sydney based studio HDR develops a flying hospital concept for disaster relief

the ‘mobile acute service hospital’ (MASH) has been designed by HDR in an effort to address the need for delivering essential equipment and supplies to disaster zones. the concept considers that advances in technology and preventive care will vastly reduce the number of physical healthcare facilities required in the future, but the need for emergency care to sites of man-made conflicts or natural disasters will continue to persist. the design team’s solution looks at providing a quick and effective response without the time-consuming exercise of setting up temporary tent facilities.

the MASH pods are equipped with LED lights to help locate victims from the air

all images courtesy of HDR

MASH is envisioned by HDR as an independent pod-based system of drones that can be assembled anywhere without relying on existing infrastructure. the system can hover above disaster zones, below the cruising altitude of commercial aircraft and at a safe distance from potential danger. the ‘facility’ would be assembled from a series of modular clinical and support pods that can be linked together to create an elevated station. when not in use, they would be stored at bases strategically located around the globe.

triage pods are used to pick up patients from the ground under any situation

designed to be stackable like shipping containers, the appropriate mix of pods could be immediately distributed to a disaster site, where separate propeller units will magnetically engage the stacked pods and lift them. once in the air, GPS would guide them to the destination. the project is designed using four main types of pods: basic care, services, emergency, and staff. while limited patient accommodation would be provided, the intention is for the pods to be used to stabilize patients prior to a transfer to medical center or other safe location.

as emergency and treatment pods hover above a conflict on the ground, support pods can connect to them to deliver critical supplies such as water and power

each pod type is assigned a different color, which are chosen to be visible in varying circumstances

surgery pods are used to stabilize patients

taxi triage pods are used to reduce the number of rescue and retrieval personnel required on-site, serving as first responders to retrieve survivors from the ground

treatment pods are used to treat patients before they are relocated to the surgery pods or nearby hospitals

the MASH pods are designed for easy transport and storage

the anatomy of a MASH pod

the anatomy of a MASH pod

MASH is completely scalable – pods can simply be interlocked or un-coupled as required, providing optimal efficiencies for varying conditions

project info:

project name: M.A.S.H. (mobile acute service hospital)

architect: HDR

design team: romina triboli pisi, benjamin belson mira ebaf, margot cougal

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom