It is without a doubt that we wake up to something new and shocking every day in 2020. Our project deals with the current pandemic that is taking the world by storm: the COVID-19 coronavirus. Through visual representation, we are hoping to inform our viewers about how individuals in China dealt with the virus.
The virus opens up issues about domesticity in isolation, how does one deal with the virus? Or how does one deal with the virus if their loved ones are infected? How does one deal with the spaces of quarantine? The spatial element of this crisis is our primary interest and focus, our project takes place in China during the first month of the virus outbreak. Starting with 4 domestic typologies, our project begins by analyzing a millennial individual’s home, typically a studio or 1 bedroom apartment. Secondly, a couple's dwelling, age variant. A single-family dwelling, and lastly, a two-generation family dwelling.
Our project records the necessary measurements of each scenario needed for the proper accuracy of a quarantine zone and the potential spaces needed for when an individual is recovering/recovered from the virus. Our drawings graphically record the activities and equipment needed during this chaotic time, we hope through our graphic visualization on pandemic spatial expansion, casualties, policies of China and the U.S., stock market drops, and actions of community control in China, we hope to tell the story by unpacking the global process of the pandemic breakout. The actors in our story could potentially involve everyone judging by the current state of things. The project's topic also deals with the socio-economic and political problems of China and the world at large. The one month pause on returning to work has dealt a huge blow to the global economy and will continue to do so, our project hopes to at least conjure some ideas on the proper process of getting back to work with the diagrams we create.
Pandemic breakout in China vs. the U.S.
Timeline U.S.
Timeline China
Living environment (China vs U.S.)
The next phase of our research is our main focus and will be further developed: they are Spatial analysis of quarantine zones and how China vs. the U.S. deal with social separation differently.
The living environment for the two countries are quite different, with China having 4 stages of protective action from domestic to public spaces, it goes as followed: home - gated community - city - province, whereas the US, it depends on which state you are living in. Self-isolation life seems to be similar.
We try our best to stay at home and decrease the frequency to go out get groceries. In the US, some states right now require people to wear masks in public spaces. Chinese started the protocol from January 2020 and has more strict body temperature measurements at public entrances.
The differences are in how communities monitor the virus outbreaks: China utilizes members of community committees and volunteers to check upon their neighbors and uses drones to do public sanitization, whilst the US uses drive-through test centers and has sanitations at a more public scale. There are definitely Social distancing practices in both countries. People are trying different non-physical contact methods in a creative way.
Border at different scales
I foråret 2020, da Covid-19 havde nået sit pandemiske stadie, udsendte vi et internationalt Open Call, for at samle globale perspektiver på den fælles sundhedskrise og forandrede virkelighed. Her kan du læse de indkomne bidrag, der fra vidt forskellige vinkler reflekterer over krisens mange implikationer.
Oplæg, Corona Essays
Formatet er åbent og kan være både tekst og illustration, dog beder vi jer om at skrive på engelsk eller dansk. De indkomne bidrag vil publiceres løbende på web og Facebook.
Gadens liv er suspenderet, forsamlingsfriheden er stærkt begrænset, de fleste institutioner og arbejdspladser er lukket ned, og sociale og professionelle forbindelser er henvist til digitale platforme. Hjemmet og nationalstaten er blevet de retningsgivende rammer for vores hverdag i en ekstrem grad. Landegrænser er lukket alt imens nye biologiske, kropsligt definerede grænser er opstået gennem diktat. På kort tid er et system af afstandtagen blevet implementeret, og har som underløbende effekt tydeliggjort sammenhængen mellem os alle. På både godt og ondt.
Hvad kan man forestille sig, at den nærværende pandemi vil få – eller bør få – af betydning for vores tilgang til det byggede miljø og byudvikling fremover? Mindre tæthed? Mere overvågning? Mere risikohåndtering og flere forebyggende foranstaltninger? Hvilke sociale, politiske og kulturelle effekter kan man frygte eller håbe på, at denne globale undtagelsestilstand vil medføre? Øget social lighed og solidaritet på tværs af skel? På tværs af landegrænser? Eller øget social kontrol? Formindsket forbrug og ændrede mobilitetsmønstre? Er der konkrete byggeprojekter og planlægningsstrategier, der tager sig anderledes ud på baggrund af vores endnu kun spirende erfaringer med pandemien og dens forventede voldsomme aftryk på økonomier verden over? Varsler Corona-krisen velfærdsstatens genkomst? Kan man forestille sig, at positive erfaringer og adfærdsformer kan drages fra Covid-19-krisen til klimakrisen?
Vi ser frem til en udforskende, fritænkende og inspirerende debat, der kan hjælpe os til sammen at reflektere over denne omvæltningens tid og dens mulige konsekvenser.