The effect of pandemics towards sustainable architectural evolution

Abstract

The pandemic has hit the world since 165 CE, which has impacted on how the planners, architects, and authorities responded to its condition until this era. Reviews of some building typologies are conducted to grasp how the space designs react to some of the world’s most significant pandemics during human civilization. First, a literature study on the world’s deadliest pandemics was con- ducted and listed the pandemics with a death toll of more than 1 million. As a result, the period of pandemics before 800 CE was found to have influenced the development of buildings, architecture, and cities in Rome to the Mediterranean and emerged the typology of Valetudinarium. Then, Lazzarettos appeared during the 1300 to 1800 CE pandemic period as the impact of global trade. In com- parison, the pandemics after the 1800 CE period are predicted to impact West- ern Architecture’s popularity and early modernization in Asia. Furthermore, after several flu pandemics in the early 19th century, humanity has recently faced a significant pandemic. This study has two main findings. The first one, regarding architectural evolution in responding to pandemics from early plagues to Small- pox and polio, identified the response for quarantine facilities. Second, regarding the answer in this era of the pandemic, the sustainability concept can accommo- date and present as architecture. The idea covers the pillars of sustainability.