In an effort to support the COVID-19 response, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has launched a task force to help inform public officials, healthcare facility owners and architects on adapting buildings into temporary healthcare facilities.
“On a daily basis, I am hearing from our architects who feel a deep sense of moral duty to support our healthcare providers on the frontlines of this pandemic,” said AIA 2020 President Jane Frederick, FAIA. “As our communities assess buildings to address growing surge capacity, we hope this task force will be a resource to ensure buildings are appropriately and safely adapted for our doctors and nurses.”
AIA encourages federal, state and local government to adapt appropriate existing buildings to meet the growing healthcare and quarantine needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The task force is charged with developing a COVID-19 Rapid Response Safety Space Assessment for AIA members that will include considerations for the suitability of buildings, spaces, and other sites for patient care. The assessment will be developed by architects with a wide range of expertise, including healthcare facility design, urban design, public health and disaster assistance.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic public health response there is an unprecedented need for the adaptive reuse of buildings to serve a variety of functions,” said environmental health scientist Dr. Molly Scanlon, FAIA, FACHA, who is the director of standards, compliance and research at Phigenics. “Architects and our allied design and construction professionals are in a unique position to leverage our advanced problem-solving skills to bring forth ideas for community implementation.”
The task force—chaired by Dr. Scanlon—plans to release its report in early April in an effort to help inform decisions to address the pandemic.
“This is a race against time for healthcare facilities to meet bed surge capacity needs” said AIA Academy of Architecture for Health President Kirsten Waltz, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, LEED, who is the director of facilities, planning and design at Baystate Health. “This task force will help inform best practices for quickly assessing building inventory and identifying locations that are most appropriate to be adapted for this crisis.”
Waltz and other members of the task force are helping bridge the needs of healthcare providers by modifying hospitals and smaller facilities to meet the growing bed surge demand and to increase areas for medical screening, triage, and other patient care.
Related Stories
Market Data | Feb 2, 2022
Majority of metro areas added construction jobs in 2021
Soaring job openings indicate that labor shortages are only getting worse.
Market Data | Feb 2, 2022
Construction spending increased in December for the month and the year
Nonresidential and public construction lagged residential sector.
Market Data | Jan 31, 2022
Canada's hotel construction pipeline ends 2021 with 262 projects and 35,325 rooms
At the close of 2021, projects under construction stand at 62 projects/8,100 rooms.
Market Data | Jan 27, 2022
Record high counts for franchise companies in the early planning stage at the end of Q4'21
Through year-end 2021, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG branded hotels represented 585 new hotel openings with 73,415 rooms.
Market Data | Jan 27, 2022
Dallas leads as the top market by project count in the U.S. hotel construction pipeline at year-end 2021
The market with the greatest number of projects already in the ground, at the end of the fourth quarter, is New York with 90 projects/14,513 rooms.
Market Data | Jan 26, 2022
2022 construction forecast: Healthcare, retail, industrial sectors to lead ‘healthy rebound’ for nonresidential construction
A panel of construction industry economists forecasts 5.4 percent growth for the nonresidential building sector in 2022, and a 6.1 percent bump in 2023.
Market Data | Jan 24, 2022
U.S. hotel construction pipeline stands at 4,814 projects/581,953 rooms at year-end 2021
Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months stand at 1,821 projects/210,890 rooms at the end of the fourth quarter.
Market Data | Jan 19, 2022
Architecture firms end 2021 on a strong note
December’s Architectural Billings Index (ABI) score of 52.0 was an increase from 51.0 in November.
Market Data | Jan 13, 2022
Materials prices soar 20% in 2021 despite moderating in December
Most contractors in association survey list costs as top concern in 2022.
Market Data | Jan 12, 2022
Construction firms forsee growing demand for most types of projects
Seventy-four percent of firms plan to hire in 2022 despite supply-chain and labor challenges.