand washing are difficult to be observed by most households.