The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has published a tool designed to help make the re-inhabitation of existing buildings take place more safely as the initial round of nationwide shelter-in-place directives begins to fade away. 

According to an announcement published by AIA, the so-called Re-occupancy Assessment Tool aims to "provide public officials, businesses, and architects with practices that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public while businesses, stores, restaurants, etc., reopen." 

The too, which was developed by AIA's Disaster Assistance Committee, "provides a framework of strategies and general mitigation measures that can help reduce exposure to COVID-19," the organization writes. 

The 19-page PDF offers a series of checklists proposing tiered mitigation approaches to help limit the spread of the disease in interior settings while "understanding that the risk of infection can only be 'flattened' and not eliminated entirely."

The tool, for example, recommends installing protective barriers to catch virus-containing droplets creates through wayward sneezes and coughs, suggestsincreasing the amount of fresh air circulating through HVAC ducts, asks building owners to take measures to prevent the outbreak of legionella and other diseases associated with shuttered buildings, and recommends installing take-away and drive-thru windows where possible for commercial operations. In addition, the document highlights the potential need for providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for workers inside these spaces, though it highlights that this approach is less effective in limiting the spread of disease than the measures listed above.