Was a long and gray winter what we spent in lockdown closed in ours CASE. The pandemic from covid19 it has confronted us with new and unimaginable problems: a house that is too narrow where it is difficult to reconcile life and smart working. But also the lack of green spaces: terraces, balconies, gardens condominium. The explosion of business, of the hectic life of cities had dictated new rules. Houses that are increasingly smaller, functional, but conceived as a mere dormitory or in any case with a spacious living room to host friends at the weekend. We essentially lived away from home.
The pandemic has overturned these rules of life. The long hibernation hit us with a bitter reality: houses that are too small, on the verge of livable, and often without even a balcony. We all hope that we will no longer have to repeat the quarantine experience but we know that the risk is now lurking. We might as well not be caught unprepared anymore. And in any case, the idea of rethink our homes to make them more livable it is now necessary.
Home, between stoves and home working
From a business point of view, one thing is sure: who still had doubts about smart working had to change its mind. It works, and how. We think of the great advantages that working from home allows in terms of economic repercussions for businesses or the benefits of managing your life more comfortably. The important thing is to have clear goals to achieve and not miss them.
The Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano tells us that in the first quarantine period we had 8 million home workers. Of course the difficulty is another and it has a more psychological weight. The difficulty in balancing work and life. In this quarantine we have been forced to do home working. The sense is different. While smart work allows you to work quickly from the place that suits you best and is comfortable for you. Even outdoors, on a park bench, why not? Home working has forced us to transform our homes into workplaces. Those who did not have a studio of their own had to limit an area of the house and dedicate it to a makeshift office. However, we have found that we like this smart job and it grants us more time for private life. Then we will also have to rethink our home in a smart key.
How to transform our home into an office
It will be enough equip a room of the house to the nine working needs. A desk, possibly in line with the entire furniture, a good internet connection. Latest generation digital devices. Comfortable chair, good room lighting. And let's not forget to choose one nice background for video calls.
We carefully select the colors, they must give us serenity, some plants for a touch of green and a beautiful painting because art gives beauty and is a source of inspiration. We try to carve out this space away from the noise of the rest of the house. And that's it. All this, however, must not make us become solitary wolves. The human component is an essential factor in office life so on the agenda we always mark a visit to our colleagues for a fruitful exchange of ideas. A greeting to the boss and an aperitif with the nicest ones.
Let's not forget the green
Who, in these months of quarantine he could not enjoy a terrace, a garden or even a small balcony (one third of Italian houses), has suffered a lot. Especially if we consider that on average the homes in Italy are 68 square meters in the city and 92 square meters in the rest of the country.
Specialists tell us that the lack of light and space has important implications for mood. Stress and anxiety they have grown inversely proportional to the space. We urgently need to rethink our living spaces. According to the real estate market in the near future we will have a surge in houses with a terrace or garden. More attention will be paid to the exposure of the house and the brightness. They will be preferred residential neighborhoods with nearby services. Condominiums with common green spaces to socialize, share moments of relaxation or simply do a chat on a bench looking at the stars. The challenge between planners, architects and designers has begun. In the future, we may have greener cities and airy homes. Experts already speak of an epochal turning point. The watchword will be to recreate a new balance between man and the environment. Let's hope hard.
Featured image by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash