Gelisim News

The Covid-19 epidemic, which has affected the whole world, has caused changes in many fields and sectors from working life to education. With many people starting to work from home and children to continue their education life online, designs and seating arrangements in schools and workplaces also changed. The limited number of customers in stores and restaurants created differences in the aisles and seating arrangements. Asst. Prof. Dr. Zerrin Funda Ürük, faculty member of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Istanbul Gelisim University, Faculty of Fine Arts, pointed out that the living spaces have changed with the pandemic and stated that the interior design will change significantly in the future due to the change in the usage habits of the masses.

“WE WILL START LOOKING AT THE LAYOUT OF INDOOR AREAS”

Reminding that the pandemic affected all sectors very much, Ürük said, “But when we look specifically at the interior architecture profession, we observe that things can change considerably. We used to design our spaces according to cyclical design criteria. Although we design the same way, but during the pandemic period, social distance criteria started to emerge. We are trying to adjust social distances not exceeding approximately 1.5-2 meters. We will start to look at the arrangement of interior spaces such as home, school, office, hospital, hotel.”

INTERIOR FICTIONS WILL CHANGE

Referring to the number of customers taken into the stores and hygiene rules, Ürük said, “Let’s can take a simple shop. Even when entering the aisles, they do not let more than 10 people in. We have moved to another age: the digital age. With this new world, I think some viruses and other variations will emerge. Even now we are used to the mask and we act accordingly. In this process, we begin to see these criteria when we go to places, restaurants, stores or other places, even if slightly. Slowly, one by one, people are being let in. A disinfection process is carried out again after entering the trial booths. These manual processes, which are currently done by hand, may change the interior fictions later.”

Ürük continued her words as follows:

“Online shopping has increased. Now we all shop online without going to the store. Store cultures will also diminish, perhaps gradually. Now, even when you try to buy office furniture, you buy it online. In other words, the uses of the masses have begun to change. When we look at schools, for example, we are currently in the online system. We come to school only to sign certain documents or to hold certain meetings. When the pandemic decreases and we start coming to school, we will inevitably begin to differentiate according to social distance on the tables that are next to each other. This will lead to larger classrooms and wider environments within the space. This time, schools will start to be revised.”

WE ARE GOING TOWARDS A MORE HORIZONTAL STRUCTURE

Stating that many people started to avoid sitting in plazas and buildings with a central system structure, Ürük said: “For example, people do not want to sit in plazas. They think there may be a problem with central heating or cooling. Because we know that viruses from those systems spread or multiply. I think we will move towards a more horizontal construction when there are working spaces together in the offices or we have offices with high plazas. More windows and places with natural air will be preferred.”

THE CONCEPT OF 'WORKING SPACE' FORMED AT HOME

Stating that millions of people switched from home to working system, there was a need for working rooms in homes, Ürük said: “We all closed to homes. We hold meetings and trainings from home. However, I don't think everyone has a study in their home. With the pandemic, the concept of 'working place' started to emerge at home. Houses are starting to rearrange. There are so many changing criteria that actually it is moving towards more change. These are in a process. It will continue and I think we will get used to it.”