鈥淥n behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I want to express our enthusiasm and excitement about the appointment of Chris Augostini as president,鈥� said Robert C. Goddard III, Chair of the Emory University Board of Trustees, in a statement. 鈥淥ur search generated a significant number of highly qualified candidates, but Chris鈥檚 exceptional leadership skills, distinguished record of achievement as executive vice president and COO, along with his deep understanding of Emory鈥檚 culture and community, made it clear he is the right leader for Emory,鈥�听

Over the past nine years, Augostini has collaborated extensively with the Board of Trustees, the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors, and the university鈥檚 executive, academic,听administrative听and healthcare leaders to help enable Emory鈥檚 long-term growth and competitiveness. In his current roles, he oversees all enterprise functions for Emory, which is one of Georgia鈥檚 largest and most complex organizations and one of the nation鈥檚 top 25 universities.听听

鈥淚鈥檓 extraordinarily honored and thrilled to be named Emory鈥檚 next president,鈥� Augostini said in a statement. 鈥淎s I look across the higher education听landscape,听I听believe Emory听is positioned better than any other university to meet our current challenges and opportunities.听I look forward to beginning this new chapter in partnership with faculty, the board, students, staff, and the entire Emory community.鈥澨�听

Prior to joining Emory, Augostini served for 17 years as听Senior听Vice听President and听Chief听Operating听Officer at Georgetown University. Earlier in his career, he held senior government positions with the city and state of New York. He earned bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in public policy analysis from the State University of New York at Albany.听听

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Universities are in the throes of determining how students might safely return to campus. We at Duda|Paine, and many of our peers, are exploring ways that design can help define a 鈥榥ew normal.鈥� Much about this particular virus鈥檚 evolution remains unknown, and architects and designers are 鈥榣earning as we go鈥� in strategizing a return to some semblance of 鈥渘ormal.鈥� Experts, including medical professionals, epidemiologists and researches, will ultimately be critical partners in establishing criteria for design in a post-COVID-19 world.

About More Than Education

Human beings are inherently social. We gain important cues from physical dynamics, expressive gestures and body language not apparent virtually. Productivity may increase with remote work, but creativity and innovative thinking thrive when we are all in the same room. Learning also benefits from this in-person dynamic, and campus life provides much more than academic education鈥攊t offers a place for personal development and social maturation many young people wouldn鈥檛 gain otherwise.

Adapting Learning Models

Robust distance learning programs have been essential for institutions and students to weather this unusual time. Blended learning鈥攗sing virtual and classroom systems in the same curriculum鈥攁nd a phased plan to control density are starting points, but protocol must be established for ongoing reassessment and reconfiguration as health science related to the virus progresses.

For the time being, the density of existing learning and student life spaces must be reduced鈥攁 200-person auditorium might only accommodate fifty students in the fall. Alternatively, large lectures may become entirely virtual with smaller seminars taught in person. Universities will need to define which learning activities are 鈥榚ssential鈥� to be conducted in person, and those well suited to virtual forums. Classroom models will be reconfigured for appropriate distancing practices, perhaps with the class splitting into alternating weeks of virtual and classroom sessions to establish manageable class sizes.

Team meeting and collaboration spaces鈥斺�榤ust haves鈥� only months ago鈥攖oday appear threatened by concern for virus containment. Designers are already investigating solutions to prevent these innovation-fueling spaces from being eliminated from campus and office environments. Moveable furniture and individual study spaces can accommodate distancing while allowing students to be together while working alone.

Developing Design Options

We have a rich palette of existing and new innovations in design to put in place for safer campus spaces and buildings as both temporary and permanent measures. The main 鈥渓iving room鈥� spaces at NC State鈥檚 Talley Student Union and Emory University鈥檚 Student Center include mobile and flexible furnishings. Movable partitions and panel systems could be added to allow more distancing-appropriate configurations that can evolve as needs change. Serveries and other aspects of dining and food service will evolve as well with sneeze guards and more robust sanitizing protocols.

We鈥檝e long advocated for all projects to include multiple outdoor spaces such as terraces, plazas and gardens. Talley Student Union鈥檚 Stafford Commons and the Emory Student Center Outdoor Plaza provide open air space to the campus community. Emory Student Center鈥檚 large building program was divided into smaller pavilions unified under a shade trellis. Given Atlanta鈥檚 temperate climate, building spaces鈥攊ncluding terraces, generous exterior circulation and a grand connecting stair鈥攚ere placed outdoors to reduce heating and cooling needs. Today, this variety of open-air spaces, complete with moveable seating and tables, presents options for meeting in fresh air. Once considered alternative lounge spaces for student centers, these areas may now become health-conscious standards for classroom buildings and auditoriums.

Campus-wide controls such as wayfinding, signage and landscaping, which are part of any campus safety system, can aid in controlling the flow of pedestrian traffic, especially in combination with temporary pavement markings. Coupling these with contactless building and room entries, the use of facial recognition software over keypads, and more hands-free equipment in common areas such as touchless elevators, with lower passenger allowances, make sense today.

Upgraded and reconfigured air filtration systems can alter the direction of airflow downward, reducing the impact of airborne diseases. Inherently antimicrobial finishes and surfaces can be supplemented by accelerated and more robust cleaning protocols by users and cleaning teams.

Adapting Student Wellness Centers

Wellness programs鈥攁lready becoming a proactive force on many campuses鈥攚ill increase in importance. We see instruction in hygiene being added to wellness training programs, much like nutrition education and teaching kitchens are integrated into today鈥檚 wellness facilities. Student health and wellness centers will likely require new and additional spaces for isolation and quarantine, as will dorms.

Spaces that facilitate healthy choices may also contribute to every individual鈥檚 capacity to care for themselves, including oasis and meditation spaces. Waiting rooms may get larger, with more zones of separation, so those seeking routine care can have separation from those who are sick. These functional additions can accelerate our focus on wellness and encourage attention to self-care.

The Macro Culture

Density and efficiency have long been standards for controlling costs in new construction. With all we鈥檝e learned in the first half of 2020, we may see changes in cost tolerances for new construction such as wider, more generous hallways and larger minimum floor area around desks. More generous spaces in public rooms and corridors would allow everyday distancing. And, a return to operable windows can provide ventilation and access to fresh air.

COVID-19 will reframe much of how we operate as a culture, society and economy. Changes related to building design will eventually become part of our architectural lexicon, much like behaviors and laws evolved around automobile seat belts and smoking. In addition to being social creatures, we are also infinitely adaptable. Returning to work, school and social engagement can be done thoughtfully, safely and with health and long-term wellness in mind.

Turan Duda, FAIA, & Jeffrey Paine, FAIA, are founding principals with Duda|Paine Architects, launched in 1997.

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