Global architecture firm HOK teamed with Germfree Laboratories Inc. to design a mobile testing lab that will help large organisations meet this urgent need.
Access to quick, reliable, and repeated testing has been one of the greatest challenges for institutions and businesses during the Covid-19 crisis.
These self-contained, biocontainment facilities can provide advanced, on-site capabilities for any setting.
Leveraging Germfree’s experience manufacturing mobile biosafety labs and HOK’s expertise in lab planning, the BSL 2+ level labs offer a rapidly deployable solution for testing active or suspected cases of Covid-19.
Intended to address the needs of large institutions, including colleges/universities, corporations with expansive campuses, manufacturing facilities or governments, the labs can provide full-time, high-volume testing without building new structures.
Comprised of two Germfree modules, the labs accommodate up to nine staff workers as well as one or two high-throughput diagnostic machines capable of testing 80 samples at a time, resulting in up to 1,120 tests per day.
One module is dedicated to sample collection and the second to testing.
Appreciating the need for flexibility, HOK designed the sample collection module to also support inoculations once a vaccine becomes available.
In addition, the modules can be repurposed or relocated to respond to surge capacity or provide new capabilities for other campus labs, public health departments, or related facilities.
We developed this solution to help our clients, many of whom have many employees or students that will require regular testing with immediate results.
We considered the architectural object as much as the operational efficiency of the lab, imbuing the modules with details that make them friendly and welcoming to the people who’ll use them and appealing additions to an office park, city or campus.
The modules feature rounded window frames and door openings, which contributes to a modern and inviting appearance.
Considering the needs of those visiting the lab, HOK designed special ‘flaps’ that cover the various doors while the module is in transit and also open to create a ‘porch’ that provides protection from sun or rain.
Patterned film covers some windows, providing privacy for visitors during sample collection and other procedures.
Logistics and scale are key considerations for an effective Covid-19 testing program.
HOK and Germfree are providing laboratory solutions to meet the unique demands of larger institutions. These labs will deliver biocontainment capacity and advanced capabilities to wherever they are needed.
HOK’s design ensures the efficiency of each unit while putting science on display via views into the testing area.
Exterior graphics can educate visitors about the testing process, provide information about the virus and the sponsoring institution.
The mobile labs will be available in mid-autumn, to help organisations ramp up their return to campus.
HOK and Germfree are also designing two additional solutions that will provide immediate or same-day results for smaller groups.
HOK designs buildings and spaces that respond to the needs of people and the environment.
Germfree has been manufacturing innovative laboratory solutions for nearly six decades.