CURA

About

Created in March 2020 in response to the spread of COVID-19, which led to a shortage of ICUs in many countries, CURA converts shipping containers into fully outfitted isolation wards where medical professionals can treat patients with the assurance of safety. With all the necessary medical equipment mounted inside, a CURA pod can be installed within hours and be employed in more complex configurations to accommodate more patients. The pods not only make cities more sustainable and resilient, they also embrace the principles of circular economy by repurposing shipping containers and reducing waste.

More than 2,000 people have contacted the CURA team to join or provide technical advice, enabling the speedy production of the partnership’s first prototype. In addition, the detailed plans and technical specifications of the pods are shared in an open-source mode on CURA's website with any party who wishes to replicate the model. Therefore, it quickly reaches different communities across the globe. Units have been made in UAE, Qatar and Canada, while more are under construction in other countries.

CURA is currently working to transition the ICU pods into their second phase, where they can be deployed on a larger scale in Boston, Mumbai, Mombasa and other locations where COVID-19 has caused substantial deaths.

Partners: CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, Italo Rota, Humanitas Research Hospital, Policlinico di Milano, Jacobs, MIT Senseable City Lab, Studio FM Milano, Squint/Opera, IEC Engineering, TeamRubicon, Projema, Ospedale Cottolengo, Turin, Philips, Gruppo Boero, Patricia Marsá, Seluxit & Onomondo, Unicredit, The World Economic Forum