It has been discussed at length how construction workers have to work differently today, thanks to COVID-19. But one lesser talked-about aspect is how the projects themselves will have to be different.
As new spaces are built, architects will have to take into consideration the people within them and how to keep them safe. According to Forbes, one project has already been designed with those thoughts in mind: Fulton East, a 12-story, 90,000-square-foot office and retail building that will open later this summer in Chicago.
Bob Wislow, the chairman and CEO of Parkside Realty Inc., tells Forbes that the development company began researching how to address the concerns of tenants and employees once the virus hit. “As an under-construction, boutique office building,” he said. ”We fortunately had the opportunity to modify Fulton East’s design in response to COVID-19 in real time, allowing us to thoughtfully address employers’ increased concerns for their employees’ office experience and create an environment where hygiene, health, safety and wellness are holistically considered.”
This included the first new-construction installation of MAD Elevator Inc.’s Toe-To-Go elevator system, which uses foot-activated call-buttons to reduce the spread of germs that would be transferred by hands. The project also is one of the first multi-story office buildings to feature airPHX non-thermal plasma technology to lower cross-contaminant risks and give employees cleaner air and work surfaces.
“MAD Elevator’s hand-free elevator system and air and surface disinfection, as provided by airPHX machines, not only address today’s COVID-19 concerns, but also other contagious pathogens to help avoid the spread of colds and flu, keeping building occupants healthier at all times,” Wislow told Forbes.
