What could a modular health center do for rural communities?

Health centers are the backbone of a comprehensive healthcare system for rural communities without convenient access to large hospitals. A health center provides a suite of routine health services—including preventive care, immunization, minor assistance, and first and newborn and reproductive care—enhancing access to services in rural areas and reducing the burden on regional hospitals. Our rural health center prototype provides a modular framework that can provide a range of health services and be flexibly adapted to respond to emergencies. The design is optimized for cost, ease of construction, and natural ventilation, allowing it to be deployed quickly and with local labor and minimizing impact on the environment.

MODULAR DESIGN: USE-FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE OVER TIME

The flexible prototype can support a range of healthcare uses while still maintaining separations that prevent cross-contamination. Highly adaptable, it can be deployed as a quarantine shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic and later retrofitted to offer routine health services. This reduces the need to build new facilities from the ground-up, making for a sustainable model for developing healthcare infrastructure.

LOW ENERGY CONSUMPTION

The structure uses a high roof and upper screen-walls that maximize air circulation, taking advantage of the stack effect to provide natural ventilation. Roof overhangs shade corridors that act as thresholds insulating interior space from the heat of the sun.

SIMPLE AND FEASIBLE STRUCTURE

The design optimizes for quick construction, using readily available materials and a modular structure that can be built with local labor power and skill. Temporary wall systems allow the interiors to be reconfigured as needed.

• SIZE: 830 SQF
• PROJECT TEAM: Carlos Arnaiz, Alden Ching, Gaby San Roman