Graduation Project as an Application of COVID-19 Impact on Students’ Experience—Case Study Medical Center Al Ain, UAE

Abstract

AbstractThe pandemic had a significant impact on the medical environment. With a surge of patients and limited facilities, managing the patients was challenging. This pandemic taught us how to redesign medical facilities in our cities for future events of such magnitude. In the academic environment, especially in the architectural engineering field, designing facilities that can operate as per the needs of the population is crucial. Based on the students’ individual experiences during the challenging time of COVID-19, Medical Center as a graduation project came to life. There are several Medical Center facilities in the UAE. Unfortunately, some of those facilities cannot provide enough treatment spaces, basic needs, and facilities that they would need. The project discussed in this report is COVID Ready Medical Facilities Construction Design and Management. The methodology follows the below main points: Define the project's objectives: This project's purpose is to provide medical facilities in UAE and build temporary Center that can be assembled on site and dismantled when required. The building must be assembled, dismantled, and removed easily and as fast as possible. Define the main points of sustainability and innovation: Innovative building technologies methods are intended to be used, as well as renewable sources of energy are applied. The building should be able to respond to various public health issues and future challenges. Based on the pandemic experience and the standards: Some suggested services are discussed as well to provide private, mediative, and natural light for patients and workers that intend to spend their time in the medical facility. Define construction systems for a sustainable building: Appropriate construction methods Analysis, risk management, and estimations for cost studies will be applied. Lessons learned and future applications in graduate project. The aim of this research is to show how the pandemic situation and the personal experience of students can have an impact on designing a Medical Center that can be moved and assembled in any site as required, also that can be dismantled later leaving the same condition of the site before assembly, the construction method should be easy and fast as the pandemic can occur at any time. The lessons learned and applied are an example of how experience can improve the academic environment.