A pandemia da Covid-19 e a percepção do conforto ambiental na moradia frente ao isolamento social

Abstract

The present work aims to understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the relationship between users and their homes from the perspective of spatial flexibility and environmental comfort. The research theoretically addressed environmental comfort in its three dimensions—thermic, luminous, and acoustic—to understand what it entails and why it is important for architecture. Complementary to environmental comfort, the theoretical research on bioclimatic architecture and its potential design guidelines seeks to ensure a higher quality and efficiency in architecture. Alongside the issues of environmental comfort and bioclimatism, the key focus of the research revolves around the COVID-19 pandemic, as the onset of social isolation and the establishment of remote work significantly altered the relationships related to residence use and permanence. Work, study, and leisure activities had to be conducted within homes, which highlighted problems such as a lack of flexibility in a home's functional requirements, as well as environments that were hot, dark, and poorly acoustically insulated. To understand whether there was indeed a change in user perception, a virtual survey was conducted with 152 participants, revealing that these and other issues were recognized and need to be discussed in architectural design. Additionally, the research aimed to comprehend whether users' needs were reflected in more recent residential projects, analyzing designs from the pandemic years. Ultimately, the initial considerations indicate a change in the needs and perceptions of users regarding traditional residential architecture in light of the new activities developed during the pandemic; however, the intentional and effective translation of themes such as residential use flexibility remains limited.