Rethinking Hospitality: Design of an Adaptable Cafeteria for Pandemic

Khulna University of Engineering & Technology

Project idea

The COVID-19 pandemic, as recognized by architects globally, is not only a health crisis but also a spatial challenge. The nature of the virus—airborne, highly contagious, and invisible—has forced humanity into isolation and reshaped our interaction with shared spaces. Core preventive guidelines like maintaining physical distancing, avoiding closed and compact areas, and creating spatial partitions have underscored the need for responsive design solutions. In this context, the project addresses the university cafeteria—a typically vibrant, communal setting—as a potential hotspot for transmission due to dense, disorganized gatherings. The design goal is to strike a critical balance: ensuring health safety without sacrificing the cafeteria's inherent social vibrancy, particularly essential to university life and youth culture.

Project description

This project introduces the conceptual framework of a “Labyrinth”, not as a confusing maze, but as a spatial system that guides users inward while maintaining safe boundaries between groups. Instead of attempting to separate individuals—which proves unrealistic in a cafeteria setting—the design encourages group-level distancing, where each group occupies a defined zone at a safe distance from others. This zoning is reinforced by gentle level variations in the floor, ranging from 300 mm to 600 mm, intuitively separating spaces without obstructing circulation or comfort.
At the heart of the design lies a centralized service core, ensuring equitable access from all directions and maintaining an organized flow of users. Layered dining spaces unfold concentrically around this core, enabling visual connection and spatial orientation. The design prioritizes passive ventilation and natural light as core elements of infection control. Rotating glass windows and perforated partition walls promote airflow, allowing warm air to exit through upper openings while drawing in cooler air at ground level. Overhead, glass-protected skylights infuse the interior with daylight, supporting a germ-resistant and psychologically uplifting environment.

Technical information

The cafeteria is located at TSC Circle, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, with a total built area of 8,400 square feet. The design is tailored for dual functionality—pandemic-responsive use and regular academic session operation—ensuring long-term relevance and adaptability.
Materials are selected with hygiene, durability, and ease of maintenance in mind. The structure incorporates non-porous high-performance concrete, tempered glass panels, copper framing, and metallic furniture, all of which resist microbial absorption and allow for easy cleaning. The level-based spatial arrangement avoids visual barriers while enforcing distancing. Rotating glass façades and operable partitions enhance both cross-ventilation and layered visual transparency between dining zones.
Overall, the project embodies a synthesis of spatial safety, social integrity, and environmental responsiveness—creating a cafeteria that can adapt to post-pandemic realities without losing its role as a vital campus gathering space.