Agile and Aligned – deployable multipurpose isolation cells

Centre for Human Habitat and Alternative Technology – CHHAT has been always active in designing emergent structures for emergency needs, focused specifically on providing for the under-represented strata of the Indian society.

This has also earned them the coveted Buckminster Fuller award for socially responsible design.

With their background in architecture, engineering and education, Chhat has always been agile and proactive in offering their expertise whenever the need emerged.

With this medical emergency and a man-made disaster in the form of COVID-19, the team found themselves overwhelmed as, although they had designed and prepared for natural disasters, they had never anticipated a calamity of this form. They were looking at it, trying to see where designers could fit it, especially young architects who can build with their own hands.

It required them to quickly re-configure themselves – all spread across various cities in the country. They processed all the information and research available on the pandemic and applied it to their background knowledge and skillset – emerging with a very appropriate solution for the current needs – deployable isolation cells for multiple uses.

The need was glaringly apparent – there were large hospital wards with patients having varying degrees of contagion that ideally needed isolation but that was not possible with hospital infrastructure. There were police check points to enforce lock-down rules, especially at city entry points and outside containment zones. The migrants were still waiting in large numbers at city outskirts. Every situation required isolation cells – that could contain the spread through air borne particles emanating from sneezing and coughing.  

  

Thus, Chhat began designing these multipurpose deployable isolation cells. The design parameters were clear and aligned – they wanted the design to be simple that could be made anywhere across India with materials easily available. The unit had to be extremely cost effective and extremely easy to assemble. At 1500/- a unit of 7’ x 7’ – this booth is truly India centric.

A team of 6 to 8 people is able to put together close to 25-30 such units in a day. They are compact when folded up, hence easy to transport. And once the booths reach location, it requires merely 2 people who can swiftly deploy a cell in under 2 minutes!

  

The design team is constantly evolving the design based on feedback – and now the units come with detachable roofs, for conditions where there is common ventilation in large halls of hospitals and providing individual fans in not feasible. With simple, straightforward communication, the team is trying to expand the use of these cells by getting in touch with relevant decision makers.

The next proposal that the team is working on, is looking into the future of the post pandemic world.

They are putting together a kit of essentials that every large public gathering space will require – ranging from schools, to hospitals to eateries, while adhering to their pre-conditions of the designs being efficient, cost effective and with locally sourced materials.

      

They want to make maximum impact by reaching the large spectrum of the society that struggles for basic resources and cannot afford high end solutions for hygiene and well-being – but surely deserve both.

Chhat, therefore is an inspiration for the young design community – with agile minds and aligned interests.

PROJECT INFO :

Architects: Centre for Human Habitat and Alternative Technology - CHHAT FOUNDATION

Project Title: Multipurpose Quarantine Cells for SARS COV-2

Year: 2020

Implemented in: Anand District, Gujarat, India.

Founder: Prof.Nirav Hirpara, Director-Vadodara Design Academy.

Co-Founder : Ar.Sapan Hirpara

Core Team Members: Ar. Anoli Shah (Hyderabad),  Ar. Arihant Bajaj (Indore), Ar. Chetak Mistry (Mehsana), Ar. Durjoy Biswas (Kolkata), Dwij Hirpara (Anand), Ar. Gazelle Modi (Ahmedabad),  Ar. Gunjan Modi (Surat), Ar. Himalay Goraniya (Porbandar), Ar.Karan Divecha (Vadodara) and Sakshi Pawar (Goa).

Local Collaborators: Rotary Club of Anand Round Town.

DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS :

Size: 7x7x7 feet

Materials: Bamboo Frame and High-density Polypropylene fabric

System Type: Deployable structure.

Building Capacity: 200 Cells each week

Time to assemble: 25 minutes

Time to deploy: < 2 minutes