For a college student, 2020 in a library setting is a ghost town. Students are not allowed on campus for a large portion of the semester to study. Slowly coming back to these spaces still causes hesitation, The pandemic has not only affected the way we work, study, and communicate; it also changes the way we design. Designing in a pandemic is an at-home study. Literally, designers are studying how to redefine a home space in order to promote work and relaxation for their appropriate times. Socially distancing leaves public spaces and amenities closed or at smaller capacities. Those that work from home within a city are truly confined to the 500 sq. ft. The apartments are reconsidered in order to create space that can open into an office space, and after the day is done, the office space can put away and the home environment may return. Throughout my research and studio session the design for a Chicago apartment building, requires an intentional focus of natural ventilation, reduction of distractions such as noise and clutter, preventing loneliness, and promoting fitness are all considered within the design. The unordinary is now the ordinary, and fear of the sickness lingers.
