Fast Company authored an article on how we have the technical capabilities to build a hospital quickly through modular design and prefabrication, but logistics and regulations would hamper it from happening quickly.
As Sean Studzinski, president of strategic initiatives at CannonDesign’s partner, ModularDesign+, explained: “MD+ could manufacture pod-style units that roll into larger spaces and lock into place within single-story arrangements. These could begin coming off the assembly line in four to eight weeks. For longer-term projects, the alliance can also design and fabricate volumetric units, which are structurally stable, load-bearing rooms that can be stacked on top of each other to create entire buildings.”
He notes that while pod-style units can start rolling off the assembly line in as little as four to eight weeks, these projects normally need at least a nine to 12 month lead time for production.
We are currently using prefabrication in a project with Los Angeles County. The Restorative Care Village will provide 96 beds to provide immediate placement options for persons being discharged from an inpatient hospital setting who lack a supportive place to live. This complex takes a comprehensive approach to the interrelated and complex needs of homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, job training/housing, and medical co-morbidity.
