Coverage NYC

What if mental health resources were affordable, readily available and easily replicated? Designed with NYC in mind, our proposal can be deployed in other cities and university settings.

We harness the power of design to create a network of immediately identifiable treatment locations which are wood-clad modules that can be deployed in several ways. Our strategies to best reach the populations in need, both Medicaid and private pay, include providing a broad range of services in de-stigmatized, self-supporting environments, with the ultimate goal of improving care and reducing ER visits and psychiatric admissions.

With the aim of reducing hospital emergency room visits for psychiatric care, Coverage NYC proposes three utilizations of a modular unit. First, we envision a medical hub, meeting the need for timely medication prescription and containing six modules: Two for medical exams with EKG equipment, two phlebotomy spaces, and two consulting rooms for psychiatry. Second, we call for a storefront clinic with 5-7 units serving as therapy rooms, with additional space devoted to a larger group therapy and meditation studio. A third usage of our modules is as kiosks for community outreach, located in public spaces of underserved communities.

The tectonic and graphic identity of the treatment access points will be consistent and recognizable across the three scales of intervention. For example, the modular therapy rooms at the core of the treatments centers would also serve as phlebotomy rooms in the lab hubs and - in a weatherized version - as the outdoor kiosks. The material language and form we envision for the modules utilizes natural materials and maximizes daylight to provide a calming environment for healing.