Developing the Design of Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory in Saudi Arabia by Considering the Safety Standards and Requirements in the United States: Interior Design Perspective

Abstract

In conclusion, the transmission of infectious diseases is a critical risk that threatening public health. This transmission might occur due to mass gathering events such as the Hajj journey for Muslims that greet annually millions of pilgrims from different countries worldwide. As Saudi Arabia is hosting this event, this makes it more susceptible to contagious diseases over the ages. So, the Saudi Ministry of Health used to communicate with all countries' governments about the public health requirements guidelines. Moreover, they collaborated with WHO to control and prevent the spread of infections since 2009. In contrast, after the spread of COVID-19 and decreasing the number of pilgrims in 2020 to minimize the health risk, the WHO has emphasized the importance and need for having a new collaboration with the Saudi MOH over long-term research to achieve global control on public health. These findings collectively have guided this study's approach to hypothesize that we might contribute to public health improvement from an interior design perspective by designing a research laboratory that focuses on studying infectious disease during and after the Hajj period. A biomedical research laboratory is a place that provides an opportunity for studying different diseases affecting the human body and understanding how living organisms work to measure the effect of a drug, procedure, or treatment on the body to improve individual care and research outcomes (Office of Research Facilities, 2016). The design of biomedical labs considers avoiding the potential issues that threatening workers' safety in the lab (Partners University, 2019). It also protects workers from the risk of infection with human bloodborne pathogens in the workplace. This study aims to find an answer to the posed question: How can we develop the design of a research laboratory of infectious disease in Saudi Arabia, according to the U. S's safety-approved standards and design requirements? Consequently, this study will investigate the higher performance design requirements for infectious diseases research labs to improve the laboratory design in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, this study will adopt the safety requirements regarding the role of selected finishes and materials inside the lab.