Friday, November 9, 2007

Project Status Update

We have created a new group comprised of the Spanish speakers and lead by Manuel, who will take the lead on translating the pertinent and applicable parts of the Peruvian code, specific to the Poly Clinico designation of our project. Manuel and his group anticipate having Executive Summaries of the codes by the 11/29 meeting.

At the 11/29 meeting, we will discuss recent conversations with Amazon Promise and share the answers to the questions we sent to the Peruvian professionals, who Manuel is in contact with, though has yet to receive anything back from. We will also discuss in detail the creation of a Basis of Design, which will serve as our 'design bible' of sorts for the duration of the design process. We will have a sample posted on ProjectSolve early next week. Each Discipline will contribute their respective code summary as well as disciplinary write up, which will help solidify the coordination process.

For now, all Disciplinary Groups are asked to stay in touch with one another and continue to brainstorm ways to improve the conceptual design. Translation of the code and answers to our numerous technical questions -- each of which is expected by the next meeting -- will open up a lot of work for each Group.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Groups Report Progress

The project team split into several working groups including:
*Structural and Geotechnical Engineering
*Water and Sanitation
*Electrical
*Mechanical
*Construction
*Sustainability and Architecture
*Fundraising and Marketing

The groups met individually to discuss the conceptual design, evaluating its feasibility, developing alternatives where appropriate and determining the scope of the groups work. Each group is now compiling a brief write up describing their role in the project to be included in a presentation to Amazon Promise of the conceptual design. The groups are also developing a Request for Information (RFI) for Amazon Promises consultants in Peru.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Conceptual Design

The Sustainablity and Architechture group developed a conceptual design based on Amazon Promise's wish list and the initial floor plans.

The conceptual design was developed to meet the needs of Amazon Promise while working within local environment. Constraints include the reliability of electricity grid, heavy seasonal flooding, tap water quality, and vultures.

The conceptual design (shown left) of the health center includes a two-story building, elevated above high flood levels. The building is accessed via a floating dock by either foot or boat depending on the season.






























About this

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Project Breifing

Amazon Promise provided EWB with a wish list


Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Background


Located directly adjacent to Iquitos, Belén is a sprawling river community of some 74,000 people who lack the most basic amenities required for human health. Outdoor defecation, piles of rotting trash and drinking water contamination are rife. Most children are malnourished. Living conditions are cramped. The prevalence of many diseases is extremely high. Maternal and infant mortality rates are also high.

Most people cannot afford health care and government services are under-funded and mostly inadequate. No NGO has a perpetual, organized presence on the ground in Belén, let alone one focused on child and maternal health. The end result is a desperately impoverished population with very limited access to basic health care.

Much of the story repeats itself in the outlying village regions, where the extended stomachs of malnourished, parasite-infested young children are a very common sight. Some of the villages are so remote that the services Amazon Promise provides are their only source of health care.

Amazon Promise is expanding its health-care delivery in Peru with plans to build Promesa de Belén, a fully operational, 6000-square-foot clinic that will serve the needy community of Belén. The local government has donated the land we need; we're now actively working with an architect and pursuing funds for construction.

The New York professional chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has taken the lead with the EWB student chapters at Binghamton and Brown Universities in collaborating with Amazon Promise to design and construct the Belen Clinic.

EWB-USA is a network of practicing engineers and engineering students whose mission is to promote sustainable development in such areas as water supply and sanitation, housing and construction, energy, transportation and communication, income generation, and employment creation. Over the last year, EWB-Binghamton students completed two site visits in Belen, and have been working with local architects and engineers to develop waste management and clean water systems, and alternative energy sources. The EWB Brown students visited Belen in early 2007, and have been focusing their efforts on the clinic design and structural development.

The EWB-NY project team has split into several working groups including Structural/Geotechnical Engineering, Water/Sanitation, Electrical, Mechanical, Construction, Sustainability and Architecture, and Fundraising/Marketing

We now have over 25 engineers who have voluntarily dedicated themselves to this project, and they will continue to work closely with architects and civil engineers on the ground in Peru to see the project through to completion.