In the Milan commune of Rozzano, an inspiring pilot project for emergency healthcare architecture has popped up in just 11 weeks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dubbed the Emergency Hospital 19, the autonomous healthcare facility was created by Milan-based architectural firm Filippo Taidelli Architetto in collaboration with Humanitas and Techint. The autonomous hospital follows modular and sustainable principles for scalability, user comfort and energy efficiency.
Constructed next to the Humanitas A&E, the approximately 2,700-square-meter Emergency Hospital 19 comprises six modular units that include the A&E module with triage areas, first-aid areas and clinical areas; a centrally located Intensive Care module with 12 fully equipped stations; a 17-bed Hospitalization module; a Service module for logistics and changing areas; the Operating Area module; and the Radiology module. All of the clinical spaces, Intensive Care unit and the Hospitalization unit are equipped with negative pressure, and any expelled air is passed through absolute filters that capture infectious particles. Patient pathways have also been separated to ensure safety.
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Each basic module has also been developed to be “energetically autonomous” and wrapped in a breathable, double-skin facade designed to reduce incoming thermal energy by up to 50%. Natural light is also emphasized in the design to reduce energy demands and improve patient comfort. Patients also benefit from the therapeutic effects of vegetation that are placed in the interiors and in the shared patio area, which has single seats placed at safe distances. Multicolored, pastel striped wallpaper lines the walls and corridors to create a “carefree open-air atmosphere [to help] him to feel less lost or oppressed,” the architects noted.
The recently completed Emergency Hospital at Rozzano is the first of three emergency care facilities that are being built in northern Italy. Future facilities are currently being built in Bergamo at Humanitas Gavazzeni and in Castellanza at Humanitas Mater Domini.
Images via Filippo Taidelli Architetto
