Working from home has, for me, been a double edged sword. I’m writing this with Fontaines D.C.’s “Liberty Belle” blaring in the background. What a treat! I definitely couldn’t do this in the office. That said, it’s on because I need a way to drown out the exuberant screams of my 2 and 3 year old children. At least they haven’t needed schooling over the past months.
In practical terms we’ve set up in our front room (now office), dividing the room in half by pushing the sofa 2 metres closer to the TV. This it seems, is also a better distance for viewing films of an evening. I’ve knocked up a desk out of plywood, collected my computer and chair from the office and even managed to pinch an extra chair for Lisa (my wife). The new office hierarchy is clear, I make the coffee, breakfast and lunch, draw things and generally write blog posts, Lisa does the real work.
While we are fortunate to have the space and internet connection to allow us to adapt to full time working from home pretty seamlessly, it does raise the question of how working patterns are likely to change and with that, how the design of homes and workspaces may change too. Should designers and architects be considering dedicated workspaces in all new homes? How can this be achieved given the fine margins involved? Should spaces be more multifunctional? Do people really need “spare” bedrooms?! Largely, the post war generation in Britain has long been spoiled with luxury and quality of life never before possible. Has Covid-19 rolled this back a little? Or a lot?
During lockdown I noted with amazement the wide reporting of how the natural world was flourishing as a result of a reduction in our (human) activity; I sincerely hope that this was not a temporary state of affairs. I’m confident that Covid-19 has been an “eye-opener” for many but I worry deeply that we are too quick to return to our old habits. As the saying goes, “time is a great healer”. But, time can also allow us to forget important facts and ultimately breed ignorance. Living and working in Bristol, I was among the first people to see the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue on social media, as the Black Lives Matter movement gathered pace, support and attention across the globe, in the wake of a pandemic. This is something that I find even more extraordinary than Covid-19 and that it is happening alongside the pandemic is remarkable but perhaps not unsurprising.
Perhaps we are living in extraordinary times, perhaps we’re just more aware as a species of the times we’re living in? Either way, I would implore people to remember Covid-19, support BLM (peacefully) and try to focus on the long term future of our planet.