Abstract : The year 2020 has been an exceptional one worldwide; it has imposed new norms on the ways of living and business as usual practices. With the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, a sudden shift was witnessed in many sectors such as education, transportation, tourism, construction, health and business. Health and safety measures enforced either the abandonment of some buildings such as schools, theaters, malls, and other public buildings, or the stay-at-home option in many nations. Residential buildings, therefore, became places to rest, study, work, and entertain, and public buildings witnessed alternating occupancy based on the health protocols. This research investigates how COVID-19 has altered and impacted the use of buildings in cases of crisis and lockdown. It then investigates the future of buildings post COVID-19, referring to sustainable and smart buildings as the way ahead. Features of sustainable and smart buildings are compared to the requirements of buildings post COVID-19 based on the literature review. Finally, this paper also provides an insight into Bahraini architects’ vision of public buildings post COVID-19. A survey was used to obtain how designers and architects in Bahrain envision buildings post COVID-19. The survey also measures if any changes have already been applied to buildings during this period. The survey results indicate that around 60% percent of architects believe that the future of the building stock in Bahrain will change to incorporate smart and sustainable buildings.