Dan Ionescu Architects designed FEMA Mobile Vaccination Units with truck trailers, operable awnings with aluminum frames and other features to meet a variety of requirements. Social distancing requirements and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s travel size limitations led to limited space inside the units. Therefore, vaccine distribution and observation functions were placed outside the trailer. These adjacent, open-air areas needed to be protected from the elements when needed, able to be set up and taken down easily, and securely attach to the buildings for travel.
Dan Ionescu, AIA, principal at Dan Ionescu Architects, says, “To achieve this, we created an operable awning system on two sides of the building to cover the separate distribution and observation areas. Each building has six 8-foot by 8-foot awnings, three on each side, that are operated independently in sequence by a team of two people. When fully opened, each side has a covered area of 24 feet by 8 feet.”
Each awning is comprised of an 8-foot by 8-foot frame made of 2-inch square aluminum tubes connected to the building with an 8-foot aluminum piano hinge. The frames have two dropdown legs, also made of 2-inch square aluminum tubes, which connect to 2-inch square aluminum leg extensions with adjustable bases to accommodate different site levels.
“Aluminum was selected for its strength, durability, light weight and accessibility,” Ionescu says. “The units will be in circulation around the country and needed to withstand even extreme weather events. In addition, we needed a material that was both visibly and physically light to allow for ease of operation and a feeling of openness and safety during the pandemic. Due to the condensed timeframe of creating a unit in response to the pandemic, we also needed a material that was readily accessible and able to be easily customized to our size requirements.”
