ur cover story this month focuses on how we’re adapting our workspaces to the ongoing pandemic. I’ve adapted by purchasing a lapdesk and a metric ton of coffee. But I’m not an architect or engineer so my methods are far less artful and scientifically sound than the techniques used by the talented men and women who are reimagining where many of us spend the majority of our days.

In “Designing Spaces for Masked Faces,” we examine how the pandemic has dramatically changed the way Alaskans conduct business. From restaurants and retail stores that now rely heavily on delivery and curbside pickup options to previously bustling office space left empty as people continue working from the safety of home, there is no doubt that COVID-19 has changed how and where we conduct business.

When, and if, we do return en masse to our respective offices, it is engineers and architects who will help shape the look and feel. Will they be open and airy? Do we ever return to the typical 6’x6′ by 6’x6′ by 6’x6′ (you get what I’m saying) cubicle set-up? Or are those days in the past?

Some of the changes we’re seeing are very visible: workstations placed further apart, desks and conference room chairs used as social-distancing barriers, and reminders to wash our hands and wear masks.

Other more nuanced shifts are happening behind the scenes. For example, mechanical engineers report an increased interest among businesses in upgrading their HVAC systems to improve indoor air quality. Architects are considering the use of indoor and outdoor space in new ways.

And both studies have come into play as restaurants and bars work out how to accommodate their guests, protect their employees, and stay operational. Even though dining outside in February isn’t typically a first choice, it’s not necessarily the worst choice anymore thanks to some creative thinking and a lot of flexibility.

Melisa Babb, a landscape architect for Bettisworth North Architects and Planners, points out in “Rethinking Outdoor Spaces” that COVID-19 has “highlighted the fact that, despite our fantastic environment, we tend to focus inward when we are planning our communities and our built environment. The streetscape and the areas surrounding buildings need to be addressed as spaces that are just as important as the interior of a building.”

As we move forward, eventually past the pandemic, it will be exciting to see how interior and exterior spaces are being used together to create a whole new vision of “office space.” Until that time, I’ll settle for my make-shift home office, eagerly awaiting the day when we meet again in person.

Take care,