WHAT KEEPS ME OPTIMISTIC DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”
― Sun-Tzu, “The Art of War”

AS OF TODAY, The Coronavirus has infected over nine million people and caused over 470,000 deaths worldwide. When it infiltrated the US, I followed the recommendations of our CDC and government who advised us to self-quarantine, only go out to PROCURE necessities, and observe nightly curfewS. When those recommendations were revised,
I have continued to stay at least six feet away from strangers, wear a mask when outside, and have washed and sanitized my hands and home more times than I care to mention. Without a vaccine, I know these measures are the only way to protect everyone’s health and safety. Of course, I am saddened that many have fallen victim to the disease. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one. I am also saddened that I cannot enjoy many of the personal freedoms I have taken for granted and the luxuries I worked so hard to earn.

I want to have dinner at a nice restaurant with friends, kiss and hug them hello, and eNJOY A VIEW OTHER THAN THE WALLS OF MY HOME. I want to sit within six feet of the adjacent table and not have to struggle to understand what my server is saying through his or her face mask. I don’t want to worry that I have enough hand sanitizer with me every time I go out. I am exhausted from my family working, learning, and volunteering from home, constantly eating, creating messes, and generating laundry at a rapid clip. Zoom parties and activities help maintain connections with friends and family but lack the energy of in-person gatherings. Sometimes they make me sadder that I can’t be with them. And I find myself spending as much time trying to choose a new face mask as I do when looking for a new purse, seriously considering if the design on this new iconic accessory accurately reflects my personality, style, values, and standards.

When I watch commercials with flashing words and multiple exclamation points announcing that another upscale restaurant now offers curbside pick-up and contactless delivery that can be summoned and purchased from your iPhone, or that a fashion house has a new collection of edgy face masks, or when I see everyone outside in masks trying to enjoy some semblance of activities they once enjoyed, I feel like I am living in some kind of dystopian, futuristic society where people have to sacrifice certain freedoms and possessions to avoid potential turmoil. Not as bleak as the world depicted in “1984” but one with similar fears and restrictions caused by external agents. mostly I’m disconcerted that, with all the advances in modern science, these inconveniences are caused by a virus for which we have no cure. Will this new “normal” remain for long? Will we continue to observe many of these safety practices after the virus is eradicated? Will our lives be forever changed?

as vice president and chairman of environmental affairs for the winter park , fl garden club, i am always investigating ecologically friendly prACTICES TO ADDRESS CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS. WITH my “Environmental Affairs” cap on, I began reading about how society responded to disease before the invention of antibiotics and vaccines. For example, in 1882 Dr. Robert Koch discovered the bacteria that caused tuberculosis and, 10-years later, two of his protégés isolated the microbes that caused the Spanish Flu. However, doctors were not yet able to create antibodies to treat them. Instead, society relied on the natural remedies of light, air, and open space to manage contagious illnesses. This strategy spawned a new “modern” or “modernist” style of design That embraced function, minimalism, and fervor for cleanliness.
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The first designs of this movement were sanatoriums, which were built to provide the only things that cured illness at the time: Rest, fresh air, and sunlight. Those that treated tuberculosis and other chronic diseases needed to combine health, hygiene, and cleanliness with the precision of an institution. Architects and designers planned them with vast, open rooms; ample windows; and furniture that could be cleaned and moved easily and thoroughly. These buildings were considered the most technologically advanced structures of their time.

pictured above is One of the first examples of modernist architecture - the Zonnestraal Sanatorium in Hilversum, The Netherlands, which was built in 1931 to treat tuberculosis.  

​These basic hospital rules soon transferred to the home with the conviction that dirt and dust harbored germs. Interior designers believed that ornate and upholstered furniture, thick carpet, and heavy curtains harbored pathogens and should be replaced with simple, easily cleaned pieces and window dressings. Additionally, homes should be cleaned every day and their windows and doors opened each morning to let fresh air and sunlight in to combat harmful microbes.

In 1923 the French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier wrote “Towards A New Architecture” in which he advocated for and explored the concept of modern architecture. In it he states, “A house is only habitable when it is full of light and air and the floors and walls are clear. Tubules and other bacilli lodge in upholstery, crevices, thick carpets, and decorative features. They are enemies of hygiene and should be eradicated at all costs.”

