As the world evolves its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one clear reality is testing for the virus will be part of our daily lives for the foreseeable future. While widespread testing for a deadly virus is an inherently scary new reality, new design solutions can help make testing more accessible, reduce stigma, and ultimately keep more people safe and healthy.  

We are proud to share our team has designed COVID Shield, a modular, scalable, customizable testing solution that could be placed on college campuses, outside workplaces, in community areas and numerous other settings. 

The COVID Shield can be assembled as a single unit or connected to others, to form a modular pavilion of testing stations. Its flexibility and easy alteration allow it to adapt to fast-changing testing protocols, and a variety of site footprints.  It offers numerous advantages that will help institutions expand testing safely, including:

• The COVID Shield empowers individuals to be tested without having direct contact with healthcare staff, which can potentially reduce the use of personal protective equipment dependent on local guidelines. Each unit can be rapidly cleaned after individual use.
  
  
• The COVID Shield is a modular solution that can be quickly assembled by two people. Its pieces collectively weigh 185 lbs with no panel more than 60 lbs, and the COVID Shield comes with clear step-by-step assembly and use instructions.
  
  
• The COVID Shield’s size makes it easy to integrate into any setting. Its external frame also allows for signage that can communicate important health messages or amplify branding.
  
  
• The COVID Shield has an add-on wheels feature. This allows for greater flexibility for drive-through testing models and testing sites where full mobility is required.

The COVID Shield was created by a team of design, health, and engineering leaders at CannonDesign. It is being licensed to organizations to provide them with a fast, flexible solution to local, pop-up testing.  When you purchase a COVID Shield license, you receive a kit of materials that includes: the drawings, specifications, list of materials, assembly, and use instructions guide. Those interested in more product information and pricing can reach out via covidshield@cannondesign.com.

A key advantage of the COVID Shield is how easily it can display printed art and advertising. The polycarbonate sheets that comprise the COVID Shield panels are durable, can withstand years of cleaning cycles, and are ideal to accept printed films on the interior surface. This enables organizations to customize messaging for staff, students or community populations (i.e. testing instructions, branded images, and logos, or public art, etc.)

Currently, those interested in the COVID Shield can purchase a license (Basic and Expanded) for the design, to be fabricated and assembled by an organization’s internal engineering, facility teams, or other resources. The COVID Shield can be fabricated and assembled with common shop tools in 90 minutes with two people. We are also currently exploring other procurement options. Those interested in more product information and pricing can reach out via covidshield@cannondesign.com.

About CannonDesign
CannonDesign is an integrated Living-Centered Design firm. We leverage the heart, passion, and intelligence of our more than 1,000 creative thinkers to develop solutions for some of the greatest challenges facing our clients and society. We have been recognized as one of the Most Innovative Architecture Firms and a World-Changing Company.