The Detroit Medical Center has transformed a previously underused storage space into a 24-hour observation unit with prefabricated, modular interior rather than using drywall due to potential health risks of constructing spaces with gypsum.

The large amount of dust created by gypsum can get into wounds or may be ingested by patients with compromised immune systems, John Miller, East Campus program manager with the Detroit Medical Center, said in an article on the Healthcare Construction + Operations website.

With five months to construct the new unit, the project team also liked the simplicity of applying prefabricated walls.

“We were weighing the differences between the dry wall and the modular wall. The modular could get installed faster, it would be greener and it would be more durable,” said Maureen Reilly, project coordinator at the Detroit Medical Center. “Also, if you don’t want modular walls anymore, you can just take them down. You don’t have to demolish them and create the dust again.

Read the article.