Contemporary living has been consolidating itself through changes in routines, habits and consumption models that have gone from automatic to reason for reflection. It was as if time had slowed down to open our eyes to what really matters: our quality of life.
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With billions of people confined for weeks or months, it is only natural that walking down the street, seeing and hearing others, or admiring a landscape have become much more important. We are more sensitive and attentive, while at the same time showing ourselves less willing to waste time on unnecessary commutes. All over the world, working from home is not something that will pass.
The dozens of homes designed in recent years by our team in Brazil and Portugal, in the most diverse addresses on the planet, take the form of vertical masterplan buildings, horizontal condominiums and others in which greenery takes center stage, with facades featuring large openings to the outside. Being in the city needs to be as pleasant as being in the countryside. The designs focus on generating well-being and restoring mental health. The exterior should reflect and complement our inner world. This is the era of intuition, of the mind and body as power, of understanding that nature and humanity are co-dependent.
The 15-minute city, a concept based on the creation of several central locations that allow everyone to complete their daily tasks on foot or by bike in journeys of just 15 minutes, has become an ideal shared by residents of large cities around the world. The appreciation of local commerce, so affected by the pandemic, has given new impetus to the resumption of cafes, markets, shops and services. Awareness about environmental impacts reinforces the idea that consuming what is nearby is also a way to reduce emissions and preserve the planet. Likewise, saving on commuting in private cars or doing so by walking or cycling helps to slow down climate change.
The circulation of people on the streets has other positive side effects for cities: it brings dynamism to the urban economy and provides a greater sense of security. After all, safe streets and sidewalks are those full of people coming and going all the time, well used for their fundamental purpose of facilitating flows and encounters.
Sustainable materials such as wood are already being used to structure a new generation of skyscrapers, replacing more polluting steel and concrete. Biomaterials created from plants and fungi are inspiring new finishes and processes. Research and innovation in design are raising environmental standards without sacrificing performance or comfort.
If we are at a time when we need to heal ourselves as a species and as a planet, design and architecture are the best resources for treating ourselves and the world well.
