In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, a vast global network of architects and design professionals is “designing for good” to meet these challenges. Not having adequate facilities is one part of the problem, supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE) is another, and having enough testing capacity, healthcare workers and specialized equipment also needs to be resolved. Several solutions have been tested recently, including ship-based and field hospitals, yet aligning mobile medical capabilities with the specific needs of hospitals remains a challenge as healthcare workers struggle to manage the pandemic. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the M2CU prototype architect Julio Garcia Figueroa points out that these pop-ups “need to support the rapid scaling of capacity in order to maintain routine and trauma care, while also accommodating the surge in demand for intensive care for patients with infectious disease and protecting healthcare workers.” Pop-up medical facilities that meet specific needs for varied levels of care are urgently needed and must include medical support systems that comply with the safety and building codes for health care facilities, such as HVAC systems to create negative airflow. The “problem” is that with few exceptions, health care systems are not designed to meet scenarios that are still outside the norm, like a pandemic, natural disasters or medical care delivery in conflict zones. The partnership represents a multidimensional approach to solving a complex issue requiring several types of expertise, as well the ability to problem solve together.

The collaboration between NJIT, The Tuchman Foundation, and University Hospital in Newark produced what may be the next piece of a solution to meeting global health care needs. The M2CU, a mobile medical care unit designed from a shipping container, is standalone, fast to build and easy to deploy throughout the existing global shipping container infrastructure.

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