Home Office: Working and Studying Spaces in Residential Interiors during and after Forced Social Isolation

Abstract

The influence of global lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the lives of many people. Once performed elsewhere, many activities had to be moved to private spaces of individual homes, influencing how people use their residential space, modifying their living and working conditions. The purpose of this study was to research the changes in the use of residential space through questionnaires addressed to respondents in five age groups (up to 25, 26–35, 36–50, 51–65, and over 65), and living or studying in the Milan area (Lombardy)—an area affected severely by COVID-19 in the period March–May 2020. The obtained questionnaire results allowed the authors to create a set of guidelines for apartment design, intended to improve their spatial performance. The observations made when creating the case study projects led to two main conclusions: First, at the level of the house plan, the arrangement of the plan should be free and adaptable, al-lowing for fast alteration by the user. Second, the project should be tailor-made, highly specialized, and purposefully designed at the level of home office design, including appropriate furnishings, technical appliances, and lighting systems.