Although the advancement of medical technologies has enabled us to save millions of lives, it has also posed various threats to the environment, as with developments in other fields of technology. One of the biggest threats is the endless consumption of energy. High-tech medical devices consume unimaginable amounts of energy as they always have to be plugged on. This problem has been a huge dilemma as we cannot give up people?s lives just to protect the environment.

           An innovative design group has been experimenting with the very basic background of this problem- the hospitals, in which patients rely on energy-consuming devices all day. They have especially focused on technologies related to sanitation, and have developed and incorporated innovative ideas into the hospital they built in Haiti.

           Since a massive earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, the country has been dealing with diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera that can be prevented through improvements in sanitation. However, it was an ordeal in Haiti to construct a sanitary hospital in Haiti because the country lacked a stable supply of electricity, which is crucial to keeping modern hospitals clean from viruses and bacteria.

           So instead of relying on modern technology for sanitation, the design group turned their eyes to nature for a more basic, yet efficient solution. They decided to use as much fresh wind and sunlight possible to air out and purify the hospital building. This meant that they had to transform the structure of the hospital itself.

           Unlike other hospitals which are protected by thick walls, they designed the hospital much open to nature so that wind and sunlight could pass more freely in and around the building. This enabled for basic forms of sanitation without much need of electricity, as most of the work was done by the force of nature. This medical and technological innovation has proved that it costs much less energy, as well as money to save lives and prevent diseases.

           What was especially meaningful to me was the fact that this change in design has used to force of nature to protect nature itself.

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http://www.massdesigngroup.org/