As the lifting of shelter-in-place COVID-19 mandates get closer to reality, there are many unanswered questions on what “going back to normal” actually looks like. Every industry and every company has been impacted, and most are struggling with how businesses should adapt in the new environment. One of the biggest concerns is how and when people will feel safe again. That fear is real, and it can become paralyzing the longer we stay separated from each other. How will we ever feel comfortable attending a Chiefs game again? Going back to work? Gathering at P&L for an event? Traveling or riding the bus? Addressing these fears will be critical for any KC business to get back up and running.
The AEC community will play a pivotal role in gaining consumer confidence and building a more resilient normal, not only by making the needed changes to our buildings and public spaces, but also in educating the public along the way. Fortunately, KC is a hotbed of some of the world’s largest and most respected engineering, architecture, and construction companies — as well as home to Barkley, an agency rooted in applying critical customer insights to help grow the world’s most trusted brands — which gives us access to some pretty amazing expertise. This panel of thought leaders will share their unique insights on how building design can help address consumer fear by focusing on three distinct areas: social distancing, infection control through building systems, and operational tactics for a phased and secure return to work and play