Operation Personal Protective Equipment
Rising to the Challenge for Frontline Workers
Like so many other businesses, RIOS transitioned to a work from home model in mid-March. As we heard about the PPE shortages in local hospitals, our first instinct was to help. We immediately mobilized, using resources created by practices like Jenny Sabin’s and also used by BIG, Howeler + Yoon, and others to print PLA bands that hold a face shield.
We delivered over 1,800 frames and 5,400 shields to front line health care workers locally and as far away as Montana. We weren’t alone in this effort; several other local design firms rose to the challenge. This was a very direct, groundswell effort that reflects our belief in the power of community.
The video is a documentation of the outpouring of efforts of our staff to meet the rising need and embody our values of making, community, and collaboration. As designers, our nimbleness allows us to rise to the occasion and find ways to be a resource to the community during challenging times. The video was submitted to the 2020 AIA Film Challenge as an example of Health and Wellness in architecture and the power of using architectural problem-solving to address challenges in non-spatial realms.
