SEACOLE Pods - Relocatable Micro Environments

Inspiration Drawing inspiration from both natural world and cultural narratives the protective casings of and the sexualised forms of Victorian dresses with their billowing hooped skirts, the inflated structures mimic the safe and welcoming forms of the Mugsum buildings of Cameroon. The work of Mary Seacole inspired the project Mary Seacole was a self-financing Jamaican woman who dedicated her life to nursing the sick in war and peace notably during the Crimean war, she is remembered by a statue outside St Thomas Hospital opposite the Houses of Parliament in London. Sponsorship and commercial partnerships The structures are commercially sponsored carrying the logos advertising livery, and advertising of the sponsor on the exterior, this commercial partnership would enable the fast tracking of production from clothing to manufacture of these simple structures, making sue a of a vast network factory based. Structure The structures are constructed from synthetic fabric inflatable enclosures, kept rigid by electric fans, these in turn are battery powered from solar panel collectors, applied to the skin of the pods and on the roof section their own independent power supply. Material A range of synthetic fire retardant finish and waterproof fabrics can be used, the external surface can be leased for advertising to support the production and repair of the inflatable modules. The rigid material containing solar panel, battery and lighting uses ocean waste Services, Making use of modern caravan and mobile home tech modes of washing, sanitary and Wc facilities can be provided at a high level of sterility and containment. Set up and assembly These simple pod forms inflate easily and quickly, with their battery-operated fan system. they are re configurable to adapt to a range of site locations and can be linked to form more specialised facilities or be added to, to create large scale installations. Ethos The aim is to provide lightweight, easy to transport and erect, mobile environments where patients can be treated in sterile safe self-sustaining environments. The problem, during the pandemic the need for hospital beds created a crisis in the worlds health systems, as beds and ventilation support were commandeered for those falling ill, and the general population avoided hospitals in order to free ups space and access, leaving medical centres empty and underutilised. These systems were nearly brought to collapse because of the lack of flexible easily erected facilities. The prioritisation of healthcare professionals to hospital attendance meant that local surgeries sat idle as the focus was shifted to central provision, however had there been a flexible response may people could have been treated close to their homes and localities, making use of the existing medical care which was available to them locally. Sites The project utilises local sites such as car parks adjacent to health centres, school halls, town hall assembly spaces, and business parks. Transportation and distribution The comparative small size of the deflated units and their light weight would allow for easy transport by road, train and air, units can be dropped from aeroplanes to remote areas, Post crisis re purposing All the material used in the construction of the pods are recyclable.