As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise this summer, the fear of interior spaces has also increased. Studies have shown that the novel coronavirus is transmitted more readily in closed environments, a problem that architects and designers are looking to solve. Non-material strategies include behavioral modifications: social distancing, de-densification of spaces, and staggered occupancy shifts. Increased ventilation is also an effective approach to counteracting transmission. Material solutions include adding space dividers and relying on disinfectants and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Several building-related agencies and associations have developed protocols for safe building reoccupation, guidelines that will likely become more stringent given the new evidence of COVID-19’s airborne transmission. OSHA’s report titled “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19” is one example, and forms the basis of AIA's “Re-occupancy Assessment Tool." The CDC, meanwhile, has published a “hierarchy of controls” framework, which proposes the application of multiple exposure-reducing strategies, and categorizes “engineering controls” such as physical barriers as the next-best method after social isolation. (The least effective control strategy is PPE.) Based on the compelling recommendation for engineering controls as part of an overall reoccupation strategy, several manufacturers are now highlighting products that are well-suited for this purpose.
For example, Los Angeles-based Panelite offers QuickScreen, a rapidly deployable interior partition composed of the company’s signature honeycomb composite construction. Visitors to IIT’s McCormick Tribune Campus Center or other buildings that prominently feature Panelite’s products will be familiar with their variable visibility effect, which the company calls directional transparency. The least obstructed view is available from a perpendicular angle to the light-transmitting face sheets (made from fiberglass or cast polyester resin). Seen from the side, however, one’s view is blocked by the panel’s internal honeycomb (made from aluminum or plastic). Meaning that QuickScreen is best used in situations where some privacy is desired, such as creating a physical barrier between seating areas and circulation. The directional transparency would not be appropriate for face-to-face transactions such as retail point-of-service locations. QuickScreen is versatile and easy to install, with freestanding, cable, and desk-based solutions requiring little or no hardware.
New York-based Humanscale offers a similar product line: WellGuard Separation Panels. WellGuard is available in six mounting options and two materials, light-transmitting PETG or opaque PET. The PETG can be specified with frosted or clear finishes, making it a practical choice in cases where visibility is essential. PETG is also less susceptible to chemical- or UV-based degradation than acrylic, a material commonly used in COVID-19 retrofit panels. The PET option comes in a felted material suitable for sound absorption, making it functionally similar to traditional fabric-covered office panels without the bulky frame.
For large-format, transparent applications, Carvart’s Office Space Solutions line consists of freestanding, sliding, and workstation-based panels. A New York- and Chicago-based manufacturer, Carvart offers glass partitions with minimal framing elements for a “sleek, sophisticated and modern” aesthetic that is less bulky than other products, according to the company. The floor-to-ceiling GlassPost system enables various levels of physical separation, from simple planes to volumetric enclosures. Carvart's Sliding Track Screens allow for space reconfigurations and may be used as writable or postable surfaces for individual or group work.
Toronto-based Leef, a company owned by Eventscape, offers its own version of space-divider screens: the Trillium and Iris product lines. They include casters on their bases, making them ideal for rapid deployment and reconfiguration. Trillium has locking wheels and comes with magnets for quickly attaching two or more screens. Iris is a frameless panel that comes with a single caster as well as a fixed stand. Leef also offers Aster, a divider screen for desktop configurations. All three product lines are made of Corian solid surfaces with powder-coated and stainless steel hardware and are suitable for applications where increased privacy is desired.
All of these products demonstrate the variety of physical barriers available for the pandemic-conscious return to offices and other interior environments. As part of approved “engineering controls,” these space dividers can be more effective than hand hygiene, face masks, or staggered schedules, according to the CDC. And yet, widespread deployment of these systems raises important questions. For example, physical barriers should be evaluated for their environmental performance. Some materials are high in embodied energy, while others may not be readily recyclable. COVID-19 has created an opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint—not increase it. The prospect of acres of open office floors, restaurants, and retail stores filled with environmentally-unfriendly partitions counteracts this goal.
Another consideration: our social and mental health. For many individuals, stay-at-home measures have contributed to the deterioration of their psychological well-being. Reinforcing social isolation through physical barriers, while hygienically safer, may only exacerbate these adverse effects. According to a recent U.S. National Library of Medicine article, “Social interaction has been widely interlinked with psychological well-being, social opportunities, and employment; thereby restriction of these measures are suggested to be profoundly distressing to those experiencing strict isolation.” The extensive and indiscriminate compartmentalization of indoor spaces is not the answer. Space divider systems can fill an important role. But designers must accomplish the challenging task of balancing considerations of physical and mental health, providing a responsible means of transmission control while also facilitating human connections.