COVID and Climate Change: How do we move forward?

1 AIA LU (HSW)

Currently, architects are engaged in a radical rethinking of the future at all scales, questioning how we engage
spatially and materially with the world around us. We are reconsidering office spaces, public transit, ventilation requirements, cleaning agents, and bathroom fixtures. Similarly, AIA Philly COTE’s Zero Waste group is working to understand how to maintain rigorous public health standards at a zero waste event, when a buffet is no longer a solution.

While COVID-19 has challenged us to rethink standard operating procedures, it has also led many to slow down, simplify their lifestyles, and reconvene with nature. Furthermore, it has exposed unsustainable aspects of the supply chain, such as the production of much of the US pork supply in a single factory. Additionally, an
increased focus on resiliency has come to the forefront, making many consider what can and should be improved or rethought.

During this session we’d like to share rapidly evolving data on the environmental implications of the pandemic -- both good and bad -- and invite people to reflect on their experiences during this time. The global pandemic has revealed that massive and immediate change is possible. At the same time, the environmental impacts of the pandemic have provided greater perspective on the scale of change required to mitigate the impending climate crisis. We invite participants to learn from this experience and explore how it impacts our work as design professionals.