Big Ass Fans® often touts how its products keep people comfortable. But with the work of an innovative design group and a number of international partners, the company’s fans have now been put to use saving lives.
Boston-based MASS Design Group, in partnership with the Government of Rwanda, Ministry of Health, Partners in Health and the Clinton Foundation, opened the Butaro Health Clinic today in the Burera district of Rwanda. The six-ward clinic, built of masonry and steel, is designed to reduce the spread of tuberculosis, which is rampant in African clinics.
Architects designed extensive natural ventilation and installed Big Ass Fans to aid in air movement. The fans pass the air over UV lights, killing airborne pathogens.
A total of seven Isis® fans were integrated into the clinic to efficiently ventilate the space and optimize airflow rates using a low volume of energy.
“Using Big Ass Fans allows us to have only one or two fans per ward, running them at speeds low enough that they will not make people feel cold,” said Garret Gantner, project architect with MASS Design Group.
The fans operate silently without compromising the volume of air movement, “which is the most important factor in preventing disease transmission,” Gantner explained.