Iossifova, D., Baker, J., Byrom, H., Gao, J., Law, Z.H., Stewart, B., Yang, Y., Dewoolkar, P., Gamal, Y., Nelson, T., Ren, Y., Sengupta, U., 2022.

Architecture, Sanitation and COVID-19: Design Interventions in Resource-Limited Settings (Accra, Ghana)

Architectural design is at the heart of most (urban) transformation. However, architects have long abdicated from engaging with and progressing the design of the bathroom as the locus of intimate human practices. Localised COVID-19 outbreaks in the Global South have been linked with sanitation facilities that are shared between multiple households or strangers. In this chapter, we report on work developed as part of a research methods course for architecture students at the Manchester School of Architecture. We highlight the links between sanitation, public health and architecture in reviewing the literature on COVID-19 transmission pathways and identifying where and how they intersect with the design and maintenance of shared sanitation facilities. The focus is on shared urban sanitation in Accra, Ghana. We highlight where and how design could intervene and call for the reengagement of the architectural profession with the design of sanitation facilities and wider sanitation infrastructure systems, taking into account the needs of the majority world.