Containing healthcare crises with modular units
With the recent news of the first Ebola case diagnosed in the U.S., there’s a lot of chatter about the possibility of a widespread outbreak in America. Fortunately, as stated in this recent article from The Atlantic, it’s not likely for the disease to spread throughout the country because our hospitals are prepared.
That fact hasn’t stopped a group of Texas A&M graduate students from thinking through the best solutions to contain Ebola along with other infectious diseases. During a recent architecture class, students were tasked with designing a way to help patients receive medical treatment regardless of location. Students were given little direction from their professor. The only guideline for the assignment was to design a “rapidly deployable modular isolation unit for Ebola viruses and other communicable diseases.”
The students rose to the occasion and submitted several viable designs, which are currently being reviewed by healthcare professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including Lt. Gen. P.K. Carlton, Jr., former surgeon general of the U.S. Air Force.
Here at Williams Scotsman we appreciate the designation of modular units in the assignment. We understand firsthand the flexibility afforded by modular design. First of all, the structures can be easily transported, installed, and relocated. The units are self-sufficient and the design flexibility also allows for expansion or contraction based on the demand. Whether a healthcare community needs one unit or several hundred, modular structures can be mobilized and installed very quickly.
For several years, Williams Scotsman has been working with government agencies to provide advanced bio-containment capabilities quickly and efficiently. We work to customize modular units with specified HVAC systems to handle containment and airflow. Given the world’s pressing medical challenges, containment facilities need to be up and running faster than ever before. Modular units can be pretested offsite and stored, making the units a critical space solution for containing infectious diseases.
We commend the students at Texas A&M for their efforts and we look forward to learning more about the student projects after the November 21 Architecture-for-Health lecture.
If you were in the Texas A&M architecture class what would be included in your design for a rapidly deployable modular medical pod?
