Arup, an architecture, design, and engineering agency with global outreach and influence, reacted swiftly to a crucial logistical issue in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic through the development of Jengu; a hand washing unit constructed from simple and easily accessible components, with an open source design, allowing individuals and communities to easily clean themselves to stem the spread of infection.

Working to contrast the message of global unity at the heart of the Jengu, I developed the JengTu, an entirely over-engineered solution to sanitisation that drastically limits user accessibility, yet retains the potential for real-world deploy-ability. Due to its large size, overly complex construction, and difficult to transport form, the JengTu requires local government backing for public implementation, resulting in only wealthier areas gaining access to the units. For usage, the user is required to scan the QR code on their smartphone, which links the users Track-and-Trace data and activates the unit. Using a bed and ceiling of an array of UV-C emitting LEDs the unit poses a health risk to the user as prolonged exposure of UV-C light to skin can cause cancer, and damage the eyes, it is for these reasons that it is advised that the user only sanitises gloved hands, clothing, or personal items; the top cover of the unit also extends to the users eye-level for two reasons, firstly to shield the eyes from direct UV-C exposure, but also to measure the forehead temperature for a fever – alerting the user on their smartphone if they have a high temperature.

It is advised that a first aid kit is kept in your personal vehicle as it is largely considered to be a tool one would rather have and not need, than need and not have; for the instance in which it is needed it is impossible to predict the circumstances, including the individuals involved. Regarding our new found fear as a society of coming into close proximity with strangers, some may be discouraged from helping those in need for fear of potentially exposing them-self to disease (in this case, COVID-19), as seen during the first wave of the outbreak when members of the public suffered severely from health complications as a result of refusing to seek medical attention for fear of exposure.

To ensure that we are confident and well-equipped to handle any first aid emergencies that are thrown our way moving into the new age of social interaction post-COVID-19 I have designed a first aid kit specifically for ensuring that the user is protected from an array of biohazard threats, as well as many circumstantial threats that may face the user.

In this project I have created a theoretical scenario half a century ahead in time, in which economic and security tensions have increasingly heightened between the US and China. Following the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 in 2020 medical trials have become far more streamlined in an attempt to bring potentially lifesaving drugs into circulation as quickly as possible, the most attention focused toward the prevention of another devastating global outbreak. With drug resistant pathogens becoming increasingly common the attention is turning away from conventional medicine and toward white blood cell therapy, whereby we are able to enhance the abilities of our immune system through genetic engineering, in hopes of eliminating the need for vaccinations against disease. The relaxation in international law concerning human genetic manipulation in addition to the streamlined medical testing process has allowed China to near completion of their genetically enhanced soldier programme.