The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group
Iwan Baan
The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group
Oct 19, 2011 In rural Rwanda, the Butaro Hospital by MASS Design Group redefines the region's healthcare delivery paradigm
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The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group_01 Butaro Hospital in Burera District, Rwanda.
The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group_02 Beds in the wards are organized near the center of the room. With this configuration, the windows can be as large as possible. Industrial-sized, 24-foot-diameter fans pull air up and out through the upper clerestory vents. Natural ventilation is maximized to have approximately 12 air changes per hour to reduce transmission rates of airborne diseases. Germicidal ultraviolet lights help to sanitize air filled with tuberculosis particulates.
The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group_03 Built on and in a hillside that was a military base, the Butaro Hospital is composed of a series of buildings with circulation primarily outdoors under loggias.
The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group_04 Circulation between buildings is primarily outdoors around a central courtyard.
The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group_05 The exterior is composed of hand-built stone walls and plaster walls. Signage was designed and donated by Massimo Vignelli.
The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group_06 Circulation between buildings is primarily outdoors around a central courtyard.
The Power of Design: Butaro Hospital, Burera District, Rwanda, by MASS Design Group_07 About 3,500 local residents were trained in various construction methods to build the hospital. Those trained to build the walls of volcanic stone are now highly sought-after for their construction skills.