Rethinking Housing in Indonesia after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 has caused global chaos in economic, social, and environmental aspects and has threatened sustainability development. Resilience is needed to maintain a sustainable development process. The built environment can be a means to achieve both resilience and sustainable development. As a part of the built environment, the house must be able to protect its occupants and ensure sustainability during the pandemic. This research focused on detecting and analyzing the impacts and spatial issues due to COVID-19, working from home, and school from home in Indonesia. The data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The analytical methods were descriptive analysis and narrative analysis. The results show that COVID-19 has caused changes in home activities, a need for new spaces, and an increased consumption of water and electricity. The spatial risk of COVID-19 transmission at home occurs due to the position of the bathroom in the middle, the insufficient number of bathrooms, no natural ventilation, lack of access to the terrace/garden/balcony, time of space usage, and the number of space users. The results also reveal that work from home (WFH) and school from home (SFH) activities have negative impacts on spatial conflicts, time management, ability to concentrate and be productive, and consumption of tools/equipment for parents. There is no problem with room temperature, lighting, and noise. According to the results, the researcher suggests having a good spatial configuration, more than one bathroom, heat insulation, windows, natural ventilation, a rainwater collection system, rooftop solar power plants, and smart home devices.