With vaccines slowly becoming available, it appears we finally have an exit route from the covid-19 situation. Yet, as encouraging as that is, there is little clarity on how quickly we will return to normality – or if this is even fully possible.

The pandemic has taught us that novel viruses can completely disrupt the world as we know it. It is clear that we need new technology and tools not only to protect against covid-19 but to defend us against any future novel viruses.

The approach to defending against viruses in the built environment will be two-pronged. Firstly, we are going to see a rise in smart buildings that use technology to meet current regulations, such as through automatic adjustment to the floorspace limitations created by social distancing requirements, which could be with us for a long time.

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