ARC3020Y F
Instructor(s): Stephen Verderber
Meeting Section: L9101
Synchronous
Tuesday, 9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm

Climate change, associated political upheaval, resource depletion, and the current Covid-19 global pandemic are upending the rhythms of everyday life in developed and developing regions alike. The consequences of convergent catastrophes places tens of millions at risk of sickness and death, economic malaise, poverty, and sudden dislocation from homes and communities. Changing events of this magnitude signify nothing less than a plight into uncharted territory, a journey that will require massive humanitarian responses on a level outstripping anything witnessed before in recorded history. By 2050, nearly 80% of the world’s population will reside in coastal zones, and this, coupled with the increasingly menacing ramifications of climate change, societal conflicts, and the current Covid-19 international health crisis is a recipe for widespread chaos, disruption, and humanitarian suffering.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently called for research and development (R&D) on sustainable and resilient healthcare facilities capable of anticipating and responding to natural disasters, pandemics, and armed conflicts. Rapid response architecture can and must assume a prominent role in this global (reaction) action plan—right now. By most measures, architects, collectively, have yet to rise to the challenge. Worse, University-based professional schools of architecture in North America, and worldwide, for that matter, fail to prepare the next generation of architects in the inner profundities of rapid response architecture for health. In the arena of healthcare, the need is acute right now for redeployable clinics and field hospitals capable of providing rapid, therapeutic, restorative assistance in medically underserved disaster strike zones worldwide—these responsive built environments require rapid offsite construction, transiting, erection protocols, commissioning, and operationalization in tight timeframes without compromising design excellence. Offsite prefab is critical as a point of reference. Three types for health include Redeployable Health Centers (RHCs), Redeployable Trauma Centers (RTCs), and Permanent Modular Installations (PMIs).

A chaotic mix of autonomous and tethered systems predominate in the current Covid-19 crisis. Students in this Option Studio (and in Winter Term 2021) will experience the freedom to explore pop-up prototypes. In the fall the focus is a hospital for diagnosis and ICU treatment of Covid-19 patients. The first weeks are devoted to research on the state of the art, followed by design. The recent book, Innovations in Transportable Healthcare Architecture (London: Routledge, 2016) will provide a foundation for pre-design (research) and design (applied) inquiry. Each member of the studio will receive support in developing their thesis prospectus—which can extend the fall studio’s theme, or address a different topic and building type in design + health. In the fall term, external reviewers will contribute their expertise. In Winter Term 2021 a group field trip may occur although subject to University of Toronto and international public health travel restrictions.