Design for the Children
Design for the Children is a competition that is affiliated with Fight for the Children. Entrants were prompted to design a children’s clinic in Rwanda, Africa with a primary focus on HIV education and treatment.
A design team was formulated within the Karlsberger employee base, participants represented all of our offices including New York, Columbus, Birmingham and Ann Arbor, with all hours and resources donated on their own personal time. Prominent members included: Joe Kuspan, Ike Kameoka, Brent King, Jonathon Harris, Evan Weremeychik and many others (several Interns/staff from Yale, Pratt and Auburn).
The building is meant to be constructed in two phases; the first phase includes the basic program for an operational clinic, while the second phase is an expansion of the first. The building was also required to be assembled from indigenous materials that were readily available on site.
The implied design strategy incorporated the ideas of balance, conservation, and resourcefulness. Using local labor, the final proposal is design to be easily constructed with common materials. By integrating residents into the construction process, they are able to generate a perception of ownership.
Use of a super-shed structure allows for programmatic flexibility and the harvesting of natural resources: solar power, water collection, and wind. Also, a cut/fill equilibrium is integrated within the landscape to keep construction debris and waste to a minimum.
Community
The design for the clinic formulates an idea of community. The exterior courtyard houses an open area that incorporates multiple community activities. An outdoor fire pit, kitchen, crop field, play area, and seating arrangements are all key components used to activate this space. The play area includes a carousel that is part of the Play Pump installation used to pump well water from an underground source into the water tower for storage. Not only is the courtyard a public commodity, it is also a component of the building functionality.
Wooden Screen Wall
The placement of wood slats procures a transparency that is used for different programmatic spaces. Embedded in the wood is insect netting to provide a comfortable/safe interior environment. Each panel is constructed in 4-foot modules for easy installation.
Concrete Block Wall
The block wall is the primary structural component for the roofing loads. The blocks are placed in 4-foot increments to align with the structure above. Blocks are removed for ventilation which creates an emergent pattern.
Flexible Partitions
As a concept to enhance the adaptability of a two phase construction period, the partition components combine to form different portions of programmatic space. Standardized and fabricated locally, different types of panels work together, folding and unfolding, allowing the same space to transform from exam room to recovery room to open ward back again as the role of the clinic continues to evolve.
Karlsberger is a nationally-recognized leader in healthcare planning and design. Whether they are planners seeking out new methods by which they can perfect the functionality and efficiency of a building or designers who feel something stir inside of them each time they realize the true power of a great design, the staff at Karlsberger is dedicated to enhancing the healing environment throughout the world.