Furniture designers quickly followed suit and began abandoning heavy, intricately carved wood for lighter, more streamlined materials. Not only were their surfaces easier to clean but their light weight allowed people to move them aside to clean dirt and dust lurking underneath. Austrian-German cabinet maker Michael Thonet crafted chairs with bentwood and cane, Finnish interior designer Alvar Aalto used bent plywood, and Hungarian-born architect and furniture designer Marcel Breuer created pieces with tubular steel. American-German architect ludwig Miës van der Rohe, who coined the adage “less is more,” wrote that one of his lightweight tubular steel chairs “could easily be moved across the floor, facilitating the cleaning of rooms. It provides no hiding place for dust and insects and meets modern sanitary demands.”
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See if you recognize any of these examples: 
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Who didn’t have this chair at some point in their life?  Or still does?   
pictured at left is Thonet’s wildly successful bentwood Chair, or “Chair No. 14,” which debuted in 1859.  With over 50 million produced annually to this day, it continues to be used in residences and eateries.  recognized as the quintessential “café chair,” coffee shops and casual restaurants favor them for the comfort, ease of cleaning, and movability that Thonet intended.  

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DESIGNED IN 1925, BREUER'S “WASSILY” CHAIR (pictured below) IS ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE ICONS OF THE MODERNIST MOVEMENT.  IMPRESSED WITH THE LIGHTNESS OF HIS FIRST BICYCLE’S TUBULAR STEEL FRAME, HE WAS INSPIRED TO CREATE FURNITURE IN THE SAME MATERIAL.  USING THE TECHNIQUES OF LOCAL PLUMBERS, IT WAS MASS-PRODUCED FROM 1926 THROUGH THE 1950S.  ALTHOUGH ITS PATENT DESIGN HAS EXPIRED, REPRODUCTIONS CONTINUE TO BE MADE AROUND THE WORLD, MARKETED UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES.  A NEW WASSILY CHAIR CRAFTED BY ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN HOUSE SELLS FOR ABOUT $2,500 WHEREAS ONE OF THE FIRST MADE FETCHED $30,800 AT A SOTHEBY’S AUCTION LAST NOVEMBER.  
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in 1929, Aalto designed the Paimio Sanatorium (pictured below) in Paimio, Finland which was built to treat tuberculosis. He envisioned the building as a "medical instrument” that would contribute to the healing process so designed it with soothing colors and ample areas with large windows for patients to benefit from the sunshine. The invention of antibiotics reduced the building’s occupants dramatically which caused it to transition to a general hospital in 1960 then to a children’s rehabilitation center in 2000.
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​Aalto also designed all the furniture for the sanatorium, including his famous birchwood “Paimio” scroll chair (PICTURED BELOW), or “Model No. 41,” which is still produced today.  Created specifically for tuberculosis patients, the chair’s back enabled one to breathe easily and sit in it for many hours.  Aalto’s style became known as “humanist modernism” as he combined the elements of nature, architecture, design, and the human being.  A new Paimio chair designed by the original manufacturer sells for about $3,100 whereas a pair of 1940 Paimio chairs is currently listed for $86,103 on 1stdibs, the popular online marketplace for high-end furniture, fine art, and jewelry. ​
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​Miës van der Rohe’s equally famous “Barcelona” chair (PICTURED BELOW) was designed in 1929 for the German Pavilion, which he also designed, at the International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain.  his vision was to replace elaborate artistic ornament with straightforward displays of the materials and forms themselves.  The Barcelona chair was designed in a more luxurious fashion than his more utilitarian works as they were for the Spanish Royalty overseeing the exhibition’s opening ceremonies.  It is considered one of the best examples of modern design created with exceptional craftsmanship.  Still made entirely by hand today, an authentic Barcelona chair fetches roughly $6,500. 

​Personally, I prefer much older styles of furniture and art than the designs shown here.  I like lots of different textiles, artifacts, and pieces in my home that evoke thoughts of romantic eras and foreign countries, trips I have taken, family members who once owned them, And people who gave them to me.  WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, One of my mother’s COLLEAGUES was an archeologist who excavated artifacts in Egypt and brought me treasures from this mysterious, faraway land.   As a result, I inherited her affinity for ancient relics.  In short, my home is hardly minimalistic.  Having said that, I am emphatic about purging unnecessary items and keeping a clean house.  I am constantly clearing out my family’s closets, desks, and drawers; donating, recycling, and up-cycling items that still have value; and tossing ones that don’t.  

What I learned in my readings didn’t persuade me to change my personal style, but did encourage me to eliminate even more things from my home that can harbor bacteria.  It also made me appreciate the benefits the CORONAVIRUS quarantine has had on the environment as gasoline consumption and CO2 emissions have fallen by over 17%, THE LOWEST IT HAS BEEN IN 14 YEARS.  And SINCE A vaccine for COVID-19 isn’t expected for at least a year and our resistance to antibiotics is increasing, people will most likely continue to practice many of the healthier habits we are currently observing.  Lastly, it reminded me that dire circumstances have HISTORICALLY sparked great inventions.  So rather than be discouraged about our current situation, I remain hopeful that it leads to innovations that will improve our lives in both the near and distant future.  

Be well, be safe, and clean often with as many natural ingredients as you can!

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