GUMULIRA CLINIC

Concept | 2010

The Malawi Millennium Village was in dire need of a maternity center and clinics for their campus in Gumulira, Malawi. Due to the lack of building materials in high volume, the design incorporates readily available and affordable materials, including locally fabricated bricks. Programmatically, the two buildings house the maternity ward and general clinics with a shared central axis. The form of the buildings are similar in shape but have been mirrored on a central axis to create two distinct functions due to a limited construction budget and for speed of construction. The maternity beds and exam clinics have been arranged toward the exterior of the buildings so the patients may receive ample natural light and cool breezes. The clinics and maternity ward are arranged to allow for passive ventilation; the interior windows have operable louvers to enclose the spaces in the evening. A rainscreen façade protects the exterior and aids the passive ventilation process through exterior wall openings that are fitted with insect screens.