Crisis management. (View).

It is estimated that three-quarters of the global population affected by AIDS lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most have no access to lifesaving drugs, testing facilities or even basic preventative care. One of the major factors inhibiting medical professionals in Africa from treating the disease is the general inaccessibility of the continent and the inability to bring adequate facilities to remote areas, Architecture for Humanity, a volunteer organization based in New York concerned with the promotion of architectural solutions to global social and humanitarian crises, challenged architects, designers and medical professionals to design a mobile health clinic that could be used in the African bush. Designers were given six months to develop schemes for a fully equipped, mobile medical unit and HIV/AIDS treatment centre that could not only be used for the testing, prevention and treatment of the disease, but also to disseminate information and provide basic health care services. More than 531 teams from 51 natio ns answered the call.

The winning proposal came from Danish firm KHRAS with a simple yet flexible concept based on studies of traditional types of pavilions and shipping containers. The design consists of a basic steel-framed box with a variety of infill membranes. Local materials such as thatch or fabric can also be woven into the frame. The box is designed to slot into the footprint of a standard container and so can be easily moved using various methods of transport. A satellite dish, solar power unit and water collection system make the box self-sustaining, and a locking system enables health workers in the field to secure equipment and supplies at night and while on the move. 'In Africa, especially in remote areas, you don't just get a spare part from down the road. So instead of one solution we wanted to come up with a system,' explained Mads Hansen, of KHRAS. 'If you want to implement this all you need is a simple frame.'

The next stage is to move from ideas on paper to a viable, realizable building. Architecture for Hu manity is currently organizing a development workshop to be held in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa later this year. Finalists will collaborate with relief organization representatives, local doctors, engineers, and transport specialists to refine and finalize construction plans for a working prototype.

Further details from: www.architectureforhunanity.org