Clean hands

Challenge

COVID-19 and other viral diseases can be transmitted through common touchpoints. Good hand hygiene has been an important part of reducing the spread of infection for many diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts against indirect contact infection have led to new standards for cleaning everything from elevator buttons to microphones. Hand hygiene has become a crucial tool in the fight against COVID-19.1 Shops, restaurants, schools, workplaces, etc. have all set up alcohol dispensers, making it quick and effortless to clean your hands, thereby reducing the risk of transmission. Hand sanitizers, however, are not the only way to clean your hands. A classic washbasin with soap and water can similarly reduce the number of unwanted microorganisms on the hands.2/3 Even in settings where alcohol, water, and soap are readily available, studies show that both culture and infrastructure to support hand hygiene have a long way to go in many places around the globe.4/5

Solution

The Danish restaurant chain Sovino Group has chosen to install a washbasin at the entrance of

Taxonomy

Sphere: Trade/Service, Culture/Leisure

Timescale: Long Term several of the group’s restaurants, including Café Victor and PS Bar & Grill in Copenhagen. In this way, the restaurant sends a clear message that on these premises you have to wash your hands on arrival. The staff use the sink in the restaurant instead of in the back room, making guests aware of the need and desire for frequent hand washing in order to fight COVID-19. The installation was initially intended as a temporary solution, but Sovino Group has decided to make it permanent. The hope is that the visible washbasin will change guests’ views on hand hygiene. Before COVID-19, hand washing was a private matter, and it was up to the individual whether and when it was necessary. But by setting up a sink in the middle of their restaurant, Sovino Group lets its customers know that they want guests with clean hands, sending a clear signal while responding to COVID-19.

The example shows how an ordinary installation, such as a washbasin, can be used in an inventive way in the prevention of infection. By placing the washbasin in the restaurant’s common space, the restaurant makes its function visible to guests and staff, and washing one’s hands is made a common responsibility.

Type: Building Intervention, Interior Design

User Group: Employees/Service Providers, Customers/Users

Before COVID-19: Hand hygiene is a personal matter that takes place in the washroom

After COVID-19: Hand hygiene has become an integral part of the restaurant experience

Project and location: Social With Distancing, New Delhi, India

Contributor: RENESA Architecture Design Interiors Studio

Established: 2020