How might a building help to heal a community?

The Burera District was one of the last two districts in Rwanda without a district hospital, and the Butaro hospital is now the first in this region, serving over 400,000 people. Situated on the site of a former military base, Butaro Hospital serves as both a reminder of and a symbol of Rwanda’s incredible transformation since the devastating war of 1994. Using the expertise of infectious disease doctors from Partners in Health and the Harvard Medical School, the Butaro hospital uses innovative design solutions through patient flow and natural ventilation to help mitigate and ultimately reduce the transmission of airborne infections like Tuberculosis.

Much of the initial work for the hospital centered around issues of ward design, both for patient comfort and to maximize natural ventilation systems. The ward designs flip the standard ward layout of beds along the walls with a single corridor down the center, where patients spend their days staring at other sick patients. Instead, these wards were designed along a central half-height conduit wall, which allowed for concealed bedside services, while allowing patients each to have a view of the exterior landscape. 

The design uses nearly all local materials - like the volcanic rock from the Virunga Mountain Chain - in an effort to respond to local conditions and stimulate the economy of the Northern Province.
Great design work cannot happen from afar, but must be embedded within the community it hopes to serve.

Credit: MASS Design Group

Image credit: Iwan Baan